The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-12-29
.stance-too familiar an illuytration t
require more than the mention.
Regulates Other Things.


require more than the mention.
Regulates Other Things.
Government either prohibits the sale
OF ardent spirits outright or regulates
that LIQUOR shall not be sold to minors
The boys Of Virginia o-day say to the
vendor: Sell, IL you wish. to minor,
but after that YOU shall sell neither
nsn miner n' nsr sast , Ss ~ 9 PAYER
compulsory Legislation to keep liquor
from our children, but not Ignorance"
Take, as another instance, the legis-
latton In regard to our food products.
Pretty hard, Is II not, as an original
ship their cattle, and our manufactu-
rers their baking powder and other
breadstufis. stamped only With their
OF our dairymen that they. must irst
build their stables in compliance with
certain apparently arbitrary rules. and
later have the milk from their COWS
market, is 1t not? Yet that is the law
to-day in many cities of Virginia, and
statistics show that because Of 1t ty-
phoid fever and other scourges have
been greatly abated. And again our
opponents viii say: Yes, we favor COM
pulsory Legislation to lessen the chances
of poison to our children. but not OF
illiteracy."
puisery vaccination Of our school chill
dren and a child not vacclnated may
be excluded from the schools. s.. i Hs pre
mands admittanee But the bars. go
down and all men pronounce IT Just;
there has been reordained In modified
form the old curfew law, by when
parents Of children under certain age e
are forbidden TO allow them 70 , I'M
Paternalism run mad. few says pue
the ordinances remain and the cniiaren
are at home at Q o'clock, and the coun-
a man drives a horse along the
street--his horse by purchase and az p
soiute rIEht-but II has q sore BACK 81.
officer approasn,es, and md t senas the
horse to veterinary. The lawful OWL N,
er and his property are separa.e e9sn ~
a compulsory law; YET al ,a men appiauu
Another says, II will build house
| upon my own land"-but the law says.
You can build 1t only after having
| received permission. 1t must conform
build a frame house of any kind with.
| In the FIRE limits. And the house. II OF
| brick or stone, cannot exceed SO many
| stories in height and you must build
escape ''why?" says the builder.
| Because the safety OF the people de-
! mands 1t, and your rights to your
are
your. own that you injure not anoth-
er's"
And so might continue through
ehs s asa peaK OF mne reSp
| tions--of the compulsory drainage and
| filling UP OF private lands-of burials
and exhumations-of dozen kindred
nc li0s man l'I livetH unto himself: that We
are not nation OF individual hermits,
but compact social organism, and
that we must recognize these condi-
But time forbids.
land. therefore. II these things are
admitted TO be proper subjects LOT
the s Of ahs ana
abridge these absolute rights for the
suppression or regulation OF evils only
one Of which-the sale Of ardent spir-
magnitude the evil OF illiteracy, why
may we not wisely invoke the power
Of the law to grappls With this al lss
sary 10 e'nes State a and ali other questions
| OF method. administration and appl!ca-
Ition become subordinate and incfden-
There is nothing revolutionary or
suntried in the movement, Thtrty-tWo
OF the States of the Union have the
same general law, some OF them with
| OUT It's local optlou leatuIe. w e ASa,
seem to be satisfied with it--certatnly
to the point of allowing 1t to remain
upon their statute books as an active
| The second objection comes from the
operators of factories who are em-
ploying or contemplate the employment
OF child labor The motive q Of
no extended discussion Of the point
Child Peonrge.
/ It is not too harsh to say that they
Il are insisting upon system OF child
peonage, the Inevitable results OF the
establishment Of which is the stunt,
/ ing of the intellectual and moral
Should the State atiN7:h great impor.
lance to the protests Of Individual
parents here and there, who are bona
fde depends Mt upon the wages which
OF other parents too lazy to support
themselves. and to discharge the pri-
mary duty OF education which they
owe to their offspring. Il Is Just
should step in and say, A1y neld Of
observation Is broader than yours. I
shall need these children in a few
81 my citizenship and il YOU viii not
4 OF your own ACCORD prepare them for
q wider field, shall breathe into then.
the breath Of life and establish for
manhood and womanhood."
Distinct AUTHORIZATION Of the contem,
the organic law of this State. section
las Of the Constitution Of 1902. :ordain-
j Ing that
1.-THE General Assembly may. In Its
discretion, provide for the compulsory
edueattqn 81 children bet " the ages
and section 139, providing that 4
'Provlslon shall be made to supply
children attending the public schools
with necessary teXt-books in cases
where the parent or guardian is iun-
able, by reason of poverty to furnish
and the Legislature has compiled with
i this mandate. (CodeFof Virginia., seq
Il ton 1486 clause 4)
And after all Is said the teeth Of the
4 oppositlon to tho measure are drawn
by It's proposed local option feature,
6is|A