The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1892-11-25
PATERNAL GOVERNMENT.
what e was ana what Il Could Easily

VI
what e was ana What Il Gould Easily
BE.
AZ general rule when the stifI-
necked conservatist who considers
all suggestions Of social change as
nothing but pestilent socialism de-
sires to utter his most unanswerable
argument he says: ysAAs
TO do so would be to institute
paternal government and Of course
you cannot wish that,
Before replying. however. It would
be we'll to consider and decide what's
meant in this case by paternal gov
ernment says the Chicago Express;
for a decided and suggestive change
has within the memory OF men not
yet old. come about in the general
conception Of what is desirable and
proper relation for q father to hold
with regard to his children; that is
to say. what is really parental gov
eminent of children
Fifty years ago the man who should
have dared to question the wisdom Of
Solomon's proverb He that spareth
the rod hateth his son; but he that
loveth him chasteneth him betimes, /"
would have been thought fool; but
to-day among persons of any culture,
a father who should SO far forget
a child's right to the inviolability of
its person as to strike it would be
punished by the loss Of his own self
respect and would need no other
punishment
While fifty years ago or SO it was a
recognized maxim of education that q
chlid's will had to be broken before il
could be trusted to obey voluntarily,
to-day the majority of reputable peo-
pie rely only upon deserving their
chiid's love and respect to get its
eager and prompt obedience.
Two generations ago the best mean
ing men. even frequently believed
that only through the fear of their
children could the needed respect for
their paternal government be re.
tanned. and hence though such q
course was averse to their better ma
lures. they felt it was their duty to
be cold and distant with their chill
dren; to never treat them as equals
younger human beings. but equal
for fear lest two much Familiarity
might degenerate into contempt
Paternal government then. as H.
Illustrated in the family. has evidently
undergone. within the space of two
or three generations the radical
! change which has substituted love
| for fear as its motive force.
Nor has this change been limited
to the family alone. In the school
the method of discipline depending
upon the rod is about past and pub
lie opinion has nearly reached the
conception that the teacher who re.
quires a rod to enforce his discipline
proves by this fact nothing but his
own incompetence; while it is evident
that at no very distant period an in
stance of rowdyism in our college
students will be taken as proof that
the faculty pretending to educate them
are more deserving of dismissal for
unworthiness than are the students
themselves.
Thus slowly by degrees. but stead
lily. society in its every department
is learning from experience that the
evils from which it suffers are due
more to its own mistaken conception
of its powers than to the necessities
Of its nature.
/ The possible objection therefore
to the paternal government arose
from the fact that it was not
paternal; that is to say. that it was a
despotism carried on by tyrant who
had no conception of the tender rela.
ton Of father implies to his children,
and which should be naturally ex.
pected from his larger experience.
And 10 50 FAR as analogy is of any
value in indicating the tendency OF
social development we may, judy
ing from the beneficent effects for
domestic happiness which we know
have accrued from the change we
have been considering in the paternal
relation. believe and maintain that
its further extension is to be desired
instead Of deprecated.
Imagine for instance that the finan.
cial interests of this country were
regulated for the purpose of pro.
viding the best conditions for all and
that in this respect the government
was paternal; and that the purpose
and efforts Of those who practically
organize the issue and distribution Of
currency were turned earnestly to
making them universal instead of
partial what an immense advance
would be made towards the practical
organization Of the Kingdom of God
through the destruction Of the pre-
sent financial slavery by which we
are all disinherited.
| why II It9
Here IN silver-producing country
we have too much silver; there is.
our great bankers say. an abundance
of money" yet the rate Of interest is