Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1905-03-01

building at the expense OF the
builder, when we all know this to be
a philosophy that is false, both in
theory and in practice.
i am opposed to such legislation
again, because it would tend to
lessen parental responsibility and
cause dissension and strife in the
home, the place where, above all
others, there should be peace and
concord. l am opposed to it
because it substitutes force for
reason, dependence for independ-
ence. and would seize upon the
most sacred right, the most precious
gift from the hand of gracious God.
To reason for thing is better than
to fight for it, to lead people than
to drive them. Tolerance, patience,
reason are far preferable to intoler-
auce, spite, malice, vindictiveness,
hate, force. / hold to freedom above
all things in our domestic life, and
would cultivate that everlasting, God
given longing in every human soul
to have something of its own to do
as it pleases with. Any legislation
which interferes with domestic rela
tions and tends to abridge the rights
of the parent invariably breeds dis
satisfaction and distrust of the gov
ernmental authority.
Again the training and control of
,ur children has already, to an
a. ming extent, slipped from the
ham of the mother, and the ten
dency ems more and more to sad
die the te. rhers with such grave and
unnatural re nonsibility, and this, it
seems to me, Las had much to do
with cultivating and inculcating dis
regard and disrespest on the part of
the child for parental rule and gov
ernment.
1t is at least certainly apparent to
all that children nowadays are far
more disrespectful and unruly than
formerly, and seem to regard them
selves as possessed of certain privi-
leges of speech and conduct which do
not comport with their age and posi-
tion. This trouble would be greatly
augmented by any law where the
parent would be forced to send the
child from home, whether he is able
properly to clothe or feed it or not.
No, | conscientiously fear and believe
that the tendency of such legislation
is very unfortunate, and that in its
enactment it would cause vastly
more harm than good. l heartily
subscribe to that wholesome old re-
publican doctrine that our govern
ment is of the people, by the
people, and for the people and by the
family and for the family as
the foundation of all good gov
ernment, and not of the news
papers, and not by the school teach
ers and for the Office holders. The
above appears to me sufficient reason
for the faith that is in us; and per-
NIT me to say in concluding this part
of the subject that l believe any man
or set of men who would take the
control of the children out of the
hands of their parents would, if the
opportune moment ever came, take
the control of the State out of the
hands of the people.
(2) OF course if such legislation
be wrong in principle, then nothing
more need be said, but as there are
many of us who are opposed to and
voted against it as matter of ex-
pediency, need not apologize for
stating that we are satisfied that
the most potent factor that seems to
prevent regularity in school attend
ance is not an Indifference and indis-
position on the part of the people to
send their children to school, but a
lack of means. We have more
confidence in the people of the
State than to believe that there are
any great number of them who are
so mean, and neglectful of their own