The Labor enquirer., 1886-08-07

Socialism and the Children.
For the Enquirer.

FOR Lne Enquirer.
DENVER, July 23.-What will Social
istic form of of government do for the
children? We have already stated some
of the blessings 1t will confer upon the
man and woman. Rlised above all
those circumstances that entail fear of
poverty or the inability to raise family,
having made them equal in law and in
fact, it has placed them in position to
contract an honorable marriage for love
only, and conferred upon them all the
conditions and essentials necessary to
form happy family, and to anticipate
the birth of offspring to bles their home,
and benefit tie commonwealth of social
state, which has already at public ex-
pense provided nurseries, baths. kinder
garten schools, and teachers to assist
these parents to care for these children,
and help them to train up these future
citizens of the state in the way they
should 60, 80 that as they grow up they
may not depart from it.
AS this Socialistic state will take care
that there is competence for everyone,
these children will be relieved of the
necessity of becoming bread-winners for
the family. In 1880 there were $4,000
children working in manufactures in
this country being deprived Of their
birthright and education, because the
capitalists of the country could coin
money out of their labor.
In the great state of Massach usetts
there were 10000 infants under ten years
of age working in her factories, and 25,-
900 children who had never been inside
a school house. in this great and enlight
ened state. Let US cease to talk of
Herod's cruelty in the slaughter of the
infants in Bethlehem nearly 1000 years
ago, while worse slaughter of'the limo
cents Is going on under our very eyes in
the'year of grace, 1886. Surely the gov
ernment or the state that can TINS look
on while its future citizens are being SO
educated and deprived of their God
given right can have but short time to
live. But the social state will change all
this. Every child will be educated in
the very highest art that science can
direct, and especially IN the art and
science of its future life, from its earliest
unfolding until it is twenty years of age.
1t will be thus fitted to discharge the
various trusts imposed upon him or her,
as useful member Of the great COM
monweaith, where every member shall
be interdependent one upon the other,
and all working together for the benefit
of each and.not as under the present
cuJ-throAt system, where the individual
greed of the strong tramples under foot
the rights and privileges of the weak
man, woman and child alike, and makes
them the epping- stones by which they
can rise to hoLor and wealth. And this
is pronounced by the church and the
world, alike, as the highest achievement
of individual glory and renown. Thus
no life has been successful that has not
got the bette Of his fellow man, in the
struggle for existence, and the "fttest
survives" IN this unequal contest. The
child of the future will be also equally
educated for the battle of life, but to
wrest from nature the greatest good, in
the shortest time, with the least labor,
and in harmony with their fellows This
is the meaning of Social Integral Co
operation for the children.
THOMAS YOUNG.