The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1909-05-29
RIGHTS OF CHILDREN
SHOULD. Be REGARDED
Grown People Too Often Sin
Against the Inalienable Rights
of the Little Ones. - -

Rev. Gorge r. Gebauer, pastor of
the First Unitarian church, this city,
In his sermon on Sunday last preach
ing ON the sacredness of personality,
said in part:
1.-The most sacred thing to each man
is his own inner self, his personality,
his soul. In this personality are SIM
med up ali his mental and moral and
spiritual possibilities. This soul gives
hin: his peculiar attitude toward the
world and position in the world
'"This personal self sets him apart
by himself as an Individual. And it
is this realization the\ soul has of it
self which makes it jealous Of it's
rights; it recognizes itself supreme in
it's own sphere of thought and action.
and rese1.ts all intrusion into this
sacred precinct Before the entrance
of personality, there stands a sign with
the insc: Upton, forbidden grounds,
stay outside, except. you are invited to
enter :.
THAT realization Of sacred individu-
ality utters itself already in the infant
though it be unconscious of it. A
Thoroughbred baby which is not
treated With the respect due to an in
FAINT personality will: rebel against the
pricks Of indignity, and kick and
scream vigorously wehere its bay
honor has been tempered with. It ap-
pears to- say, If I could only talk,
would show you your brutality. Even
if be BIZ. an infant, I am a soul, an
individuality which demands respect
In older children this recognition of
their own sacredness and their rights
as individuals is often freely expressed
and the trespasses of the older ones
cause many bitter tears and provoke
deep Indignation and wrath: in the
young breast Children do not want
to be treated like little pets, they want
to he recognized as the offspring Of the
GoGhead. The. soul always feels itself
of age, always able to act for itself,
and only desires light. On the whole,
it may be said that grown people often
previously sin in this regard. They
fail to Gee the reasonableness Of the
protest os the child.
young ones have no rights except
| those granted to them by their elders,
so many people believe. Only too Of
ten children, as to their rights are
!
fox terrier. The apostle to the Cen
tiles, though reputed bachelor, who
is supposed to know but little about
child training, said wise word ::
Fathers provoke not your children to
wrath .-
| We parents are used to think only of
ourselves as provoked to wrath by
our children, but here we see the thing
reversed. and we must admit that
! there is a great deal Of truth in it.
Even the best Of parents are at times
thoughtless and will do things that
deeply hurt the little souls given in
their care. They often fail to consider
! the natural rights of their children in
their decisions, and then, they wonder
why these little souls flash up in an
ger and Indignation. Should the child
not find as much consideration from
the parent as the parent expects from
| the child?
"Oh,. if only we would think of our
| own childhood, and remember how we
were hurt in our deepest self by the
thoughtlessness of our elders. It is
| this disregard Of the personality of the
| child WHICH in turn calls forth dis
respect for the roghts Of others as long
as these rights are not properly guard
| ed. 1 think the best way to teach
children proper respect for elders is
| to. meet their own. inalienable rights
with proper regard ~