The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1908-06-04
"A Word for Father.
He is a Useful Part of the Do
mestic Economy and Has
Some Claim on the Esteem
of the Family.

AprOpOs of an attempt to have the
United States Senate designate May
10th as Mothers Day, a CORES
pondent OF the Baltimore .Sun takes
occasion to put in a word for the
Old Man. He says:
at naturally goes without saying
that Mothers place in the hearts O!
the people throughout the civilized
worid is too well established to re
quire discussion in the Congress o
the United States. But how about
dear, neglected ,down-trodden Fatheri
How about national holiday for
him? The mothers, God bless 'em,
have the monopoly in nearly every
thing in the line Of eulogies, etc, from
poets, painters, scul ptOrs and suffra-
geists. But never q line of praise for
poor Father The best he gets is
some doubtful compliment about
Father, dear Father, come home to
me now, the clock in the steeple
strikes one, or some such base car
feature as Everybody works but
Father, and he sits around all day.
L rise up in righteous wrath and de-
clare it is high time that somebody
should do something to champion
Fathers claim to filial love and any
other little glory lying around loose -
Commenting on the correspondent S
remarks, the Sun says:
"Alen make the laws of tine nation
No American father has ever started
Il movement in Congress or outside
our legislative halls to celebrate the
greatness and goodness of the male
parent. All honor and love and
glory to Mother, but let us not forget
the old Mans claim upon the good
will, the esteem and even the admi
ration of the family. We have nc
desire to have Father other than he
is-a modest, Industrious, necessary
member of sOcietv-an indispensable
factor in the domestic economy. We
would not, under any circumstances
say aught which would tend to make
him 'chesty,' and toss bouquets al
himself, and feel. even in a slight de
gree, what a really important person
he is
eve admire Father because he faces
the sings and arrows of outrageous
fortune with Il patient courage and
equanimity which, if he were sol
dier, would bring him fame and
fortune. In our own view Father is q
hero. He is the epitome of the car
dinal virtues He is an inspiration
to good deeds. We believe the time
has come when the old Man, who
has shaved from young manhood tC
lean and slippered pantaloon stage
ought to be awarded his due need o.
praise. He has effaced himself toe
long, doing his duty as matter O.
course and spurning commendatior
| therefor. 1t is time to force hin
into the limelight and exhibit him il
all his excellence. We do not think
there ought to be Fathers Day,
any more than a Mothers Day.
But we feel deep down in our heart
that Mother and the children ought
to try to be good to the old Mau
every day in the year. He spends
| his life in their service The least re
turn they can make is to recognize
that Father, with all his frailties ant
Limitations, is a useful factor in civ
ilization and in the domestic econ
Omv.
I'VE revere the mothers of TIN
nation. We insist that the virtues O
the fathers shall receive due recOgni
ton. They may eat onions; the,
may wear plain clothes. They ma.
not know that more than one fork il
/ desirable for a dinner in courses
But they are the salt of the earth
We lift our voices in behalf OF thi
downtrodden creature. He has bee
flouted and treated with cOntumely
Henceforth ne must not rest unde
the reproach of being an inferio
being. He is worthy of all esteem
even if he is merely a hard-workin!
parent. He is most useful perso
to have around the house. A
honor to Father-and we trust tha
his head will never be swelled by tn
consciousness of his superlative gooc
ness.
cit is the mother who is closest t.
the children and it is the mOthe
whose influence is strongest in max
ing and moulding the character {
the offspring. The mothers, there
fore, come first and should com
first. But it is just as we'll to put i
IL word for the Old Man. Sometime
he needs it more than the famil
know. In the modern family there
possibly a little too much of a di:
position to look on the Old Ma
solely in the light of a bread-winne1
one whose business it is to provide
and to provide literally, for the fan
lily. If the provision is not in keepin
with that of the neighbors, there ma
be a disposition to blame the Ol
Man and to feel that he isn't doin
/ his full duty; that he isn't treatin
the children properly. He may hav
had misfortunes that are not HI
fault. Nobody knows but Father
all the struggles and the mental an
physical worry endured in the bait
= for bread, and the anxious desire /
has that his family should have a
the comforts of life And when, wit
his best efforts, he has failed, tt
complaints cut like a knife. Thel
was possibly no expression OF graf
tude when things went we'll and |
= was able to meet all demands. VIII
should there be? That was h
business. But some manifestatio
of appreciation, some word or al
| that showed that his efforts we