The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-06-01

anything OF the elTandS before
school and after school even into the
hours Of the night at times to help
maintain a livelihood for the family.
"Children are a valuable national
asset but is the nation taking care
Of its assets9 There is only one
chance for a child; that once lost; all
is lost. The proper care of child
rem is a most sacred duty on parent
and State.
1t is said that the Jew and the
Irish of all people make a special
point in the care Of their little child
ren. The Jewish mother Is known
by all to have the strongest maternal
instinct and her desire for offspring
is her crowning virtue. By this
means of national increase the race
hope some day to return to their
"nat;ve land" and Jerusalem re-
gained will be their happy home.
Would that all peoples had this
pure, fond love for their offspring!
Children have their rights, wheth-
en- tn default Of the parents
come from ignorance, or careless
ness or poverty; and when they at
tain the school age these rights
should be recognized by the public,
and no child be allowed to suffer on
account of improper care.
The evils that may have existed be-
fore school life should by all means
be corrected on entering school-and
this can be done by advice to parents,
and if necessary, by public authority.
Corrections of previously existing
physical defects, lessons on soberness,
temperance, cihstitv and cleanliness
should be the watchword Of every
school, because the "parents have
eaten sour grapes and their child
ren's teeth are on edge" is no argu-
ment against the duty Of the public
to correct the evil. If the parent be
a dipsomaniac or sufferer from that
other dreaded hereditary disease-the
only two species Of transmissible
disease that demand the attention Of
the social reformer-the duty Of the
public to the child is so much the
more binding.
AS above stated all children should
nc5 be herded together as one COM
mon mass and the same result be ex-
pected in each Individual under the
same conditions. A considerable
of scholars on account OF
anemia and bodily feebleness will be
used up in body and mind in a few
hours work, and their attention Will
flag, and they can no longer follow
the instruction with ordinary effort,
and by the daily recurrence Of this
lack of freshness they will fall be-
hind their fellow-pupils. Many Of
these are children of bright mental
powers, quite fit to take their places
at the head of the class if their bod
lily deficiency were made good.
These should be separated from the
rest and instructions commensurate
with their strength imposed.
Of all countries Germany takes the
lead in her public schools and the
value Of one child to the nation IS
reckoned. The Forest school at
Charlottenburg is an ideal open air
school for weak children and Is at
tracing the attention Of the world,
and waking the admiration OF every
one. Not only the weak but every
child should have individual atten-
ton and personal care. In the mat
ter of school hygiene-ventilation,
warming, water, lighting, desks,
Fairgrounds and physical training no
pains should be spared. Instead OF
having their bodies as we'll as their
minds improved during school llte'
thousands Of American children are
sacrificed annually.
Neither in the elementary nor IN
the higher schools is adequate atten-
ticn paid to physical education. Not
only so, but the simplest laws OF
health are not enforced. l am not
advocating the establishing OF games
at the expense Of the mental training
nor for the sake Of games only so
far as they tend to the proper ply
sical development of the children.
In most Of our public schools as
now conducted-and here l should
like to enter my protest against many
of the methods used in our system
Of school teaching-the child IS not
only neglected in physical training,
1L ,a4,,,1l,, ,>rovontad from GROWING