The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-05-12
INFANr1LE RIGHTS.


when the average American may declare that
babies have no rights which nurses ought to
| respect. The little candidates for manhood
or womanhood have it all their own way with
their mothers when present; the mothers are
potent in the control of the fathers; the
fathers vote, and the officers they vote fol
rule the State and the nation; hence, by
logic, we may conclude that the governing
power in this country is babyocracy.
Whether it is right that this should be SO OF
not, there is no reason why the baby in he
custody of the nurse should cease to
enjoy its sway, cease to have its wishes
regarded, cease to have its comforts consid-
cred, cease to be respected as human en-
tity or cease to be respected as an inchoate
American citizen. Babies have rights which
mothers know Row to respect, and which
husba nds and other occupants of family tab
ernacles are not allowed to ignore; why
should these rights be secuted and set at
naught the instant the hired handmade has
carried the infantiIe musician away from the
maternal threshold? Little Chubby is a
king as long as his subject mother is within
the sound of his voice, which generally COM
prises very considerable area. His orders
may not be very distinctly understood by
others, but his mother knows what he COM
mands and instantly obeys without muir
muir. But just as soon as the hired substi-
tute carries his diminutive majesty into the
street and out of earshot from the outer door
the little traveller becomes captive, slave
and sufferer. The cruel sun beams down
on his royal head. The strings of his
cap cut into his royal neck. He is jolted
about unfeelingly in his coach of state. The
invading fly travels unmolested across his
fat and tender cheek. The alien and the
stranger is suffered to dandle him awkwardly
or to bestow smothering kisses. His tender
tympanum is dinned with the clang and
clatter of vehicles. The voice of thirst is
Knocked at by the nurse, and the voice of
hunger is answered by administering stale
and watery fluid through rancid tube of
gum-elastic. If infantile royalty is attacked
with q collie, he is kicked up and down on a
pnA1 VI IAWO0IoO Auo0S uutll Ills DOOy Is
sore, his face as red as beet, and his throat
hoarse with his Intellectual uproar. If the
humping and humping process does not
stife the royal outcry, the bottle of paregoric
is exhibited and the young pains are silenced
for the hour, to break forth with greater VIC
lence soon after for greater cause.
When the little victim of negligence and
stupidity gets home again to the protection
Of his true and loyal subject he has no means
Of making his grievances known, and is sent
Forth next day to endure the same torment
With such variations as ignorance and caprice
nay invent. Thus from day to day he is
leposed from his throne and tortured as
captive or felon.
Hired nurses ought to be under the survei-
ance Of the police, who should take pains to
'eport every case of neglect wantonness
md cruelty. The convicted torturess should |
20 marked and excluded from any position |
where her heartlessness can again become |
ource of torment to helpless sufferer.