Evening star., 1937-01-19
DIR. Butler Objects.


his voice against adoption Of the pending
child labor amendment to the Constitu-
ton, which he contends, however, is not
properly pending. His protest against
this amendment does not rise from the
fact that he favors child labor. Far from
it, for DR.. Butler has worked diligently
against child labor. 1t rises because of
his belief that the child labor amend
ment would give Congress control of
some 100000 persons in this country
under 18 years of age. In the opinion
of Dr. Butler such control over the youth
of the Nation would be long step
toward 'reactionary and cruel totali-
tartan state" Not only would the chill
dren be at the mercy of Congress, but
also the home, the school and the church.
There are those who will insist DR..
Butler is seeing things in the dark.
President Roosevelt recently wrote to the
Governors of those States which have
not ratified the child labor amendment
urging them to take favorable action. 1t
is to those Governors-nineteen Of them
that DR.. Butler has now written giving
contrary advice. The president OF Co.
lumbia University insists that child labor
has been wiped out to very great ex-
tent in this country, and that the States
are perfectly able to do whatever may
be necessary to wipe it out completely.
He even suggests that the Congress.
under the interstate commerce clause of
the Constitution, might without further
amendment of that document be helpful
in the matter, in the light of recent deci-
sions of the Supreme Court. The one
thing that DR.. Butler does not want Is
to have the so-called child labor amend
ment become part of the Constitution.
DR.. Butler was one of those who op-
posed strongly the adoption of the
eighteenth amendment, for national
prohibition. 1t was his contention be-
fore its adoption that the country was
becoming more and more "dry" without
any constitutional amendment. DR..
Butler also fought vigorously to bring
about the repeal of the eighteenth
amendment, and like others he may con-
slider that national prohibition proved a
stimulus to drinking in the country. Ger
tain it is that now the eighteenth amend
ment has been repealed, there is less
dry territory and more drinking in this
country than there was before the adop-
ton of the amendment. DR.. Buffers
contention now is that it would be
detriment to the youth of the country to
have such q measure of control over it
placed in the hands of Congress. He
insists that Congress would use it.
The child labor amendment, as DR..
Butler points out, was submitted to the
States by Congress thirteen years ago.
It has failed of ratification in a large
number of the States. having been de-
feated by the Legislatures of some Of
the States three or four times. DR.. Butler
holds that the only reasonable course
is to declare that this amendment has
been defeated and cannot be revived by
an appeal to the States from the PreSi-
dent or any one else to take new and
different action on it. Three of the last
four amendments to the Constitution
carried provisions that. to become effec-
tive, they must be ratified by the neces-
sary three-fourths of the States within
seven years after their submission by
Congress. No amendment to the Con-
stitution has ever been ratified after 1t
has hung suspended and awaiting action
for 50 long a time as the proposed child
labor amendment.
This question, raised by DIR. Butler.
whether 1t applies to the child labor
amendment or to any other, has much
substance. If the people of the country
desire to have the Constitution amended
in any respect, they can do so with con-
siderable promptness. This has been
proved again and again. The eighteenth
amendment was originally ratified by the
States about thirteen months after sub
mission. It was repealed In less than
q year, through the ratification of the
twenty first amendment.