[Footnote 1:  Thus, night labor in factories to minors under fourteen (Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia), twelve (South Carolina), eighteen (New Jersey), or sixteen (Alabama, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin) is prohibited in factories or mercantile establishments (Connecticut, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, New York), or any gainful occupation (Delaware, District of Columbia, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, Wisconsin).  In South Carolina the law only protects children under twelve from night labor in mines and factories.  So in some as to all females only (Indiana), females under eighteen (Louisiana, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania), twenty-one (New York), and to any minor between 10 P.M. and 6 A.M.  (Massachusetts).]

These laws will be found summarized in full in Legislative Review, No. 5, of the American Association for Labor Legislation, by Laura Scott ("Child Labor"), and in No. 4, by Maud Swett ("Woman’s Work").

It will be seen that in all respects practicable with our necessary system of individual liberty, doubly guaranteed by the constitutions, State and Federal, we are quite abreast of the more intelligent legislation of European countries as to hours of labor, women’s and children’s, except in a few States.  But it should be remembered that these are largely agricultural or mining States, and doubtless when the abuse of child and woman labor presents itself it will be met as frankly and fairly there as in others.

On the constitutionality, if not the economic wisdom of laws regulating the hours of labor of women, at least of adult years, there still is decided difference of opinion.  Logically it would perhaps seem as if those who believe in the “Woman’s Rights” movement of uniform function for women and men, should be opposed to all such legislation; both on theoretical grounds as being a restraint of personal liberty, and as unequal legislation handicapping woman in her industrial competition with man.  This was certainly the earlier view; but under the influence of certain voluntary philanthropic associations the tendency at present seems to be the other way.

The States which have laws prohibiting any labor of children whatever, even, apparently, agricultural or domestic,[1] are:  Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin.