The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-07-08
FREE neutrality-suspicious..
The Woman's Club Will Es-
tab1ish Them in the
Fall. 4a19f
BEGGING FOR THE POOR CHILDREN
Miss Collard and Miss Gaines
Interested ~ Mrs. Barnes
Address.
FOR THE POOR CHILDREN

Address.
At the last meeting of the Jersey City
Wornan's Club. held in May, Mrs. Fannie
SCHNEIDER Barnes. founder of the first
free kindergarten in this country, talked
to the club about free k-indergarsens in
general and k-indergartens for Jersey City
in particular. AS a result of her address
the club voted unanimously that each
member should try to raise five dollars
toward the establishment of several free
k-indergartens in Jersey City in the fail.
At present there is but one, tina in Whit
tier House. The subject was put in the
hands of the Philanthropic Committee,
and the committee has recently issued
circulars to the club members calling All
stention to this unanimous vote and en-
closing subscription cards and copies OF
Mrs. Barnes address with which to rouse
the enthusiasm of Jersey City people. The
club members have been asked to distri-
butte the cards personally, not by mali and
to awaken interest in the question in
every way possible. In the circular letter
the committee says:-'If we can rouse
public spirit upon the subject Of free kin
dergartens and establish them In our
midst. it will be doing a service to our
city and to It's poor little children, such
as would not be accomplished in any other
way.
The address made by Mrs. Barnes. copies
of which are also sent to the club women,
is as follows
From a careful estimate upon close
observation. what would be the number OF
poor helpless waits, between the ages of
21s to 5 years. in Jersey City, whose only
recreation Is gotten on the streets in the
h~usnces, and who seldom, If ever, have
seen a beautiful tree, a flower, or a plot
OF grass. unless under declaratory re-
parents are there III this city who, even
before this terrible panic found 1t almost
impossible to obtain the necessaries for
their little flock, that today see their for
mer deplorable condition intensified a
hundred fold and, were it not for the blind
est hope, could but consider the present
and future .Wrsh the utmost despair; their
earnest endeavor TO keep their little ones
under wholesome Influences a fruitless
failure. They nd themselves Tsmorse-
lessly compelled to forsake one by one
the little attentions to cleanliness that
are absolutely necessary to heaIhful con-
ditions. Is it any wonder that in one Of
the largest critics on this continent with
in the last year, five instances may be
cited where fathers who were noted for
their loving tenderness to their families,
nave destroyed The lives OF t0Sm all, IN
Guiding. hat Of the mothers and their
own often every article of their belong
i1gs had found its way to the pawn shop?
Are the conditions in Jersey City in regard
present iethargy and almost absolute lack
Of consideration for these unfortunates?
I'm are we going to do about it2
The competition between man and
man is greater today than ever before in
the worlds history. We all realize that
our elildren must Pc better equipped for
the hattla nf Hts thar has a1r5 hAfaro
seemed important, and the world realizes
the wonderful position the kindergarten
holds IN the cheracter building Of the fu.
ture citizen. Thousands OF children Of
well-to-do parents are now getting the
overwhelming advantage of Kindergarten
trainaag, While We ADULTS are Constantly
ten was not In ogu 10 perform its NIGH
ty influence In our education. How aboas
these thousands upon thousands Of poor
little beings who are 10 be the business
associates of our own little ones and
will mingle with them In the Lexow Com
tees Of the future. Is the cause OF NUM-
cipdl reform and the government of higher
civilization receiving proper consideration
al our hands with the streets full of these
little students Of vice? Are we doing our
duty to our wv children when we fail to
give TO these future voters for higher or
lower civilization this training so easily
obtained, that not only adds Intelligent
In. wholesome conditions and out of the
schools OF vice to which our streets in
vie? VIA use is there In taking the enc
mics fortress only TO abandon it? OF
what use are the efforts at Governmental
reform, municipal reform. municipal or
national. unless we re-enforce each Strong
hold taken by educational advancement?
A good kindergarten can be established
and maintained one year at the minimum
price Of $loge, including room. teacher.
Of Jersey City should raise a fund of si0,-
900 and establish ten k~indergartens all
over the city at points most accessible
to the homes of these little people, VIA
would pc the result In one generation?
Can It be estimated, or, rather, can it be
os yer,sgtina ns Cd. ne net considering the
ditures for the building and operation of
reformatories? Consider for one moment
the ethical and psyohologicaI advance
brides OF. the couples who came to have
performed the marriage ceremony. if
they could sew. How much more i'm
management of children. Have we no
duty to perform to the future mothers
every human being has a divine right 10
be well-born. How many other do we
see even in the higher ali of life who
have the intellectual capabilities to per-
form their holy office? What is their
knowledge of physiology that their ply
steal condition may be what it ought to
De during the important period previous
to the ARRIVAL of the little one at the
49, Ctika AAGOM Li0A L.
gently the child's physical condition. that
1t may grow UP a normal being? WHAT
is the mothers knowledge of psychology
that she may catch her chiid's inteilec-
tual p-eculiarities and weave them into
a plan for his lsfe's vocation?
In the United States, at the present
time, the kindergarten has found a most
important position in church work. The
Chicago Free Kindergarten Association
has demonstrated conclus.vely that the
advantage of having the little folks
every day In the kindergarten, instead
of once a week for an hour IN the San
day Scheol. IS q lever of strength to their
work that they mo afford to lose.
What the observation station is to the
weather bureau the kindergarten Is to
DR.. G. Stanley HaN in his famous re-
searches in psychology.
In a recent address to a kindergarten
graduating class. President Hunter said
that it was a conspicuous fact that the
best students In the New York Normal
College were. those who began their edu-
cation In the kindergarten.
More than all this is the demonstrated
certainty that the kindergarten is one Of
the greatest and most wonderful of bIes-
to all who in amy way come in
contact with 1t or participate In its opera
ton. From the very ome Of the con-
ception of the desire to found one or
aid or give in the least toward The cause.
from the instant the yearnsng desire