The Portland daily press., 1883-05-23

Work for children as shown in our last
paper holds the most prominent place In our
organization. And special method by which
it is hoped to insure the best results Is the ap-
pointment of educated women of Christian
principles, generally physicians, to teach by
lecture and all the opportunities their profes.
sion affords, the laws of Hygiene of Heredity
Some years ago an eminent physician in an
address on Social Health, before the Woman's
Sanitary Association of London, commented
upon the little accomplished towards the
abatements of evils; the elevation of the de-
graded, and the relief of the suffering" And
he asked what new means could be proposed to
make more efficient the various phlanthropic
movements having for their aim the health
and happiness of mankind.
He believed 1t possible for all crime, poverty
and disease to be banished from the earth. But
the world, he said, must wait for the Lords
messengers, the leaders of q new era, men and
women competent for the work. He predicted
these men and women would believe in the
possibility of the work and that they them
selves were meant in most important sense
to help in its fulflment.
In the midst Of our large organization there
are to-day many of "these irresistible sanitary
and social messengers" and the means pro-
posed-their foundation works to reveal the
true nature of father and motherhood, as
divinely appointed, and to lead parents to the
intelligent appreciation, and faithful per-
formance Of their duties. One of the best
temperance workers writes: Were 1 to say
birth of child, it would be only part Of the
truth, and further it is not necessary for
father or mother to be idiotic or Incorporate
to entail upon offspring lifelong bodily and
mental sufferings.
The last years report OF our State Sup't OF
Dept of Heredity closes with the following
paragraph:
All matters of reform aust begin with
children, and truly our fellow brothers aud
sisters must be treated as children. They
must be taught to lead clean lives, through a
knowledge of physiology and hygiene. of self
control, in short, of the golden rule.
NEGLECTED. CHILDREN.
The contrast between ancient and modern
views of the relation of the individual to
society is nowhere moro conspicuously seen
than in modern legislation in relation to chill
dren. Under primeval patriarchal authority,
the father had the power of life AMI death, or
of uncontrolled chastisement over the child.
No law interfered to prevent cruelty and In
justice to offspring. The fathers power was
not disputed, and was practically absolute.
The story Of Abraham and Isaac is an illustra-
tion of the patriarchal conception of the right
of father to take the life Of his child.
With the growth of benevolent and ethical
sentiments, society has arisen to a new cou-
ception Of its right and duty to educate and
protect the children born within It's pale. Com
pulsory education, factory laws, and various
other forms of legislation, mark the progress
oil civilization In moral directions, as surely
complete, as the electric light or the telephone
mark it in material directions.
1t is not enough, however, that humane
laws be enacted: watchful and humane senti-
ment must sse that they are executed For
this purpose as well ss to secure still more pro-
tective legislation, the various societies for the
prevention OF cruelty TO children have sprung
up AT first, their efforts were regarded as
purely sentimental, or as intrusive, Those
who could look on their own olive plants
nourlshing and beautiful, sitting in safety and
happiness about their tables, saw no occasion
Tor this waste OF sentiment. The condition of
other children less favored than their own was
ing did not reach their ears. The other class,
under influence of traditional views, looked at
children as mans private property, with
which he could do as he would; beat them,
sfarve them, or turn them into little de-
moniacs with beer il he would, ii was an i'm
pertinent and Hnwarranted trespass for any
one TO interfere. The feeling expressed BY
one of these after beating his little three-year-
old girl unmercifully,-"Sure, and it's my
own child, and can do what like with it,
was the common sentiment of this class. my
own child were his words, but how little he
recognized the pathos and sweetness they ex-
pressed
Human nature cringes at the thought Of
Boston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
to Children, is assuredly right when he says:
Shocking as such physical torture is to sensi-
tive nature, we feel that in the ultimate result,
1t is not so dangerous or SO much to be dreaded
as the wounds inflicted upon the moral nature
which is almost inevitably the result of the
neglect degradation and suffering in such
homes as We are called upon TO visit. The
child OF such a home sees no invitation to a
virtuous life and he drifts by force Of associa-
tion into life of idleness, dissipation, brutal
ity or crime; SO that while we shall punish If
we can, every parent who tortures his child,
we still feel that in the last analysis we are
comforting greater blessing upon a communi-
ty by rescuing such children and transferring
them to homes where their lives may be turn
respect.
The cause of this cruelty and immortality.
Mr. Fay adds, is in nearly three-iourths of the
cases, TO be attributed to the excessive use of
intoxicating drinks.
CHRISTIAN REGISTER.