Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-24
REsPoNs1Bnrrr OF PARENTS.
Protest Against the Laxity OF Our
Moral Discipline Of Children.
The Outlook.

Th0 outlook.
It ls a very serious question whether the
manners Of the young men and the young
women in this country are not deteriora-
ting. 1t Is not easy to Judge Of the man
ners Of a generation, because the standards
Of the past seem higher as one looks back
than the standards Of the present: and be-
cause, in considering any particular aspect
Of a period. there is the temptation to sep
arate that aspect from the complete move
ment OF the time. and to be misled with re-
gard to its significance. There is no doubt
that the wide practice Of athletics by young
men and young women has, on the whole.
been extremely benehcent. Athletics IL
fast making Americans a vigorous race
physically; II has furnished a safety-valve
for the oyerplus Of vitality which, in the
colleges at least, in former days often took
the direction OF dissipation. It has brought
young men and young women together on
a natural and wholesome basis and has
made them comrades in a rational way,
These gains must be taken into account
ON the other hand, 1t has bred an informal
lily, not to say a freedom, of manner on the
part OF young men toward young women
which involves a positive loss, and fostered
an ease Of Intercourse which may lead to
disastrous results II II is not moderated BY
the experience % older persons and con-
trolled BY iudicious social conventions.
n American girl Is 80 Trustworthy that
1t is very dihicult for a foreigner to UNDER
stand her. He finds II quite impossible.
looking from the standpoint OF his own So
cial traditions, to believe that SO much
freedom can be combined with entire
purity. There Is, however, not the slight
est question among those who are we'll
informed, regarding the essential moral
healthfulness Of American society. There
VIII always be exceptions both In remote
country districts and great cities to this
general statement, but as a whole Ameri-
can society is singularly free from social
corruption. But the freedom whIah the
american girls enjoys may be carried too
far, and the freedom Of the American boy
otten degenerates into license. A great
many fathers and mothers in this country
nave practically abdicated their authority
ana surrendered q responsibility from
whlon they cannot release themselves, al
though they may evade 1t. No father or
mother has a right through easvgo,ns
complacency or dislike to exercise au-
thority to pass over to children that d.
rection Of the home which ought 10 rest
not only on a sympathetic Interpretation
OF the needs of young people, but also on
a knowledge OF life far in advance of the
experience which youth can acquire. The
mead OF a preparatory school for boys
SAID not long ago that It was extremely
dihcult 10 enforce the rule against smok-
ing when boys of 10 frequently drove up
70 the school from the station, accom-
panied by their fathers, both smoking
vigorously. Every boy Of mature physical
growth has a right to decide whether. he
VIII smoke or not, but no father has anv
right to let a growing boy smoke, for
wen known reasons. That is an authority
which he cannot delegate without inhiot-
Ing a serious injury upon the boy. Tho
boys wishes ought not to be consulted In
the matter any more than the wishes OF
a child who is anxious to play on the edge
OF a precfpice. II the boy of 1s knew
what excessive cigarette-smokinR meant. he
would never indulge in II, for he has no d.
sire to dwarf himself physically or men,
tally; and when he grows up ana realizes
what has happened as the result of his I'm
dulgence, he is likely TO have anything but
a kindly feeling toward the father whose
laxity and carelessness failed to protect him
from his W ignorance.