Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1910-12-08

of parentage -tIle rights of a child to-
a full share of all the good and noble
in life, to drink freely from the fOtln-
tains of knowledge and of society to
happy and well-doWered sons and
daughters, to citizens armed with all
the culture of the ages and radiating
body polite Those parents who be-
sweetness and light throughout the
lieved in education for their childerl,
and could afford it, chose their own
teachers as best they might, nor did
| the state dream of insisting that
teachers must be the possessors of
definite qualifications.
For centuries there was no legisla-
ton protecting children against par
entail cruelty. It was supposed that
the family could be left severely alone
so far as the child was concerned,
that the parental instinct would be
sufficient guard for the child. II
+ parents chose to, beat their children
that was their own affair. But the
cry of numberless victims of parenta!
| ignorance and brutality at last aWokG
+ The social conscience and the state
topped in with the doctrine that
there are other rights superior to
| those of parents namely, the right
of the child to life and joy and the
| right of society to healthy and happy
sons and daughters. Under the old
regime, when child was feeble
minded the only care it knew was
| hat of it's parents, who were too
olCen permitted it to let it grow. up an
Imbecile, a menace and a burden to So
| .iety.. Who is there that does not re-
| member the pathetic spectacle of the
Village idiot tortured and. tainted by
thoughtless boys? Today, under the
Inspiration of broader social vision,
| he state undertakes to make the fec
ble-minded child a useful and self-sup-
| porting member of society instead Of
| care and a burde nby providing it
with the special care it's feeble men,
tality demands.
Formerly, and not SO many years
| ,go, society left the child suffering
| from idphtheria or smallpox to the
are of the family, needless of the
| ,act that it could not receive proper
attention and that its condition i'm
Deriled the other. members of the
| ather families. Today society recog1
ulLCS Lll1C Tic ID O4tCA
adequately care for such little suf-
| ferers and the state assumes the re
possibility, bringing to the task re-
| ;ources infinitely greater than any
which the family could command. III
| ne old dark days the deaf mute WAS.
permitted to gre" up a morose. use.
| less and dangerous person, but in
these brighter days we see the state
providing all such luckless little ones
with training. which makes their
ives brighter, happier and more use
Jul than they could ever hope to be,
without its aid.
Under the old regime when every
thing was left to the family poisonous
milk might kill or sicken the babies
without protest from anyone. Chill
dren could grow up ignorant and illit.
crate and no voice be raised asserting
their right to knowledge and educa-
ton. Parents might bind heavy bur-
dens upon the undeveloped shoulders
| of their children and work them TO
exhaustion, endangering. them physic-
ally, mentally and morally without
hindrance Hundreds of such things
once left solely to the family have
come under social control, but he
would be a rash man who would con-
| tend that we should go back to the
old ways. Thus, many of the func-
lions which formerly belonged to
parenthood have come to be regarded
as belonging. rather to craftsmanship,
but parenthood has not been destroy
ed thereby. AS well might it be con-
| tended that because the mother of to-
10
her ehildrep's clothing as mothers
used to do shs ia the less q mother
To say that the mother of the TWEEN
| tieth century cares less for her child
because the state has insisted that
she shall not nurse it in her home
when it is stricken with malignant
disease, and thus run the risk OF IN
fecting others, is to rest the defense
Of the family upon ignorance and sup
erstition.
What is true of the relations exist
ing between parents and children Is.
equally true of many other phases OF
family life. Formerly the water sup
ply of the family was its own concern
Typhoid epidemics taught US that the
family could not safely be left to its
own resources in this matter and pub
lic- water supplies followed. Housing
was once a matter which each family,
cared for after it's own fashion. Each
home was a castle, free from intern
ference. No matter how unhYgenic
home might be, or what dangers OF
pestilence lurked within its walls, the
state did not presume to enter with
it's authority, Dwellings might be
built according to the widest fancy,
menacing the health and lives OF
whole communities as well as of the
/ families Immediately concerned, could
be freely built, Epidemics and conf1a-
grations awakened a greater social
consciousness and taught the need Of
social responsibility and care.
Does any sane person believe that
family life is in any manner Impaired
or endangered because in our cities
boards of health and tenement house
commissions are doing manY of the