The Louisianian. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1870-1871, 1871-04-23
HAVE CHILDREN ANY RIGHTS
GROWN PEOPLE ARE BOUND
TO RESPECTf

6nOWN EEOIA6 A1tG 0OONO
TO RESPECTf
That children should respect their d.
dsrs il maxim profoundly and some
times painfully impressed upon the youth
ful mind. Il it not equally the duty Of
elders to respect the childrens All rights
are reciprocal. Nobody can fairly claim
what he is not willing to concede-or in
the homely terms Of the proverb: Its
poor rule that won't work both ways"
This is sound principle having scarcely
an exception. Certainly the relations Of
tho juvenile and mature members Of 90
ciety do not offer an exception. If grown
persons demand respect from, they should
also give it to children-not merely for
the purpose Of teaching by example, but
from sense Of justice.
In the first place, children are human
beings and therefore entitled to the
thoughtful consideration always due to
humanity everywhere. Boys and girls
arc men and women in embryo. If you
snub . boy or girl you snub the coming
man or woman. Children are further
entitled to respect for the essential i'm
portancs Of their social place and func-
tons What would any age or nation be
without its juvenile element? Children
are at once q study and q discipline:
present strength and promise of future
power. They arc ornamental and useful.
They brighten the leisure hours Of life
and they are an objects which stimulates
its business pursuits. While accomplish
ing great deal Of good they do far less
harm in the world than their elders. Let
nobody thoughtlessly call children nuis-
ances. Men are much greater nuisances.
True, children are sometimes noisy
and inclined to mischief. The child who
does not develop those tendencies is
unhealthful, physically, mentally and NOR
ally. But how much more noise men
make, and how far moro serious the
consequence of their mischief! Children
do not plunge nations into war, shedding
rivers of blood and clothing continents
with mourning. Men do. Children do
not misgovern cities, States and empires
for their own selfish and ambitious pur-
poses. Men do. Children do not plunder
the public treasury. Men do. Children do
notmaintain political, railroad and mining
rings" at the expense Of the people. and
create monopolies of few for the op-
precision of the many, so that small
number may grow rich while the masses
starve. Men do. Children do not COM
NIT the great variety of individual and
organized crimes, some of them venial
and some of them Infamous, from which
society suffers. Men do. The contrast
might be illustratively ampliAed to any
extent Who, then, are the real nuisances.
men or children? It might be shown
that children are actually entitled to
more consideration and respect than any
other class Of the community.
Then let them be encouraged rather
than suppressed Let their improve
ment be carefully provided for. Let
parents tolerate childish sports and even
in them, instead of sel6shly
them ss vexatious annoyances.
70 that the parental appearance SUPER
induces q terror-stricken silence and
sudden gloom in the domestic circle.
Let nature have free course in
children, who obey urallaws ratherthan
the edicts Of sham conventionaity. Above
al, let their rightsb be enforced. For instance
why should this boy be expected to leave
his seat in car and stand for the con-
venience Of an older person who crowds
into the conveyance already fulli He is
an incarnation Of humanity, he is .
coming man, and therefore entitled to
respect he has paid for his ssat, and
should not be called upon to rsinquish
it And this girl condensing in her
small frame the woman Of the future,
has Ike right TO her seat in the con-
Children have rights grown
people are bound to respect, and should
be protected in them.-M T. Weekly.