News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1911-05-03
Temperance in the Schools

State Woman's Christian Temperance
Union.
Someone has said, "The greatest event
In the world is the one event of child"
There has come in recent years higher
valuation of children, and partly because
of this a new world has come into the
English language which is now that only
the latest editions of the dictionaries
contain it. The world ia "paidology."
and is derived from two Greek words
meaning child and science, the science
of taking care of children. Its object is
to study and collect all kinds of informa
ton concerning the bodies and minds of
children. Especially does it seek to know
and understand all departures from nor
NAL standards, physical, mental and
moral. The child is the largest asset of
tine nation, and the greatest natural re-
source of the world All the gold, all
the coal and iron, and forests, all the
wealth of the world, will not save the
nation that neglects the child. What the
child will be tomorrow depends upon
what the world does for the child today.
In view of the present relation of society
to the drink evil, there is nothing more
important in chid's education than that
in early years he learn the dangerous ma
ture of alcohol and narcotics, so that
total abstinence from all things contain
ing alcohol and narcotic poisons becomes
a decided principal for life. 1t has been
truthfully stated that the character of
men and women is largely decided be-
tween the ages of six and fourteen years.
In other words. during that period Of our
lives, when we are taking everything in,
and giving little or nothing out, certain
20 nj palc int r,Iana and he
come foundation stones on which the
character structure is, builded. The late
Mary II. Hunt said, The canse of alco-
holism and its horrors is popular mis-
apprehension as to the nature and effect
of alcoholic drinks and narcotics. The
people for generations thought that alco-
hoic drinks moderately taken were safe
beverages, while in point of fact alcohol
has the power to create an uncomfortable
appetite for more, that INDUCED may be-
come destructive, and as Professor Non-
Gluber SAYS, mo one can tell whether or
not he is susceptible to alcohol. He finds
out by playing game of chance with his
own life, which is a dangerous expert
ment."
Universal education as to these facts
is the only preventative of this great evil.
The object of such education is to in
fuence the formation of right physical
habits. The schools are manfestly the
medium for conveying such instruction,
which must begin In the earliest years
where it can reach chid's life, and it is
only through the schools that the entire
nation can be reached. The future citi-
zenship of this country of ours Is to be
found in it's schools; therefore, shall We
not see TO it that these to-be citizens are
so taught that sobriety will be one of the
foundation stones of character? We
must not forget the fact that at the age
of twents-one these boys, and perhaps
the girls, will be American voters, and
will have all to do with securing laws
that shall regulate or prohibit the liquor
traffic. 1t has been said that under our
government of the people only the bal
lots of the majority of the voters can
vote out the saloon, and that temper
ance teaching that does not reach the
majority will educate minority, but at
the ballot box this minority Will stand
helpless before the unreacEed majority.
How important it is, then, that the next
generation of the large foreign vott.
which now holds the great balance If
power in our large cities, should be edu
Gated into sober, intelligent, American
citizens, who are strong to protect the
American home against this terrible
IiuuOr traffic. If children are cary
taught the fact that alcohol and nicotine
stunt the growth they will be far less
inclined to touch them. for they wish TO
become strong men and women. A little
Italian girl in Ohio was carrying an arm
full of beer bottles, when she was met by
A white ribboner. The Lady said, "Why,
my bear, you do nor drink that stuff d."
YOU? "Oh, no." she answered, Il
would not drink it f"r the world. for |
remember what the lady in school said
about it. Our boarderS drink il, and one
of them tried to get me to take it, but
ran away" Another girl of II ears,
living in Chicago, whose paren's are
habitual beer drinkers, says that before
her school temperance instruction she
joined her parents in drinking beer at
meals, and that it often made her dizzy,
but since learning at school the danger
GUS effects of alcoholic drinks, she under
stands why it made her dizzy, and also
why her. parents differ from her teachers
in.appearance OF form and face, and why
they were in poor circumstances. Con
she became total abstaineT
There are four essentials necessary to
this instruction. FIRST, a course of study
III JllS DfduCD, llc iOoSOpc " 10 '"uEh'
according to the best modern methods.
Second, approved text books adapted to
grade in the hands of all pupils using
text books in such other studies as arith-
metic and geography, with oral lessons
for pupils unable to read. Third, exam
nations, or tests for promotion as in
other studies. Fourth, the interested,
we'll trained teacher. In large major
ty of cases where we have the first three,
we shall have the last. The purpose and
methods of scientific temperance in
struction have been we'll defined by Prof.
l., d. Harvey, as follows; ut is first of
al the teaching of the child the use of
his natural organs, and how to take care
Of them. Secondly, the showing that
these organs are so related that when the !
one organ suffers the others must suffer
likewise. Third the helping the child to
realize what strong body is, not only in
The problem of making living, but in |
he far greater problem of making life. /
Fourthiy, the emphasizing of the truth |
hat il is not only matter of manly |
pride, but of moral duty to keep the
house we live in strong, clean and whole
some. Filthy, the teaching the effects
IF stimulants and narcotics in sensible /
way, by laying less stress upon the
irunkard's stomach and hobnailed liver,
md more upon the joy of possessing a
BODY strong of limb. rich in clean blood,
steady of nerve. firm of muscle, demand