Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-03-07

I not as tlft3E iRi lttiSib1ls
J The other night Emma Goldman
raised her voice in disparagement at
the poor in a way not only insulting
10 the respectable working people but
in misleading terms. She said; When
the baby grows into child it plays
its child life away in congested dis
triet where it's mind, it's body and its
lungs arc dwarfed by want of free
sunshine and air"
This is. Of course, true in measure
in some Of the worst districts of our
/ large cities, yet out of these same
districts come some Of the strongest
physical specimens of manhood and
womanheoG; some of our keenest bust
ness men some of our ablest schol-
ars and statesmen. 1t is useless tG
speculate on what these specimens
would have been had they been reared
under more favorable conditions-in
sunshine and pure air, surrounded by
! better moral conditions.
1t is The survival OF the fittest every
where, ana we believe it is proven in
tens of thousands of ways that only
adverse conditions bring out the best
in strong characters. The most hope
full. confident and efficient leaders in
moral. mental and physical progress
can lead only as fast as the great az
erage can follow.
It may be quoted from Genesis that
Jacob said unto Esau: Your caravan
Is made up of fun grown men, and 50
YOU go ahead, and | will lead on gently
according to the pace of the children.
Were our people of the cities Gieh
and poor) full grown" in mind as
well as in body. song Of praise would
arise from those working Tor moral
uplift. The heaviest tax upon all pro-
eress is social custom-those who
Craze as they follow on blindly, like
flock of sheep without serutinizing all
their leaders. The real leaders thus
find them slow ITO follow"
Perhaps the best we can do in these
DAYS. is to keep on fighting for the
children in their years of adolescence,
TO save them from indecent pictures,
corrupt shows. enslaving stations of
intoxication and vice, and trust 10
make each generation better as they
understand better the dangers of evil.
Purity and education are the birth
right of modern childhood: talk OF
personal liberty that robs them of
these things is inspired by Mammon.
Such dangerous characters as En-
ma Goldman who seeks to level diff
ferences of station by playing upon
the jeaiousies of the poor to array
them against the rich, will one day be
suppressed by mandate of rich and
poor. Education of each class as to
what the other is undergoing is lead
ing toward common ground and
brotherly love. according TO the pace
OF the children" in mind, as well as
i'll children of years.
out of the loins of the strong-armed
working classes spring the Drawn and
brain of our best citizenship. From
the eongested districts of great cities
grow our best athletes. our bravest
policemen, our most daring firemen,
our most skilful mechanics, steel and
iron workers, tradesmen and so on.
What have the wealthy class to offer
in comparison? 1t is not from there
that the winners of college honors
abound.
Emma Goldman and her ilk have
personal and propaganda methods III
their madness They are unsafe lead
ers inspired by evil to lead the chill
dren'' into paths toward the precipices
Of cruel class strife. 1t is not charity
but Justice which the working classes
arc in need, and justice does not lie on
the read TO prejudice. Sophistry, mis-
information and lying do not settle
questions or advance the world.
Let the classes know each other bet
ter and problems viii simplify.