Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1896-01-08
CORRESPONDENCE
ANAwFUL RESPONSIBILITY
The Entering the State Of Matri-
mony--and the Rearing Of
Children.

Mr.. EDITOR: Perhaps there Is
no one except myself, who gives
entertainment to subj cts of SO pc.
euliar character as l am at time:
constrained to do. 1, am some
times amazed at my own frivolity
in expending what little menta
energy I may bave i'll thinking OF
subjects ignored by the most O.
mankind, but since such is my
inevitable fate 1 acquiesce, and
shall now proceed 10 give few
words relative to q subject that
has occupied my attention for the
last few days.
The rearing of children is q
theme far too delicate to be han,
died lightly or slightly. What
delicate! Yes, delicate; very deli
cate. VINO nae naot ohserved with
what inattention to this question
of questions our OWL race entails
misery, ignorance, and suffering
upon each succeeding generation?
L suppose every man and woman
think it his or her inalienable
right to marry when he or she
pleases, but it is a question in my
mind whether such be the case.
Let me illustrate.
When man contemplates as
suming The leadership of any en-
terprise it is supposed by all that
he has some knowledge of his bu-
siness before he attempts to put
his plans into execution. In fact
railroad company will not en-
oloy a man to survey a road unless
he has studied the higher mathe-
matics; the merchant does not
want a man to keep books unless
he has studied bookkeeping. Ev-
ery one can see the reason why the
merchant will not empty a man
ignorant of bookkeeping to keep
books. Indeed a man is put down
as a fool, if he undertakes to carry
on business of Importance un-
less he has first made some prep
aration for the business. But how
different it is as regards the rear
ing of children-the most difficult
and responsible position men and
women ever fill. AS soon as chaps
are about grown, as we say, they
are looked upon as eligible to this
awful responsibility of rearing
children. Oh, horrible! horrible
condition of affairs. What can
we hope for SO long as this is the
case? What can we expect so long
as multltudes of the young assume
this fearful responsibility without
the least preparation?
Mr.. Spencer says parents shall
at least have a general knowledge
of physiology and psychology in
order to rear their children to any
advantage, but, if Mr.. Spencer
could have associated with the
masses, perhaps his curriculum
would have been made much lower
( If he could have seen thousands ot
parents struggling against theil
ignorance Of the common schoo
branches, and worse still, many
who can not even read, perhaps hi
could have announced to the worlt
that the millennium was yet
great way off. But he says tha
no man or woman who is igno
rant of beth the laws of body ant
mind is fit to rear children, sine
every act of mind and exposure 0
body goes toward fixing the desti
ny Of the child. No doubt MI
Spencer is right in this.
We are often alarmed at the cor
ruption Of the State, but we noye
seem to be uneasy about the cor
rupt condition of the family-th
fountain head of the State. w
spend our lives trying to purity th
streams, but you never hear an
one mention the "Slough of Des
pond" from which the stream flow;
A constitutional convention ma
wisely spend several days qualify
ing a man for suffrage, but t
loualifv a man for matrimon