The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-09-06
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1908.
ATTEMPTING THE IMPOSSIBLE.

The State of Kansas has undertaken the job of reversing the laws of nature and turning back-or forward-the wheels of time, as to men and women, in their ef- fort to prevent unmarried school-marms from receiving or allowing attentions from the other sex. Already the unmar- ried female teachers in one county have got busy and held a meeting as the be- ginning of rebellion against any inter- ference with their right to be courted. After whereasing that our forefathers At, bled and died to establish liberty and other things in the glorious Union, they resoluted thus:
 Resolved, That we view with alarm the tendency of school boards in certain parts of Kansas to adopt harsh and op- pressive measures in restriction of our sacred and inalienable rights; that to submit to such tyranny would prove us to be unworthy children of such noble parentage; that large per cent of our teachers being marriageable, We urge upon all the necessity Of vigorous and un- ceasing rebellion against this attempt to deprive us of our right to court and be cOurted.
 There's nothing the matter with that resolution. It's ringer, that's what 1t is, and if more of the counties enter into the spirit of resistance thus inaugurated that Kansas school board will realize what thirty cents feels like. "To court and be courted" is one of the inaliena ble rights of young people. We don't remem- Der whether that right is alluded to in the Magma Charta which the English Ba- rons wrested from King Charles at Run-
 
 if it isn't, 1t Is an omission for which there is no excuse. We are quite sure that the Pilgrims established it on Ply mouth Rock for there is plenty of evi dence that the stern Puritan youth court ed the maidens before John Alden's time and the habit has come down in regular sequence to this good day
 It is not a question of discipline ol school regulations, but whether any mar or set of men can overcome or set aside the human nature that is in us. If 1t had been merely an order that no courtins should be permitted during the schoo hours, 1t would be quite different mat ter, for no young woman could be ex- pected to do her full duty as a teacher z with her best young man loafing around and making eyes at her. The pupils would soon get on to that game and all that teachers influence or usefulness would take wings. She would become an object of ridicule and failure as an in structor.
 But while this is true, any effort to en- force an iron-clad rule to the effect that an unmarried woman shall not be cou-ted at her home or other place away from the school room is as wrong as it must nrove ineffective. If the woman is young and good looking. she will be courted. and all the edicts that can be sent out by schoo. boards from now till the crack of doom, will not stand in the way ITO court and be courted" will be the slogan in Kansas, and woe be to the official who sets himself up as a dictator to stop young people from doing what nature intended. As The Birmingham Ledger says:
 A girl with matrimony on the brain Is usually a very desirable girl and the schools need her, and usually there are one or two men who want her. The very please herself and then let the disap pointed ones growl. This Is cold-blooded but The Ledger Is firm in it's idea that girl who teaches should look out for her. self in the life struggle and not try hero fcS.