The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-02-06
WHAT THE A is
DOING FOR THE CHILD
PubIic School Incxtricably BOund Up
With Life of the People. Ilact
OF the School.

< 1
Tho last decade has seen the SpTcdu
OF q new doctrine OF the value Oh ~
man life, a doctrine which emphasizes
quality more than quantity. lne
hingS Of eugenlcS begun ny oH
Francis Cation, and whose p~est-kho"H
e,poncnt in this country Is probably
bayil Starr Jordan. have put ne"
ucaning into the dictum of the econo-
r;ot that stherc is no wealth save
life" For the adherents of this ne"
science, there is nothing in the Whole
world of the importance OF 8oou'
tlony. vigorous human stock. 1ney
see back of the decay OF nations al
WAYS one cent? al factor, a deterlord-
tion in the racial stock. ltone with
her wars of conquest and her proScriP-
tons. Athens with her Slcillan ex-
petition. France with her Reign or
Terror and her Napoleonic wars, lost
the best Of their blood, so that the
generations which came after were
the descendants of the worst and the
weakcst in the population. NJ ma
ton that has taken the sword mas
indeed persisted by the sword. for 1t
has slain its own best and bravest.
and saved alive for the parents OF it's
future citizens the weak and the IN
capable.
New in their present form though
these doctrines are, there is hardly a
thinker IF first rank today in the al
lied fields whose work does MOI show
evidence Of being profoundly inhu-
cnccd by them. The more evidence
:Lccumulates, the more certain it be-
ONE that the only one means by
which human progress is possible is
by keeping strong and vigorous the
racial stock. This Of course means
two things. 1t means, first. and this
is the field Of eugenics roper that
defective and criminal and all abnor-
NAL elements of the population shall
be, just 50 far as possible. debarred
from ~parcntage. Ii the mex genera
ton is to take up and continue the
achievements OF the present. it must
Big "Wcll-bOrn' in the widest sense
Of the word. 1t means, second, tha'
. every chance must be given the in
diNidllal for fun and normal develop
mcnt, that nothing can be allowed tc
check. thWart or retard the maximum
Of physical and mental and mora
growth. 1t places II new cmphasi
on the welfare Of the individual, no
primarily as an individual, but as
nember of society. In short, it make
he chiefeSt OF al crimes against so
aiety a neglect Of the welfare of tn,
next generation. Every child Of poo
stock and imperfect development is
potential menace to the State. bot
through himself and through his pos
Sibie descendants. Far more i'm
poltant for the State than the ques
ton Of the conservation Of materia
resources is the conservation OF hu
man resources The duty of the Stat
TO the child is perhaps most i'm
portant OF all its duties, the certra
consideration to which all other
should yield. Care for the birth an
nurture of those who will be the ne,
generation of its citizens is the onl
way by which the State can assul
It's ptrpetuation.
The world is awakening to a nc,
sense OF the importance of the chill.
1t has ~ccentlv been estimated ths
thelc are in his country alone SON
thrce-Scole types of agencies for chill
Wclar Legislation for the restri,
ton OF marriage, child labor law
Juvenile court provisions. care for q,
inquents, detectives and dependen
increases annually. Important an
interesting rs all such movements ar
space Will not admit Of their discy,
sion nero. Il article will thereto,
deal only with what the State is q,
lNG for the child through another ella
Ct agencies which are more and mo,
coming 10 concern themselves wit
broad questions OF child welfare-tl
public schools.
We are sometimes given to thin
ing OF the school as n thing apart.
rducitional institutions as rather ar,
Htial creations. But the truth is b
coming more clearly apparent in tho
days OF rapid social change that +,
school is ineXtricabiv bound IN W;
the social life OF Il people. that Cd
cationai ideals and social ideals p
fcct each other, that changes IN :
structure of society mean chan~as
me structure of educational instit
uonS. 1t has come about with
recent Years that a series of very re-,
social changes have thrown on +
Sclool q new responsibility for +
welfare of youth. The school has bo
assuming Il whole range Of new dnti
There are those who regret :
changes, who perhaps feel that If
an unWarrantcd extension OF he &c
ceptions Of public education. Bur
must not be forgotten that it is I
n.y.; ~. Ti1,- l,.anfin,. 1oD-- -.