Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1926-07-09
GAINING
SUPPORTERS

he work for the ratification of the
child labor amendment continues.
The annual convention of the Ma
tional League of Women Voters, the
biennial convention of the National
Young Women's Christian Associa-
ton, the department Of superintend
ence of the National Educational
Association, and the Educational
Press Association are among the lat
est organizations that have reaffirm-
ed their position in favor of the rat
ification of the child labor amend
ment.
1t is not surprising to learn that
the above-named organizations have
again gone on record as opposing the
greatest blot in our country; but 1t
is pleasing to note that they have
openly announced their convictions
and are again Waging an active fight
to restore to the child Of this country
the heritage that has been stolen
from it. These organizations, along
with hundreds of others, ably led by
the American Federation of Labor,
will conduct a vigorous campaign and
will right the wrong that has been
thrust upon the young generation,
the future citizenship of America.
Briefly, the child labor amendment
simply gives Congress the right to
enact a child labor law. 1t means
that our Federal government will
have the right to say that the child
life of the United States cannot be
exploited for the safe Of few dollars,
as is the case at the present time; it
means the giving of an opportunity to
the children of the country to spend
their childhood days in the school
room where they can be prepared to
fight the battle of more mature years
with at least a fair education; the
chance to play, develop their small
bodies, have the association of their
young playmates, the advantage of
home life, all of which has been taken
away from them by the money-mad
industrial captains of the country.
Arthur Brisbane recently said in
one of his articles which are syndi-
Gated throughout the world: Certain
savage tribes are known to throw
their children in the rivers for the
alligators to devour. Horrible, isn't
it? Yet right here in the United
States we are throwing millions of
our children into the industrial whirl
grinding their poor, small bodies,
crushing their spirit, dwarfing and
manning them, leaving them without
any hope for the future. When we
look at his condition, the savage's
treatment of children doesn't seem so
horrible after all.
Brisbane is right; the children of
this country should not be thrown in
for the ratification of the child labor
to the industrial whirl, and the fight
amendment is just getting started.
Like any move which tends for the
betterment of the masses, certain
groups oppose it. Yet in time the
people will awaken to the terrible in
justice that is being done our chill
there is no doubt in the world that
dren; and when they do awaken,
the children of America will cease to
be worked in the mill, the factory, the
cannery and in hundreds of other
places of employment for a small, pit
iful sum, grinding out their vitality,
robbing them of their health, their
opportunities of education, stealing
their happiest days, for one and only
one purpose-that of enriching the
exploiter of the child life of the coun-
tro o-Terre Haute Advocate