Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1912-03-16
AN EVEN CHANCE
FOR LIFE IS PLEA



John Spargo, one Of the foremost au-
thorities ON child welfare in the coul!,
try, sent forth ringing appeal for
tie reformation of industrial condi-
tic ms which he blames for the fact
that one-third OF the children die be-
fore they have reached their fifth
year.
He applauded Senator Borah's plan
to get through congress bill for a
federal bureau of child welfare and
hygiene and declared that when the
president OF the United States has
signed the bill and 1t has become on
II tho laws OF the country, We will
have removed great blot from our
national escutcheon."
He favored the payment of mother
to stay at home and care for the
children rather than permit them to
go into the factory or workshop at a
time when the child needs its parent
most. He laid the blame for much
OF the mortality in this country to
Tie TACT that so few children are,
among the poorer classes, raised b,
their own mothers.
Though all OF the nations of the
world have been retrenching and
| planlilg Ia every way to conserve
ll4eir natural resources, few of them
nave considered the necessity OF pre-
ye4lting the needless, reckless and tu.
tile waste OF child life," he said.
I'VE have forgotten one OF the gre, {
est lessons OF John Ruskin that the
real veins OF wealth do not gliste..
In the shining quartz hidden in the
noun ntainside, but are rather to be
tolLd in those purple ones that are
| throbbing with the life blood OF its
men, its women and its children.
When the president OF the United
States has received from the senate
Tie bill providing for a federal bu-
reau of child welfare and hygiene
tl.at document becomes one OF our
countrys laws. we will have removed
one great, outstanding blot from our
national escutcheon. Should there
sweep over this country an epidemic
Of cholera among hogs, the call for
help would bring ali the nations re-
sources to save it's swine. Should
some trightful disease take away the
child lie Of the nation, there is no
way, at present, by which the gov
ernment can give aid except through
the bureau OF animal industry in the
department of agriculture.
The speaker declared that the NOR
talit. late in all lands was affected
oy the poverty OF it's people, that the
rate was the lowest in the more well
10 do classes and higher among the
Door. He tore loose the chains OF
heredity which have bound us fast III
til We gave up all hope OF a solution
to the problems that confront US
Each geneIatitn n is given by nature
fresh start unhampered by the cen
turies of wrong which have preceded
It." He thought that much OF the
trouble comes from the fact that
neither Ct the parents Is usually
qualified for fatherhood or mother
hood. "1hey assume the respon
siLility without the preparation OF
know ledge that should attend 1t, he
said.
Foolish and improper feeding OF
children was one of the causes for a
Lish Death rate, ignorance on the
part of the parents being responsible
for that condition. He blamed the
industrial system that would tear a
mother from her baby of few wee.
because of the necessity for a liveli'
hood made in factory or sweatshoT
He pointed out the condition that ex
listed In Lawrence Mass, and de-
clared that that city, with one other
had the highest death rate OF any city
1f its size In the world. The fact
that the mothers are called into the
factory during the infancy OF their
children was blamed for these con
ditions. He said that figures would
9 show that the mortality rate during
y this strike, when the mothers were
2 at nome. was the lowest on record.
The solution to the problem was
the pre-, ention OF mothers In factor
les during the infancy OF their chill
dren. He pointed out that many cit
les In southern France pay the mothe
to care for her child ii she would
otherwise have to go out into the fa'
tory to earn a living. The purity oil
the milk supply and study OF the
best milk for growing children forme'
large part Of the address.