The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1905-04-20

Keep Il urm uaHu-SdCu Is the junction
of lie educator. lie should appear to
the child not like Il barrier of whims,
which. if need be. one may clear, pro
viGed the leap be proportional to the
height of the obstacle, but like trans
parent wall through which may be
seen Umchlnging realities. laws, limits
and truths against which no action is
possible. Thus arises respect, which is
the faculty Of conceiving something
greater than ourSelveS-reSDect, which
broadcns us and frees us by making us
moro modest This is the law of edu-
cation for simplicity. 1t may be sum
med up in these words: To make free
and revercHtial men. who shall be in
dividuHl and fraternal
Let us draw from this principle some
practical applications.
From the very fact that the child is
the fUlure he must be linked to the
past ~ picty. We owe it 10 him to
clOthe tradition in the forms most prac-
teal and most iii to create Il deep i'm
preston; whence the exceptional place
that should lie given in education to the
ancients. to the cult OF remembrance
Of the past ana by extension to the
history OF the domestic rooftree. Above
all do we fulfill duty toward our chill
drcn when We give the place OF honor
to the grandparents. Nothing speaks
to Il child with 50 much force or 50
well develops his mOdeSty as to see his
father and mother on all occasions pre-
serve toward an Old grandfather. often
intiru, an attitude of respect 1t is a
perpetual object lesson that is irreSiSt-
ible. That it may have its full force
it is necessary for Il tacit understanding
10 obtain among all the grOwnup mem
bers Of the family. TO the -child'S eyes
they must all be in league. held to mu-
tual respect and understanding. under
penalty of compromising their cduca-
tional authority. and in their number
must he counted the servants Serv-
ants are big people, and the same sen
timent Of respect is injured in the
child'S disregard Of them rs in his dis
regard Of his father or grandfather
The moment lie addresses an impolitc
or arrogant word to person older than
himself he strayS from the path that
a child ought never to quit and if only
occasionally the parents neglect TO
point this out they will soon perceive
by his conduct toward themselves tn"
the enemy has found entrance to Ii
heart.
We mistake if we think that Il child
is naturally alien to respect. basing this
opinion on the very numerous examples
Of irreyerencc which he offers US Re
spect is for the child fundamental
need. His moral being feeds on it. The
child aSpires cOnfuSedly to revere ana
admire something. but when advan-
tage is not taken of this aspiration it
gets corrupted or lost. BY our lack Of
cohesion and mutual Difference we. the
grownups. discredit daily in the child's
eyes our own cause and that of every
thing worthy of respect. We inoculate
in him Il bad spirit whose effects then
turn against us.
This ptiful truth nowhere appears
with more force than in the relations
between masters and servants as we
have made them. Our social errors
our want of simplicity and kindness
all fall back upon the heads of our chill
dren. There are certainly few people
Of the middle classes who understand
that it is better to part with many
thousands Of dollars than to lead thei1
children to lose respect for servants
who represent III our households the
humble. yet nothing is truer Main
tain as strictly as you will conventions
and distances, that demarcation Of 50
cial frontiers which permits each onr
to remain in his place ana TO observe
the law of difference is Il good
thing | am persuaded but on condi.
ton Of never forgetting that those who
serve us are men and women ike our.
selves. You require of your dOmestics
certain formulas of speech and certain
attitudes. outward evidence of the re
spect they owe you. DO You also teacl
your children and use yourselves man.
nerS toward your servants which show
them that you respect their dignity as
individuals as you desire them to re,
spect you? Here we have continually
in our homes an excellent ground for
experiment in the practice of that mtt
tual respect which is one of the essen.
tial conditions of social sanity. | feaI
we profit by it too little. We do no
fail to exact respect. but we fail TO give
it. so it is most frequently the case
that we get only hypocrisy and this
supplementary result, all unexpected
the cultivation Of pride in our children
These two factors combined heap up
great difficulties for that future which
we ought to be safeguarding. | am
right, then, In saying that the day when
by your own practices YOU have
brought about the lessening of respect
in your children you have suffered q
sensible loss.
Why should | not sty it? 1t seems to
me that the greater part Of us labor
for this loss. On all sides. in almost
every social rank, notice that pretty
bad spirit is fostered In children, Il spir-
1t of reciprocal contempt ue"e those
who have callOused hands and working
clothes are disdained; there it is all
who do not wear blup leans ChilGrnl..