Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1907-02-13
T. R., Censor and Guardian

father. The president of the New
York Mothers Assembly turned
10 the Great Father in her per
plexity. She asked for guidance
and advice. and that which she GOT
* rs sound a. the Ten Command
mrnts. which, indeed, it is said,
the President discovered. The
topic which the President suggests
as Il proper one for discussion by
the mothers in their next meeting
is The place of the father in the
home" and then Mr.. Roosevelt
proceeds to discuss il himself with
that clearncss and precision for
which he is so justly distinguished.
He lays down the rule for the
guidance of fathers in their re-
spective homes with such distinct
ness that if any father henceforth
fail, to walk in the way wherein
he ought to walk it will be his own
fault. and he cannot justly censure
the President. Mr.. Roosevelt pro-
mulgates these rules for the heads
of families: If they are worth their
salt, which some of them are not.
then they must in every way back
up the mothers in bringing up the
children. There is a tradition that
in old times when people lived in
the country the father would back
up the mother by taking the boy
to the wOodshed and backing him
up. 1t is also one of the first
duties Of the father of family TO
be wise, and the President speaks
with great severity of those fathers
who are weak and foolish. For
father to be weak and foolish. he
declares, is most reprehensible. -
Baltimore Sun.
We think the Suns editorial is
rather inclined 10 sarcasm: but
whether or not the Sun intends to
aim It's barbed shafts at the great
President of the Republic is inn
meterial, as it merely calls atten-
ton To the proclivity of Mr.. |
it Roosevelt for getting his pen
into every argument, whether
concerns him or not.
According to reliable reports
from Washington. his ExcelIency /
has approached Postmaster-Gen-l
eral Cortelyou with a proposition |
to have newspapers containing the |
report of the Thaw case excluded |
from the mails.
If that is attempted, we think /
they will run up against the Con-
stltution. 1t may be that "Theo-
dore, the Meddler." as he has been |
termed, can discover some lever
with which to upset the Constitu-
ton, as he has so admirably upset
all precedent.
As to the place of the father in
the home, we have nothing to say,
and will leave that to Theodore and |
others equally bold.
But when it comes to excluding
the Thaw case reports from the
mails, it strikes us that the attempt
is more Caesar-like than anything
yet attempted by the present Chief
Executive.
Prudery is no more a sign of
virtue than a wig is a sign of heir.
Both are probably donned for the
purpose of covering a bald spot.
We have never been inclined to
the belief that virtue which has
never undergone the fire of temp
tatlon was entitled to any very
great figure on the credit side of the !
ledger of life.
80, in the same manner. with
those who peruse the Thaw trial.
the newspapers. We believe pub
lie safety, the safety and protection
OF uninformed and innocent mem
berS of the female sex, especially,
demand that every item of the trial
should be made public in the news
papers, as narning to others who
may be thrown in the way of temp
tatlon from similar causes.
If the life story of Evelyn Nesbit
Ihaw is truc-and we are not even
inclined to doubt it-then her tes-
tmony should be placed in the
hands of every virtuous woman in
the United States, so that they may
read and reflect, and be doubly
armed against falling victims to the
wlles of men like Stanford White.
The main criticism, we believe,