Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1901-01-16
wANTEp-soMg PATENTS.
Short Sermon on the Proper Training
of Children,


of Children.
Some parents, remember! Not all
parents. Various recent occurrences so
shocking as to arouse universal repul-
sion and horror, seem to indicate that
there is a screw loose somewhea else
than in the laws of the country or in
the moral constitution of society. Such
things don't happen all at once. They
cone from gradual causes and from an
increasing carelesSness in the ordinary
safeguards to decent living.
If morality is the product of eyolu-
ton, as the scientists say, we seem yet
to be long way from the perfect prod
uct. Possibly, if we were to try the
evolutionary theory of extinction of the
unfit, we might find a considerable
wedding out of parents to be help in
the solution. The Greeks haG aer
convenient way of disposing of useless
people, but the' Greek way seems to us
IKE the worst sort of savagery. 1t had
an element of modern force, however,
How would it do to try state manage
ment for the families of the parents
who cannot manage to keep their chill
dren at home nights-or, keeping them
there, cannot manage to make them
happy there? How about the parents
WHO don't even try and who have no
more idea of systematic training in
morality than they have of the world
wide economic value of the "ounce of
prevcntion?"
The modern method of bringing up
childreo Is getting to be increasingly
on the theory that knowledge is pow
err" that the more children can gather
of the life Of the streets and the life
of the void the better. In fact, the
belief ia knowledge alone is the bane
of the day. We have manual training
and physical training and athletic
training, but the finest training of all
the training of the home--is sighted.
TO give boys and girls sound, whole
some bodies is a fine thing; perhaps it
is even finer than to give them well
trained brains. but finest of all is it to
make them of pure heart and clean
speech. TO lmplant in a child that in
stlnetiye dislike of coarseness and
grossness which shall be like the spear
of Ithuriei to detect the weakness and
falsIty of evil suggestions, even though
masked under ne hood of truth-th!s
is function which belongs first of all
to the parent. No other human being
caa do it.
The school can give us many things.
. rsx-r, irte IF fpfa
gence and physical soundness. 1t can
instruct our children in their duties as
citizens. 1t can even give them the
surface seemings of ethical instruction,
but the parent and the home alone give
them character The finest department
of ethics that boy can gra iuatc from
is that which opens when his own door
is reached. IL he doesn't find elhics
there and find them in his early days
he is pretty apt never to get the genu-
Inc thing. And some fine morning his
parents wake up to see their sons
name figuring in some snch tragedies
rs have come TO shock public Inowl-
edge lately-and will keep on coming,
doubtless, until the world realizes more
forcibly what tremendous need there
is of fathers and mothers nowadays
| minneapolis Times,
May Adopt the American idea.
The Russian government intends
sending an agent to the United States
TO study homestead legislation, with
the view of its partial application to the
/ y,oasaut rntumuu5fia9
1
A man of means isn't necessarily q
mean man.