The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-10

sS'SbSA 'mlIG country u
come together and discuss the better
Ing of the childs general welfare.
Tho deaf, tho blind. the insane, tn
epileptic, the incurablc. and the men
tally deficient and dependent Will b
discussed ut the hands of experts VIII
nave spent much time in alleviatir,
tho Ills of the afflicted little ones
and are eager for further and wide
measures in their behalf Some da,
they hope to make the busy worl,
Understand the value OF tho ounce
prevention, and have incompetcn
mothers realize that they could hay,
prevented the deplorable fact that ha,
tho children In the world have defec
tive eyesight, or could have been save
from diseases of various kinds. Til
Congress of Mothers urges such pre
ventive measures as Fairgrounds, pub
lie baths. day nurseries. libraries nm
clubs for boys and girls. They knoy
that health, cleanliness and occupa
tion Will tend greatly to lessen Grim
and Ill health in the world
There are thousands and thousand
OF crring children throughout III
country. The fault can hardly b.
theirs. for they are almost, too yount
to know good from evil. For year
III an soldtts, anu even now IN NAM
States, these juvenile offenders wer
placed on the same footing as offend
crs OF all other ages and committed L
penal institutions in exactly the sam
fashion. The result was that ther
were Just so many more criminals 4
endanger the welfare of the common
wealth when the sentence had beel
served and the young offenders lie
loose again. The Congress of Mother
Is inquiring into the causes of all thest
things. asking he why and the where,
fore OF truancy, delinquency, vagrancy
theft and immortality. They arc ad
vocatlng. the placing of these littl
! fellows in homes, or of letting then
out on probation, or OF putting then
| in hlgh-class rcformatories; for an!
| ono of these three means n chance 10
! the ultimate redemption of the bot
or girl. the saving OF good citizens 70
the nation.
These progressive American mothers
| who like all old time mothers, know
/ nursery lore and believe in simpl,
] home remedies. have gone great wa!
/ beyond their Grandmothers in anothe,
thing. That is in their interest II
/ legislation They do not hesitate II
4 the least to ask for laws that viii pro-
tect children prevent wrong. and pro
mote good. In their various State
they are asking for better child labo
laws. tenament laws. pure food laws
Juvenile court laws and laws that will
: more closely govern marriage and as
/ vorcc They ask fearlessly at hon
: and abroad: What is your city, stat
or nation doing 10 raise the stand
ards OF care and guardianship of chill
, dren2. a special crusade will be mad
! at this meeting against patent rnedi
: cines and the use OF alcohol, and a
earnest plea will be made for bette
cookery.
= There are few sights SO pathetic a
an ignorant. incompetent mother try
; ing to raise her children--and failint
Sometimes such mothers are difficu
. to reach. they resent outside inter
Il ference. as did the New York woma
when approached by an East Side sci
5 tlement worker and offered advic
about the care of her babies. I'll
. idea of her a-comln' to tell we how
feed an raise a child" she sneere
Fan me already buried seven. TT
), members of the Congress of Nothe,
y modestly disclaim any intention of 81
ing as evengeis among mother
They>claim that they do not hold then
!, selves up in any way as patter
II mothers. that they must reach Il
2 children first But it Is a foregot
y conclusion, a proven fact. that soon
= or later the parents will be reach'
through the children. The old PHI
- phecy that. "a little child shall lei
:. them has found more than one min
, teenth and twentieth century fluff
Ia ment.
- The Congress of Mothers was foun
= ed by the late Mrs. Theodore Brine
!, native of Georgia. a resident
=, Washington, and woman of rare pc
% sonal attachments. The president
!. Il Mrs. Frederick Schoff. of Philadelph
!, who has held that office for five yea
- and who has put so much enthusias
and inspiration in her work that the
IL are now branches Tin half the Stat
=. in the Union and more are expect
.k to fall in line with the work with
a., the coming year. Mrs. Phoebe
- Hearst. one of the founders, heads t
"a list Of honorary vice-presidents. a
~ President Roosevelt's name is at t
80 head of the advisory board.
-, Last month, when a leading Anne
e. can periodical was asked to name
list of six women Of this country 81
~ were notable in some particular w;
~. it named Mrs. Grover Cleveland
- "the embodiment of American Wi
:, hood and motherhood. This the &c
nd ernor OF we" oeises 80 -, ~
be for ne chose her as .ilas -, ~
n resentative at the international &c
err gress. In her love OF home ana en-
~ dren, her wide interest in the good
a. all homes and children, and in ]
n intense womanliness. Mrs. Cleyela
ms may be taken as the best represen
,r- tive of the Congress Of Mothers
,al organization that is working braV
"a and earnestly for the welfare OF CT
an dren throughout the world.
, , To- Observation-Disclosures and the BE
nd Line.
m March most pleasantly In the 200 zoo