The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-06-04
PARENT AND CHILD.


I'VE are not yet ready to accept the
idea of compulsory attendance" says
the Blackstone Courier. This step is
too patcrnalistic for us to take at once.
We may have to come to 1t. The
Times-Dispatch was opposed to the
idea at one time, but has finally, we
believe, accepted it as a means Of OBJ
tanning the best results We hate the
Idea OF government invading q mans
home and saying to him: Your chill
dren belong to the State. We will take
them and educate them, and from this
time forward they are no longer sub
ject to your Jurisdiction in this mat
ter
That Is an extreme statement Of the
case. Under q compulsory attendance
law the State would not interfere with
any parent who was giving his child
the advantage OF an education, either
at homo or in private or public
school. No law is aimed at those who
do we'll, but only for those who do
evil. The compulsory attendance law
would not affect parents who had the
interest of their children at heart. It
would affect those only who were too
selfish or too indifferent to give their
children the privilege Of school. There
are parents who are willing to work
their little children in tho factories
from sunrise to sunset, and 1t became
necessary to enact law to prevent
such cruel abuse. It became necessary
also to employ an agent to inspect the
factories and see that the law is en-
forced. Does the Courier oppose that
regulation? Is 1t too puternal!stlc for
our Democratic contemporary? This
law was enacted not alone in the in
terest OF tho child. but inlsthe interest
Of the State. The State says to pa
rents: You must not injure your chill
drcn, for in 50 doing you will impair
the quality Of citizenship" Compul-
sorry school attendance Is based on the
same principle. The State says that
parents must not deprive their chill
dren Of an education, because igno-
rance is detrimental to good citizen
ship. ! impairs the usefulness of the
child, on tho one hand, and encourages
crime. on the other. Ignorance is de-
grading, while education is uplifting.
At least, that is the tendency In both
cases, The State treats ignorance as
a disease. and It's policy is to stamp IL
out. Hence the public school system
and hence compulsory attendance. To
eradicate the disease, wo must have
schools and we must conpe! the chill
dren to attend.
The Courier Is right In saying that
\ The Timcs-D!sputch was ut ono time
| opposed to compulsory education, for
we felt that the rights Of the parent
over the child should be respected. But
IT finally came over US that tho child
had rights which tho parent must re.
spcct; and that Is what converted The
Times-D!spatch. No parent has the
right to injure Ills child and it i.
injury irreparable TO deprive the chile
or an education. Whenever the pa.
, rent abuses the child, the State inter,
Ieres. That Is q well-estabIshel prin
, c!ple, and never q month passes /.
Richmond that the State does not res
j cue some child from vicious or dc
j graded parents and turn 1t over to
$ humane society. Sometimes the Mothe
O WIN make pitiful plea, enough /
i move our Judge to tears but the Stat
s replies that tho child must be saved.
d 1t may be said that this law doc
: not apply to dutiful parents. Ger
O ta!nly not. 1t was never meant to an
t Fly 70 them. Neither does compulsor
d attendance apply to dutiful parents.
q applies alone to parents who noglet
& their duty, The compulsory law is
n rescue law--nothing more,
j. Virginia is not ready for such u LAY
The Democratic spirit reyolts at
'Eut sentiment in its favor, Is GROWN
and some communities are ready
: adopt it. Hence The Times -Dispatt
# advocates local option law. so tn
d any county or city may adopt compu
y sorry attendance by vote OF Its ON
n people; ard we hope to have the SUI
" pert OF the Courier on that proposltio
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IA A FEW "sNyAPs."
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