The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-03-27

the fact that a perfect wave of by.
sierra is sweeping over the country on
the amusement question. We are
amusement crazy. From the motion
picture show, the theatre, the dance,
the club, the cafe with the cabaret or
vaudeville, we are madly chasing from
one to another Recreational features
are necessary to the young and near
young, and to meet the situation
squarely and fairly is the duty of every
parent. Music in the home has be-
come a splendid source of entertain
ment, and considering that musical
instruments of many kinds can be
purchased cheaply, every home should
be. equipped with some sort of self
playing instrument.
The moving picture, properly chos-
en-, is educational and entertaining.
But since the movies" are the sole
amusement of 40 per cent of our city
population and of 80 per cent of our
children, it should be our constant con-
Germ that the pictures shown be clean
and wholesome. Pictures showing a
boy how to become a pickpocket;
showing theft rewarder or unpunish-
ed; murder, suicide, illicit love and
sex problems, are demoralizing and
tend to destroy the inmate sense of
modesty in the young. A film showing
a man throwing his life away on
gambling and drink and later reform
ing and regaining fortune and health,
will create the impression on the
young mind that anyone can drink
and gamble, and when occasion de-
mands, overcome these habits and be
all the better for it. This, of course,
is wrong. Picture shows should be
censored, and no censorship is more
effective than that of the patrons
themselves. 1t has been said recently
that hundreds of yards of films, for
hidden in the large cities, are foisted
on the smaller towns weekly; and to
visit some of our picture shows would
confirm the statement. If we, espe-
cially the women belonging to clubs,
would ask the council to appoint a
committee of representative citizens
to censor the pictures, the result
would be noticeable and all objection
able films would eventually disappear
But no matter how good the shows,
parents should not allow their children
to go to them too frequently, certainly
not oftener than twice month.
chaperonage of Young Girls.
The chaperonage of the young girl
of today is another serious problem
There are so many occasions offered
to take a girl away from home for
amusement that every mother, even
though she takes chance on being
called old-fashioned and strict, should
accompany her young daughter. When
that is impossible she would insist on
proper chaperonage. By so doing she
will save her daughter much embar-
rassment and prevent any possibility
Of unkind criticism. The proper
chaperonage is not the giddy young
matron, or the unmarried girl, busy
with her personal pleasure. She
would be a pleasant, well-balanced
woman who can command the respect
and Difference of the party, who will
provide for both physical and moral
emergencies and be safeguard
against unpleasant situations as we'll
as a balance wheel for the whole
party.
There is too much latitude given the
young girl of today. You see her
travelling alone in distant schools, go
ing to "proms" and football games
hundreds of miles away; and she is
absolutely shocked if one questions
the propriety of it all. Who is to
blame? The American mother, with
unlimited confidence in her daughters
ability to take care of herself, places
no restrictions on her pursuit Of pleas
ure. Occasionally, when a joy-ride
ends in an accident, the situation is
very embarrassing. A mother should
be her daughters best chum, have
ready sympathy; should be interested
in her friends, encourage them to
come to her home, so she may know
them and make home the pleasantest
place in the world.
Parental Duty.
There should be no Sinking of
parental duty. She would teach her
child self-control, and obedience to
higher authority; teach her to be-
Heve in being normal, responsible,
honest, clean, modest and God-fear-
in. Teach her to know herself, and
eugenists will have little to do. When
the girl enters the industrial walks of
life, competing with the strength and
virility of man, fighting for the right
to live, to be good and to be happy,
it becomes a problem of great magni-