Q: What were the arguments against child labor laws during the Progressive era?

A: By preventing children from working long hours for little pay in factories and mines, we leave them no choice but to work as child prostitutes, flooding the market and putting randy gentlemen in the awkward position of having to chose between spending their money on an experienced lady of the evening or taking a chance and hiring a young, clean, naive boy.

There many have been other arguments against child labor laws, but none better.