LITMIR.BIZ

      Child Labor

       Table of Contents

      The children in the Poor House

       May die of many an ill,

       But the Poor House does not profit

       By their labor in the mill!

      The children in the Orphanage

       Wear raiment far from fine,

       But no Orphanage is financed

       By child labor in a mine.

      The Cruel Law may send them

       To Reform School's iron sway,

       But it does not set small children

       To hard labor by the day.

      Only the Loving Family,

       Which we so much admire,

       Is willing to support itself

       On little children's hire.

      Only the Human Father,

       A man, with power to think,

       Will take from little children

       The price of food and drink.

      Only the Human Mother—

       Degraded, helpless thing!

       Will make her little children work

       And live on what they bring!

      No fledgling feeds the father-bird!

       No chicken feeds the hen!

       No kitten mouses for the cat—

       This glory is for men.

      We are the Wisest, Strongest Race—

       Loud my our praise be sung!—

       The only animal alive

       That lives upon its young!

      We make the poverty that takes

       The lives of babies so.

       We can awake! rebuild! remake!—

       And let our children grow!