The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1907-07-04

sure. The whole of honor is not
bound up in obedience. Obedience
should not stife individuality. Chill
dren have rights to wise leadership
and unceasing parental love. Many
times they receive silly government
and no iove-and whom shall we
blame for the consequences?
The wise parent will realize that
as we grow older our ideas chan:
and our perceptive powers strength
en-. Guidance for boy Of four will
hardly ever be the sort Of advice the
youth Of fourteen will need. You
NAV be the apotEeosis of wisdom to
your child of five ind the finest par
ent ever to a child of six without
the power of analytical comparison
and keen perception-and most of
US if we are not too unwise in handl-
ing our children are-but beware
when your youth of sixteen has seen
the habits of better and wiser men
than you. Then must you watch
out. For if you do not grow with
and adjust yourself to the changing
point of view and the increased Wis
ion of your child you soon will ind
you ere fast losing his respect. Give
child wise guidance! Study not
how to make him a replica, repro
duction of yourself; but to lead him
to be distinct personality, possessed
Of strong individuality, molding by
his own actions his being into the
stature of the Son of God!
Some one has said: Who Is to
blame for the pitiable mite which
children give in return for parents
food Of love?" I do not know; but
of this am sure: if parents would
cease to feel that they own their
children in common with their
horses, their estates and their cat
tie; If they would not, as many DO
in varying degrees, treat their chill
dren as their property, the return
of love would be far more adequate
than it IS"
We know how true that is. And
yet I fear that many of US do not
know how to handle our own chill
dren. A good child asks not for
more pocket money, or newer
clothes, or more sumptuous sup
ply ct the table-but for a richer
love. It is useless to try to hold
children with gifts. Children should
be taught to yield honor through
parental love. A man who attempts
to bind his children to him with ma
terial possessions must surely fail.
But the. father and the mother-be
they ever so unlearned and be they
ever so poor-who give their wlsest
experience and richest love to the
cultivation of the personalities of
their children will find that bond
that neither time nor eternity can
sever holds their children to their
sides. And if that won't-nothing
else will. Love is the touchstone
Of life, the law and the measure OF
values, Love is the force that draws
soul to soul. The home that is ruled
by love will be the seat Of honor.
For it is the abode Of everything
that is honorable, respectable, worthy
of obedience and Difference.
But TO carry the principle into
it's broadest application we must
glance for a moment at the duty Of
honor and obedience to law, civil and
moral. Here, as with the individual,
the law must be worthy Of honor.
The civil law to-day is not so highly
respected as it should be. From
all parts of our country we read OF
lynchings, riots and miniature civil
wars all due to disrespect for law.
And yet the laws are largely at fault
and the enforcers of the law with
them. When a murderer, guilty be-
fore men and God Of heinous sin,
may use the law to cheat the law,
and prevent the execution of JUS
tice; when one man may buy off the
law that sends another citizen to
Jail; when those who are sworn to
enforce the law neglect their duty;
we cannot say that individuals are
entirely to blame for lack of defer
ence to the law. The laws should be
wise, sane, quick to act, equal in
melting justice to all offenders: Thus
only can it retain the respect OF the
governed. And we on our part are
not to turn to wild justice when
the laws are not to our taste, but
rather to the ballot box, there to see
to it that good laws and the right
men are set up over us to rule.
But all honor for law is bound up
with our early ideas and teachings,
and in the home should be found the
source of respect for law.