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The Commoner
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
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ncoln, Nebraska, January 18, 1907.
Whole Number 313.
CONTENTS
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Sacrificing toe Children.
The Commoner's Seventh Year
In the Railroads' Grip
Business Honor
Campaign Contributions. !
A New Plan for Election of Senators
Destiny
Connecticut Wheels Into'Linjs
Letters From the People '
Comment on Current Topics "
Home Department
Whether Common or IS ot
News of the Week
THE COMMONER'S SEVENTH. YEAR
In its initial number The Commoner said:
'he Commoner will be satisfied if, by fidelity
the common people, it proves its right to the
le which has been chosen." At the beginning
",every year The Commoner .has rep'roduce'd
statement, and in, . this, . the first, issue of
f Commoner's' seyenpiVyeM 0':
jcted to it. .
Kit is not for the editor to say whether The
iamoner has proved its right to the name it
Those who have habitually read this
fclication are to be the iiuderes. It is sufficient
tfthe editor of The Commoner to know and
laps pardonable for him to saythat if The
smoner has made mistakes they have not
fn mistakes of the heart; that its purpose has
r Deen to stand for the public interests, and
;tmaKe tne great political party with which
inmates of practical service to the people, to
end that a government erected, as our eov-
iment was. in "liberty's unclouded hlnR" hnii
Fin truth what the fathers intended it should
-government of, by and for the people.
: In the future as in the past The Commoner
II stand faithfully for the right as its editor
13 the right. It will plead for the nonular
Action of United States senators. While sup-
rung the government in the exercise of all its
legated powers, it will insist upon the reserved
chts of the states being respected. In its view
irivate monopoly is indefensible and intoler-
Ne;" tariff reform beginning with the destruc-
m of the shelter the trusts obtain under , the
Ise of "protection," and then extending to the
thedules that press most heavily unon the neces-
iries of life will bo urged; in connection with
irlff reform the income tax and an inheritance
x will be favored; arbitration in labor disputes,
eignt hour day law and abolition of Govern
ment by injunction will be advocated.
The position taken by the democratic nartv
Xr 1900 on the Philippine question is the position
Tne uomraoner. The promise of independence
hould be given now and fulfilled as soon as a
tame government can bo established.
On the railroad question The Commoner will
iaintain the position which it took two and a
lalf years -ago, namely, in favor of ultimate own
ership under the dual plan; but until the people
re reaay tor ownership it will urge regulation
tne strictest kind under the most favorable
iditlons. i
Besides maintaining the democratic nositioh
questions with which the publio is familiar.
will apply democratic principles to new;ques-
is anu win oppose subsidies, the Issue of asset
hn.iency and all oiher schemes that violate the
rsonian maxim of equal rights to all and
ml privileges to none.
BEFORE AND AFTER
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SACRIFICING THE CHILDREN
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For thirty years the trades, unions of the
United States have been combatting child labor,
but the general public gave little heed toTthe war
fare reasoning from the assumption that the
unions were antagonistic for reasons that were
purely selfish. Labor leaders pointed out the
results of this growing evil, but mill the general
public gave no heed. Finally thoughtful people
began investigation people who could not be
charged with selfish Interest in opposing the em
ployment of children in industrial occupations
and then the awful truth so long proclaimed by
the trades unions began dawning upon the public
mind. For a time it was threatened that the
anti-child labor crusade would degenerate into a
fad," a sort of diversion for the idle rich, but
the crusade received such an impetus because of
the investigations of sociologists that it is now
well nigh universal.
" A majority of the states have already enacted
laws restricting the employment of children, but
these laws have been loosely drawn, the pri
mary purpose being to cater to the so-called "labor
vote" : Without alienating- the support of the em
ployers who profit enormously by the employment
of children. Even these loosely-drawn laws have
not bderienforced with any degree of earnestness,
and as a result the employment of children has
not only become a national curse, but is threat
ening; thte very foundations of the government.
It has taken long and weary years for the cru
sade against child labor to gather momentum,
but it 'now seems to be sweeping over the land,
and there is a bright prospect that something
tangible will be given the people. Sen'ator Bev-
eridge's bill, which has been printed in The Com-
monor, strikes at the very root of the evil and
aims to provide a uniform law which will gov
ern -in interstate affairs. This will strengthen
state laws and make it more nearly possible, 'to
enforce them as they should be enforced. 'Sen'
ator Beveridge's bill provides that
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Six months from and after tho passage
of this act no carrier of interstate commerce
shall transport or accept for transportation
the products of any factory or mine in which
children under fourteen years of age are
employed or permitted to work, which pro
ducts are offered to said interstate carrier
by the firm, person or corporation owning or
operating said factory or mine, or any officer
or agent thereof, for transportation into any
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vi agent, uiereoi, ior transportation into any i$ifritim
state or territory than the one in which; said .- . VJ&U
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The bill provides for suitable affidavits and f
penalties. The need of such a law ought to be
apparent to any man or woman who has given"
even a superficial study to the problem of child
labor.
A few years ago the astounding assertion
was made that from G0,000 to 70,000 children in
the one city of New York "went breakfastless
to school" every morning. This assertion was
widely copied throughout the country, and at
tracted the attention of students of sociology.
Among them was John Spargo, who immediately
set to work to investigate the "child problem,"
with the result that ho has given to the public
a book, "The Bitter Cry of the Children," which
should be read. fy every man and womau whose
heart beats in sympathy with the children, and
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