Evening times-Republican., 1914-01-08
Tn. Father. and. Son Idea.

. The Father-and-So movement con-
talns the germ of big idea. The
solution Of many OF the problems that
have developed sex-hygiene busyboGies
and inspired impossible dramatists Is
in the hands Of parents. especially
fathers. True and frank comradeship
between father and son would elm
mate these volunteers. who have come
forward simply because the fathers
have turned their backs on their duty.
While these activities may give
parents annoyance, they have no right
to object to the occupancy Of heid
which they themselves have neglected.
But the father-and idea goes
farther. Where the fathers Of our day
are neglecting much larger oppor-
turity is in failing to make for them
selves q larger place In the lives OF
their sons. Many fathers are deferred
from this by inconsistencies in their
own lives. For example. they will not
advise sons against tobacco, while
they smoke themselves. They hesitate
to give good counsel on the whisky
question, il they drink socially. Faced
by these Inconsistencies most fathers
simply drop out Of their sons lives
entirely. preferring silence and neglect
to hypocrisy.
These are facts. Are they such facts
as need exclude the father from his
sons mind and heart? Not necessarily.
AS far as tobacco in concerned, the
best way is to tell the boy the truth.
to tell him that he is to settle the
question for himself. but ask him to
avoid tobacco until he is OF age. AS
for liquor drinking. II there Is real
love. the father viii sacrifice the little
he gains from 1t to set the example he
would like to see his son follow.
And there are other great fields OF
thought and influence which father and
son should travel together. Religion.
er-huilding. outlook on life
what magnificent opportunities are
here offered the father to keep Young.
and the youth to mature slowly and
surely!
II there is one cry that goes oftenest
from a mans reart, 1t Is that he migot
begin over again as a boy with the
experience and wisdom gained by age.
This. after all. is really a protest
against the failure OF one generation
to pass It's wisdom to the next in a
concrete. usabIe form. Why should not
human experience pass direct from
father to son. without the distractions
Of plot and counterplot and the arti-
fetal and frequently false situations
that spring up In the drama. the novel
or even the biography?
The life that most fathers lead is
destructive OF the home. Something
must be done to stop the sapping Of
home life by outside amusements.
Amusements can not be stopped. But
their deleterious effects may be min.
imized when the family enjoys them in
concert. Fathers and sons taking their
exercise. their play and their amuse-
ments together. will become better
fathers and sons.
New Years resolutions usually in
volye negative. One resolves to quit
something that is bad. Ordinarily one
falls because stopping something bad
is hard. where nothing good Is put in
!ts place. Let the New Years resolu-
ton take an affirmative form, ana II
viii stand a much better chance OF
life. Let the father resolve to get ac-
quainted with hts son. and In the
process he will surely give up some
habits that beset him. Nature will
take care Of the negative faults, If the
man will interest himself in the af-
frmative virtues.-Minneapolis Jour-
nal.