Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-09-01
With Your Children, Lest
They 0utgrow You.
Strong, Sound and Sensible
Advice 10 The Parents
At Moral and Religious Training
Or the Young Conference.

Thousands of parents are less a.
guainted with their children than their
teachers, their pastors. their piaylnates
Of their neighbors," was one of the
declarations in the paper prepared by
Rev. Dr. A. A. Berle of the Shawmut
Congregational Church. Boston, for
the Sycamore Beach conference on
the moral and religious training of the
young. Mr.. Berles topic at the fore
noon session today was The train
ing Of the youth in the home and the
church, The clergyman was unex-
pectedly prevented. at the last mo-
ment, from attending the conference
and reading his paper in person, and
one Of the delegates read it for him.
After making his statement con-
corning the lack of parental acquaint-
ance with children, DR.. Berle said:
1.-The standing and conspicuous ex-
cuse of parents when confronted with
the facts about their children is. that
thev never dreamed that such things
were possible concerning their child
rem. AS j rule. t. achers. public officials
md the public generally discount tn"
parental opinion Of their own child
rem
It is heeaiss. of sthis faet that tn"
extra ionicilMrya agenciesk for child
nature. child training and child edn-
cation have ARISEN. Sunday. schools.
when they first appeared. were OPP
posed. among other reasons. for the
particular one that religious training
was a function of the home. But
the home did not do it, hence the Sun
day school. Young Peoples Societies
and the like would never have corno
into being if the home had been prop
erly organized and the young peopl"
trained in 1t.
THE public schools today are as
suning functions which belong to the
home. and which, being delegated t.
AN agency outside of the home. makes
FOR disintegration of the unity of home
life. Others have been given over to
the church. which likewise is todaT
doing scores of things which it has
no proper business to be doing. The
only reason why it Is doing them IS
because they are not being done in
the home. In so far as this is true,
.he church also is disintegraring
force in modern society.
Judged by opportunity. the child
rem of the poorer and middle classes
are better bred. morally cleaner and
Internationally more responsive than
those of the families Of greater wealth.
But this does not compensate them
for their fearful losses in the destruc
ton of the home life.
THE home precedes the church, the
state. or any instrument of the state
in authority 1t has the first chance
at the child. and the best chance. Give
the home ideals ana principles. and
every school, every church. every So
cial institution will have to live UP
TO them. Develop the home. Educate
the parents DO everything you can
for the children, but make the home
the instrument. and the parents the
agents. Make the children and the
parents grow up together. Resist
everything that can take any function
from the home Assist everything that
edds functional power to the home.
The other speaker of the forenoon
session was Edward d. Mead of Bos
ton, who discussed The larger pa
triotism." The speaker emphasized
the revolutionary influence of true
and brotherly philosophy of politics
and of the mutual relations of the FAM
lily of nations upon that common but
bastard patriotism which is chiefly
brag and buster. whose rhetoric Is
always about battle and battleships.
and whose most natural symbol is the
gun" He admitted that there are
great exigencies, "Lexingtons. Gettys-
burgs." he said. when that place may
for the, hour be patriotism's most com
MI ,,~ hi the business OF
rational and patriotic men is to make
those exigencies ever rarer,
The advance of law and peace in the
world Mr. Mead declared to be one
with the advance of democracN There
can be. he said. no peace without JUS
tice and no justice without recognition
of popular rights. He pleaded for
deeper as we'll as a broaded patriot
ism. on the claim that men can serve
the world we'll only as they serve their
country well.
The closing of the address was de-
voted to presentation of the poncles
and ideals which give true grandeur
and fuilness to a nation and OF the
work to be done by the schools ana
colleges, the church and library ana
press. to train the people of democ-
racy in truer patriotism.
The evening session was devoted I"
a discussion of the question of moral
and religious education in the Schools
the Rev. O. p. Clifford of Brookline gig
ing the Protestant view and Denis "A.
Mccarthy. associate editor of the Sa-
cred He.irt Review. speaking from the
stand point OF the Catholics.
DR.. Clifford in opening his remarks
admitted that the Catholics have the
advantage in such discussion. He of%
clsred that the secret of power in the
faith lies in the home. ana
Sdded:
Principles that have stood the test
If the centuries should be taught by
he state. Whatever is essential to the
life of the state should be taught bv
In. state in her own schools. not del
gated to home or church. The reading
f a chapter from the Bible. the ofter-
rr of prayer. the singing of
,ymn is not religious teaching Teach
morals and religion as you teach gram
nar and mathematics. Drop some OF
he fancy dishes from education ana
ut what is becoming a. citizen on
let of morality and religion.
In his speech. which was in the ma