Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-12-19
STRIKING AT CHILDHOOD S
IDEALS

That there can be such a thing as
hunger other than that of the flesh
that there are human yearnings which
even food and clothing do not satisfy
and that they are felt by those not
sufficiently supplied with this worlds
goods as well as by their more well-to-
do neighbors is a truism, but one
which some minds seem utterly unable
to grasp. II is a narrow view OF life
which assumes that the supplying OF
the mere bodily wants is all that Is
necessary to make a people happy,
but there are, alas, some few whose
limitations are such that they share it.
To those of this type il may seem
"mockery" to give a Christmas toy to
a child who is i'll fed and clothed. To
those who are bound by purely ma
terial limits It may seem waste Of
substance. But fortunately, there are
a great many, the vast majority, In
fact. who know better.
There are hundreds of children in
Rock Island. not oversupplied, per-
haps. with either food or clothing, to
whom Santa Claus, with his toys and
Christmas nicknacks is as real as are
the wants of their bodies-even more
real-for he will be remembered when
their merely physical wants have
been supplied. His visit will bring
something of brightness, of hope and
of cheer which will endure from
Christmas to Christmas and will make
them think better of others and them
selves grow into better men and
women.
II is uncomfortable that anyone who
calls himself a Christian should be so
narrow and bigoted as to contend that
Christmas ought to mean nothing
more than food and clothing TO any
one, especially TO a child to whose
mind the traditions of the season pos
sess so strong an appeal. And yet
there are those in Rock Island who
have persistently tried to discredit the
movement to provide a Santa Claus
for every little one, however poor. 1t
is bad enough if this has been done
through honest, If perverted convic-
ton. but what shall we say of such an
effort inspired by selishness or jeal-
ousy?
The Santa Claus movement is not
charity. which, however hedged about
with conditions. cannot escape certain
sordid attributes. II is based upon a
broader conception of needs, goes
deeper into the human heart and aims
to crafty something beyond the mere
senses
4 child may, through long suffering, |
become Injured to hunger and cold and, |
though stunted in body, may grow in /
TO a useful man or woman. If, how
ever. it is deprived of the things upon |
which hope and imagination feed and /
II grows up mentally deformed the de- |
fects can never be remedied and it /
will be doomed not only to itself to be /
but to be a constant source
Of care and unhappiness to others.
The deplOrable circumstance that
some are improperly clothed and fed
Is not meant hereby TO be minimized
The Argus is helping others in tSe
gathering of a fund for the buying of
the mere necessities of life and il
urges that this be not overlooked. To
these things everyone is fully entitled
unless he by folly or wilful act has
forfeited them, and what child has
done this?
II is gratifying that the effort to
iiscredit the Santa Claus movement
IN Rock Island has failed of its pur-
pose The Argus annual fund is stead
" growing with every prospect that
I will equal. II not exceed those of
ormer years. II should be remem-
leTed that the smaller sums are just
IS important as the larger ones, for ,
hey have always made up large part
4 the total, and they are just as
received. The few cents ,
ou may add possibly will enable
santa to reach some child who would
therwise be missed. ,
Do not be one OF those who would
eprive childhood in the homes OF pow
rty Of its ideals.
Help Santa Claus perform his mis-
ion of gladness even unto the least /,
Z these"