The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1898-03-10
CHILDREN'S RIGHTS.
NO TWO CHILDREN ARE ALIKE.
SOUND VIEW OF cH1LD-sTUDY
Some Rambling Thoughts.
BY "NEMO."

As to Children's Rights My child
ish soul was once deeply stirred by a
foreign missionary, who told, in most
grewsome manner, of India's Car of
Juggernant. This huge structure, be-
jeweled and blood-stained, was, at Ger
tain seasons Of the year, dragged hither
and thither over the bodies of living
people. And in my immature judg-
ment thought that such things could
never be. save in the land of splendor
and of plague. But Time changes us
all How clearly one now sees that
these Juggernaut cars of prejudice have
been in many places, and if not quite
SO tangible yet quite as real as the brutal
car of India. What Juggernaut has
been Ecclesiasticism ! During the
darker ages OF our world those ages
that followed time of great llght,-it
demanded from all men the giving up
of private judgment, it tried to compel
similarity of belief (of course, lmpossi
ble) and in the compelling it killed
Thanks to elightenment and charity of
thought that car of human violence
has wheels that now scarcely move.
What Juggernaut has been Educa-
tlon With but few exceptions, until
few years ago, it demanded uniform
treatment of all children. It has not
crushed willing victims, but helpless
little ones, who were cast in its insens-
ate path by those SO deluded that they
verify thought they did righteous
sevice to the race. No more than the
winds can be reduced to system, can
one child be made exactly similar to
another child by giving it similar train
ing. It cannot be done and the at
tempting of it Injuries the child. Look
on the Board School System of Eng
land as it was first organized and you
will comprehend the automatic way In
which little heads and hearts were
ruined. Let your Imagination run riot
and understand all that 1t meant OF
routine when a French statesman ex-
claimed one day on looking at his
watch II know what every child In
France Is doing at this moment" But
happily, just as better day has dawned
for India and for religion, so there now
grows into strong light a new day for
education wherein the individuality of
the child is to be respected instead of
crushed and forced and warped as it was
never intended to be.
~
Among childrens rights, therefore,
let us who want to be in the van OF
progress, reckon "Child. Study" as it is
called. How foolish the young farmer
who strives to make his farm look just
like his nelghbor's. If he graded down
this hill and plowed up that pasture,
he might secure some similarity OF
appearance but he would destroy bis
own farm in the process. The way to
get most out of his farm ia to suit bis
treatment to Its peculiaritles, and those
peculiarities cannot be learned over bis
neighbor's fence. Behold the farm is
the child and its needs must be similar.
How natural is the question, "What
will it become ?" when a smiling infant
looks up in the face with all the beauty
and freshness of a new-blown rose. The
answer is not to be found by pouring
knowledge in, but by drawing it out
In other words, the new education
the education that contains hope fol
the race and joy for suffering, immol
ated childhood-sits first at the feet o.
the child and learns from II the needs
that it has, and then rises up to min
lister to the new individuality that ha'
been discovered. just as great teach
er once said regarding Sabbath observ
ances, "The Sabbath was made for mai
and not man for the Sabbath" 81
says the new revelation of our later day
Education is to be fitted to the chile
and not the child to Education"
~
The child has right also to be well
} born. To be weh-bred is mere surfac
detail but to be well-born affects ever.
, tissue, every thought, every impulse
But to make a declaration OF right
(this has happened quite often in hu
man history by no means assures thos
rights save by long years, long centur'e
r of strain to secure them. Thus does
y happen that though we-a few-ar
coming more and more to full unde
1 desire to attest to the merits
q Chamberlain's Cough Remedy as on
Of the most valuable and efficient pr
t naratious on the market. 1t broke q
II exceedingly dangerous cough tor me
"a hours, and in gratitude therefor,
desire to inform you that ! will new
lbe without 1t, and you should feel prot