The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-02-03
TEXTILE KINGS
FIGHT TO KEEP
CHILD LADORERS
Pour Millions Into the
Fight on Amendment
BY LAURENCE TODD.

WASHINGTON, Feb. L. Child la
Dor in American industries Is not to
be abolished this year. Defeat has
met the pending goth amendment to
the federal constitution in one or
both branches Of thirteen state legis
latures. Ratification by at least SO
out Of the 4S legislatures is required
The campaign Of opposition, which
has been financed by the cotton mill
interests, exploiters of the children,
has been overwhelmingly successful.
Almost every business group and re.
dictionary middle class group in the
country has Joined in the work of
driving these children back to their
machines. Powerful aid in this d.
rection has been given by the Ma
tional Grange and the American
Farm Bureau Federation.
True, the legislatures that have
rejet'ted the amendment may reverse
heir action, either this year or later.
Any legislature that ratifes an
amendment determines the matter
COR its state, while a rejection is new
er final. But the propaganda Of lies
and half.lies which the cotton-mill
barons, under the name Of the Farm.
ers' States Rights League, Inc, of
Troy, N. O.. have published at adver-
Using rates in farm papers thruout
the west and south has been effective
for this year at least. And it makes
ratification in future much more diff
fcult.
Sen. Wadsworth o. New York. lead
er of the opposiUcn to freeing the
child slaves of industry, fastened to
issue a jubilant statement to the
press, that the amendment had been
disposed Of. The American Fedora
ton Of Labor, thru Secretary Nor
rison, replied N;th a confident pre-
diction that the amendment would
still be adopted. thru the reversal Of
action taken in the past few days by
a number Of legislative bodies.
Employers Organized.
"In most Of the states where un.
favorable action already has been
taken there have been organized
campaigns Of the most despicable ma
ture," said Morrison. There has
been NO hesitation about resorting to
gross misrepresentation nor about en-
genderng all kinds of prejudice.
Employers Of child labor have
eone the l'r'it in financine these cam
paigns. The whole situation calls for
congressional investigation OF the
most serious character. The battle
8 Just beginning. II all friends of
he amendment rally to the cause we
hall yet release American children
rom their present industrial enslave-
nent."
Investigation by Labor of the
Farmers States Rights League dis
closes it to be a dummy concern,
whose president is cashier Of cotton
mill bank, its vice-president clerk
in cotton mill store, and its real
promoter David Clark, for many
years lobbyist against child-labor
laws, editor Of the Southern Textile
Bulletin, and instigator of the suits
which resulted in the killing of two
federal statutes which sought to abo-
fish child labor. Clark denies that
Jeff Palmer the agent who writes
the advertisements against the goth
for which papers have
large sums, is his employee. |
But Palmer is located in his outer |
ofice, takes peremptory orders from
Clark, and is listed In the city direct
Try at Charlotte as an employee Of the
Clark Publishing Co. Clark and Pal
ner refuse to explain the source Of |
heir funds, while admitting that
members Of their alleged league pay [
10 dues.
Morrison's demand for congress-
onal investigation is to be pressed.
n order to lay the basis for re-
'ersal Of unfavorable votes in the 10
legislatures where temporary defeat
las ben registered.