The Washington herald., 1911-09-21
THE KRIS KRINGLE
CONTEST ENDS TODAY
Prize Winners Will Be An
nOunced Tomorrow.

Every debate of the Kris Kringle ques-
ton, which has been the subject of this
weeks contest, will be turned over to
the three judges selected to make the
prize awards promptly at noon to-day.
These judges will carefully read every
letter that has been submitted and deci-
sIons will be based upon the merit of
the reason given for the statements they
contain, and not at all upon the literary
merit of the essays.
The names of all prize winners will be
published in The Herald's Page for
Every Woman tomorrow. The winner
uf the first prize OF $25 will be sent
complimentary seats to the Columbia
Theater for the Saturday matinee OF
The Top O. tn World" at which per-
formance Santa Claus himself will pre-
sent the coveted gold to the fortunate
winner.
In this most interesting contest there
have been hundreds Of letters each filled
to overfiowng with the Christmas spirit;
many sealed with Christmas seals and
tied with holly rIbbOn-all serious and
sincere answers 10 the question of the
right of parents to practice the decep-
ton on Santa Claus upon their believ-
ing off-springs
Opinions in the matter have differed
m every essay. but whether pro or con
points have been we'll taken.
Here are 4 few of the arguments pre-
sented:
Gifts Made Dear by Santa.
1T is hard for me to see how any one
who has been a child once themselves
could argue for the abandonment of the
greatest day in the year for children.
How many little hearts and lives are
made glad by the visits of Good Saint
-,
too. are made happy by witnessing the
pleasure of the little ones.
IF We are to draw the veil which eX-
Cludes Santa Claus from their vision, and
expose the dear secret for the sake of
hare truth. then we rob the children of
the greater part of their pleasure in
Christmas. for ii is this unknown visitor
that gives them more pleasure by his
visits than anything else could. Parents
often give them presents, but a rag doll,
brought by Santa, is appreciated more
than one Of the finest dolls given by
father. If you don't believe it, just try it
once
AS for destroying their faith in after
years. it is absurd to argue that the
Child's morals will be injured. The child
who hears fairy tales and Uncle Remus
stories in fairies and in the reality Of
'Brer Rabbit 'Brer Wolf and 'Brer
Fox as much as he does in the reality
OF hTlS hTlIEle, anu yet WHO "OulO say
there was harm in them?
mo; do not rob the child of its greatest
joy. for If you are afraid Of corrupting
morals. 1t will be much better to keep
the child in good company, and read all
the good fairy tales and Santa Claus
stories to him, than to have them run on
the streets with every little ragamuffin
in the community, who do nothing but
think up meanness to do, and then make
up stories 10 get out OF trouble.
Respectfully, Mrs. E. NJ. SMITH.
''21l St, Washington"
Make Kris KrinEIe Dear.
1T is the part of theorist and the so
called modern child psychologist to say
that the curtain should be drawn and
Kris Kringle should stand before the
child. the symbol of a universal lie. and
it is the part Of the true mother to ever
make dear to her children Old Santa's
love and bounty. AS they grow older
these flights Of fairy fancies, &C, are
easily eliminated and the stories of Kris
KHngle have no more its effect upon the
mind Of the young child than the story
Of Jonah and the whale has on a think
ing man.
"NfrsD T-ALLULAH DE $. SMITH.
Mint Spring Va"
JustIhies Lying.
Dear Mrs. Manu- submit the follow
ing in your Kris Kringle contest ending
September p.
Il do not approve of deception to
children unless some good results from
it. In this case good does come of the !
lying and for that reason I think that
children should not be told the truth |
about Kris Kringle.
III, when the child is young he is
told the story of Santa Claus by his
parents and later finds that it is a mere |
myth, he will doubt the truth of like f1c-