National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1880-05-13

ing, and Of much of our religious enthusiasm,
aud of much of the culture aud msthcticism Of
elegant society; aud Just in the pro-
portion that these higher lfe.gorms
remain implanted in soil of needy souls
about us, like the wheat or corn these germs
abide alone aud bring forth no fruit Nay,
more than that, selfish. intellectual, aesthetic
life becomes but source Of anarchy and self
concct. IL seeks satisfaction in personal van
ty; 1t sows to the wind aud rcaps the whirl-
wind; IL become pharisaical selr-righteousness,
which thinks itself too good for earth, and
prctonds 60 pant for the kingdom to come In
the high uses Of which IL has neither part nor
love. All this selrrighteousncss presumes to
look with idle disgust at tho great unwashed,
and with basphemous criticism OH the author
OF that order of life which loads society with
ill-bcgOtten children. These pharisees aud
these selfish clogants utterly forget that 1t is
u fact (howovcr great mystery that the
ncarnuton Of each soul in human flesh
rs equally wOnder-birth, whether born
midst tho environments Of degradation or in
the purple. Now, If we aualyZe the unfortu
nate condition Of the two extremes of life
the selfish sensual and the selfish intellectual
we will see that the little waits
who receive from their careless begettois
mot paronts) only birth have but half
chance for development; and that that I'M
social, intellectual or sentimental life which
does not use itself for others, has but half
chance for symmetrical development Not bit
more do neglo ctcd babes need the knowledge
of how to live than isolated scholars aud thcor-
lists need these child lives in which 10 propa.
gate in this cartl.state their hardly obtained
earth knowedgcs In this sense the maxim,
"Onc world at u timc," is u good maxim. Let's
live thoroughly while we live, and do carths
work while we arc in earth-states; then
heaven will take care of itself. Other things
hpn hn hnn al I,na boa Lao,
best maturity.
One who hasstudied child nature thoroughly,
aud who, from his own nature, was en- rapport
with it, says: "Tho first object of education is
to break up the egotism of the individual, and
to teach him to love and trust generously by
leading all children from the first stage of
communion in the family, through all the fol-
lowing stages of social life, to the love of hui
manity. BY highest self.conquest alone can
man rise to divine unity"
This self-conquest, this absorption Of self IN
tho good Of Others, is the thing of which VIC
have so little! 1t is the work of lfes cduca-
ton to break up egoism, selflove, and to
develop In its place that love of alter ego or
other self The children of the degraded,
whether rich or poor, are born with selfish
instincts predominant. 10 satisfy, by force,
fraud or fair means their animal passions.
bounds the horizon Of their hopes and amb-
tions. Tho evil conditions of society come
from that individual unensiness which seeks
its cure by following the impulse Of the
moment, regardless of the restraints of reason
or the comfort of others. 1t is this egoism-
this selfishness unmitgated-which bursts
forth in murder, theft and all the horrors of
crime. Now, if all the little two-year-old
children could be gathered for few hours
each day into the children's paradise-the
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. theirdivinely implanted
craving for activity is satisfied through its
healthy development. they would there grad
ually aud surely be lifted out of that egoism,
which is the ruling passion of the lost, into an
idea ofan alter.egO, othcrself. They would learn
from babyhood that Identification with others,
which makes the good of the many, the real
blessing of each. The true kindergarten is n
little world in which each child learns that
his individual happiness depends on the happi-
ness and harmony of every other in the little
community, and that the bright hying-whcols
of happiness and play are clogged by any dis
order of passion and selfshness All orderly,
natural lifo is play life. Every bird on the
tree, every bursting flower, every bubbling
brook and every blessed baby show that.
1t would be impossible TO suggest in this
paper the comprehensive idea apd high social
purpose of the kindergarten. The little ones
of two years of age are here taught and given
| time for the development of self-government.
| A truo kindergarten is, in its highest sense,
that glorious thing yet untested-a republican
government. 1t is the government of little
| people, by little people and for q little
| people; and over and back of this self-govern-
ment sits q experimenting providence in the
| person of tho kindergartener showing the
| little ones the wisdom of right choice in
each act, and the power of selfishnGss to
| dcvastate aud destroy harmony and progress
From two 10 seven years of age these chill
dren become thoroughly intrenched in princi-
| pies which make for peace, order and progress
| of the community. Did | say intrenched
Better than intrenched-fort these principles are
no coat.of.mail clamped on with iron groaves.
They become an upspringing, irrepressible
| life-power, which, bursting forth from within,
strengthens with the strength and grows with
the growth. These arc not the children who
later on will tax the state for police supervi-
sion, repeated trials by court, and final state
prison support! These are not they who in
fifteen years will be begetting an army of pau
pers and criminals. On tho contrary, these
are they who, even in babyhood, like little
evangels daily returning to their homes, will
take to neglected mothers and discouraged
| fathers some tangible idea that christianity is
really redemption, and that heaven begins
| OH earth.
| Now, in this capital of our country-this
place Justly docried for so much that is often
sive to order and lofty iptegrty--let there be
started public kindergartens for the little chill
right of every child to be well'bOrn will be aC-
knowlodged. 1t is certainly not too early
now to accord to every child the divine right
TO be wel.bred.
In present conditions we cannot control the
birth rates among the criminal aud poverty
stricken classes. The ono use which the de-
graded make of themselves seems to be to per-
petuate their kind. That is all any created
| thing can do-perpotuate its kind. We shall
show intelligence by accepting this fact, and
we shall show loving charity by then proceed.
| ing really to make the best of it.
Who knows but what If all we prigs prudcs
and selfrighteous ones ms faithfully gave to
the world our boosted spiritual aud intellectual
forces rs the 'prolifG poor" give out life after
their kind, who knows what changes would be
wrought in two generations?
| How 10 repress crime is admitted to be the
problem of the ages. Tho weight OF the iron
| hand of tho law seems to have fullcn on tho
criminal classes with very disreputablo results,
| Uudcsired and undesirable kinds Of children
have been born, bred aud educated into Grim
mails with u regularity which would have dono
credit to better purpose. Now, instead Of
seeking to crush back aud out tho "swarnlng
life of the sums aud alleys" let us try Il new