The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-04-16
KANSAS COMMENT
LEr THE cHILpREN PLAY.

! LEI The CHILDREN RlxALs
We do not pretend to enjoy the
daughter and play of children, but we
recognize the need of children being
natural and would not curb them IL
we could. When they bother US we
simply take to the woods or seek the
/ isolation which is more to our taste,
for we cannot easily forget our desires
, in the days of long ago and how much
play and noise and laughter meant to
us then So when we see a father and
mother striving to crush all the Joy
and life out of their little ones we won
der where 1T will end. We know q
couple of children who dare net laugh
naturally or raise their voices for fear
OF reprimand or a slap. We have
heard the Don't do that" and the
do be quiet" and we have seen the
quickly that we wonder how father
and mother can hope to succeed in
crushing the innocent spirit OF child
hood, or what they hope to gain by It.
They may make demure little men and
women of the children OF and 10,
but they are much more likely to de-
velop hypocrites, for the animal spirit
of youth must have its vent and II
suppressed it is quite apt to cause
either an incfpient explosion or warp
and twist the conscience. It is easier
to lead than it is to suppress; to turn
the joys and pleasures of children into
a channel of usefulness and let them
flow on in a stream of mutual benefit
than 1t is to dam them up. and if you
are a QySpepuc ana crOSS-gratned the
best thing, to do is to remove yourself
and your Crouch" from the play
ground of youth and leave the little
ones to harvest their crop of pleasure
while their season is here.-Galena
Times.
SCHOOL F'RATERNITIES MUST GO
The public schools belong to all the
people. The revenues for their sup
port are paid by rich and poor alike
regardless of their social financial. po-
nt1cal or religious beliefs and affilia-
tons. If there is any institution that
should be thoroughly democratic it Is
the public school system. The state
and the local school authorities would
be criminally negligent of their obli-
cations to society If organizations like
ly to develop caste or class lines were
permitted to fasten themselves on the
peoples schools. Fraternjties separ-
ate their membership from the mass
of students and lay the groundwork for
class and caste distinctions without
any reference whatever to the personal
merit of the boys who are selected for
them. No one who has given the
slightest thought to this subject is in
favor OF Greek letter societies in high
schools. The law forbids them, the
school authorities must enforce the
laws, and common sense says that they
are menace to the purposes for
which the schools are maintained. Bows
and girls will have plenty of time TO
become snobs after they have finished
their work in the public schools.-Sa.
lima Union
OLD CHURCH WAYS PASSING.
Fred B. Smith, campaign leader of
the Men and Religion Movement,
states that he has not laid great store
upon reports of increases in Bible
class memberships, or even in those
OF increased membership of men in
the churches, although the latter in
crease is the primary aim of the cam
patgn. Rather has he looked for
changes in Christian ways since II old
ways continue they will produce, after
while, the same conditions they pro-
duced before.
In two directions Mr. Smith saws he
thinks he sees ends of old causes for
reng1ous decay among men. One d.
rection is the end of individualsm in
the pulpit, and the ability of ministers
to do team work. He says the purely
1ndividualistic quality is out of date in
the pulpit today. The next direction
that shows finish, or seems to do So
is In that of division. He believes the
Men and Religion Movement what
ever else 1T may have done, has sound
ed the death knell Of denominational
He says that few things
nave struck him with more force,
sometimes absurd force as he has gone
into every part Of the country. than
the reasons for different churches in
communities. He believes the Move
ment to have set church unity forward
at least twenty-five years.-Wichita
Beacon.