Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-09-25

Everything goes by Jerks. Just now,
a wave OF laudable cndeavor in behalf
Of children is rolling over every city,
town and hamlet in our fair state. The
cause" occupies the center Of the stage
and is being vigorously worked The
subject Of how to raise" children is at
present the most popular topic. afford
ing. as it does the philanthropically
inclined ample scope for discussion,
verbal OF otherwise The cause OF the
--one might be led 10 believe-helpless,
much ABUSED, over-worked, under-fed,
poorly clad. shelterless and shamefully
neglected youth in Utah is. therefore,
well taken care Of.
At the risl, Of being severely called
down" by some overweening zealot or
of being told to go way back and sit
down." the writer ventures 10 say
few words in behalf of the parents who.
according to his way of thinking, de-
serve at least a passing notice.
II one were to Judge from some OF
the articles printed, sermons preached
and lectures delivered. bearing upon
child culture. one would think that par
ents in general were a lot Of idiots,
selfish, intellectual dwarfs, or, at best,
craven scnsuallsts. devoid of regard
for the viii, feelings or welfare of their
children.
Through the press. We are made to
understand that the obligations OF the
parent to the child are very much
greater than those Of the child to the
parent" And as "a proof of this asser-
ton, the parent rs told to ask himself
this question: Ibid / consult my child
about coming here?" Wonder II the
Almighty. our common progemtor, con
suited the spirits of men, ere he begat
them
A sorely perplexed father applies to
the juvenile court for help in the mat
ter Of managing a dlsobedient SON. We
are told that the character. habits, rep
utation and record OF this parent Is
duly looked into officially. and that
the Investigation proved this father 10
be "a hard working man; that he was
honest and industrious and that he
prided himself on the facts that he had
"a home which was paid for that ne
gave his wife and children three square
meals every day, good clothes, and
comfortable beds to sleep in; that he
had a snug bank account. which was
growing satisfactorily; and that he
was regarded by his nelghbors as be-
ing an upright, honest man and good
citizen"
The average mind would size this
father up to be a pretty decent sort OF
a chap And yet, this model citizen
and. evidently, Jealous father, who
asks for bread. ~ having stone hurled
at him. being gravely informed by tho
judicial authority appealed 10, that
he was responsible for that boys eN =
'istence here; that IN the matter OF
bringing the boy into the world the
boy himself had not been consulted
that most OF the lower animals look
after the physical welfare OF their on
spring: and that IN order 20 do more
fully his paternal duty by that boy no
should devote about three hours less
every day 20 tho swelling OF his bank
account, and three hours more every
day To being a companion TO the boy"
Plainly. case Of being damned II you
don't and damned II you do
What profound philosophy confronts
J usl What Irresistible logicl Suppose
| this father had two. or three, such chill
dron 70 deal with, how would he rank
as a provider n he were to follow the
official Instructions?
From the pulpit. learned mark r..
learned men declare, that II a boy, fon
instance, IS on the street engaged in
unbecomihg conduct, the boy Is not to
blame, but his parents; that corporal
punishment Is absolutely and unquali-
| hedly brutal. besides being degrading
I'm It's nature: that there is positively
nothing in the supposed difference Of
Spirits" Inherent Ia the children OF
men. but that oil infants enter the
| world on precisely the same basis,
| spiritually, their future, their destiny
/ their veal or woe-being entirely de
| pendent on their environments and the
way they are brought up, etc.
Parents are thus continually made 10
| feel that all depends upon them-the
Inference being that the plastic mind OF
their children can invariably b. turned
by the parents, as clay IS nodded by
the hand Of tho potter
| Parents OF large families and OF
! great experience are often treated ~