The keynote of the whole
movement is the protection of the weak. This appears especially in a
recognition of the growing claims of children. Not only is this seen in
the history of factory legislation, but in the long line of educational
legislation, happily not ended yet. These taken together form a chain of
measures for the protection of the young against the tyranny, greed, or
carelessness of employers or parents. The strongest public sentiment is
still working in this same direction. Recent agitation on the subject of
prevention of cruelty to children, free dinners for school-children,
adoption of children, child insurance, attest the growing strength of
this feeling.
Sec. 3. General extension of Paternal Government.--The class of measures
with which we have dealt recognizes that children, women, and in some
cases men, are unable to look after their own interests as industrial
workers, and require the aid of paternal legislation. But it must not be
forgotten that the century has seen the growth of another long series of
legislative Acts based also on the industrial weakness of the
individual, and designed to protect society in general, adult or young,
educated or uneducated, rich or poor. Among these come Adulteration
Acts, Vaccination Acts, Contagious Diseases Acts, and the network of
sanitary legislation, Acts for the regulation of weights and measures,
and for the inspection of various commodities, licenses for doctors,
chemists, hawkers, &c.
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