The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-11-08

Il
ralter" upon which is founded the
welfare of whole nation for the
of the state is in the
home. Eugenics has taught us THAI
the mistakes of the past have result
ed in materially lessening the de |
of man both mentally and |
and not the least of these /
mistakes were due to ignorance Of !
the fundamental laws of health. The /
Greeks worshipped physical beauty
ana though their ideals were too per
feet almost to be human our stand
ard should be Just as lofty. With
cut perfect health no one can be
ideally beautiful in mind or body
and it is useless to expect healthy
strong men and women to come from
homes where, during the most impor-
tant period of their lives, as children,
they are subjected to unwholesome
environment
There is little excuse for ignor-
ance these days-the sanitary note l.
being sounded from every quarter
indifference however, seems to ne
tn cause of much of the laXncss iii
many homes. TO save our nations
we need not standing armies ana
navies hut healthy able-bodied men
and women. We cannot undo tn"
harm wrought by past ignorance but
if we have intelligent father and
mother homemakers who value the
blessing of parenthood and appre-
ciating their responsibilities, strive
for the superior mental attainments
and stronger, better formed bodies
Of their children, the civil safety OF
out future generations is assured.
/ The government, realizing the
.ery great value of home sanitation
in conserving human lives and pre-
venting disease has provided many
features for our Embellishments; but
unless the people are willing and
make an effort to cooperate only
meager results can follow the most
strenuous endeavor.
We surely cannot turn deaf ca"
to such an important subject when
Nc know the wonderful triumphs
that have resulted from the intclii-
cent application of the laws OF sanl-
tati0n. One of the most notable eX-
amples is our recent achievement
that greatest engineering feat of all
the ages-thc Panama Canal-which
though the idea was conceived ~
Balboa. twas not until the United
states undertook the scheme in l?o4
that it became a reality after many
futile attempts by other governments
III was realized from the high death
rate during these previous expert
mcnts that without consideration 10
sanitary measures. success could not
he attained and the establish o.
sanitary conditions removed the
greatest obstacle which had attend
red all other efforts the labor prob
lcm. II made possible also a sociolo-
IDEAL situation which will necessar-
ialy have very considerable effect
upon future history.
Campaigns have been instituted by
various workers and VIC in Lakeland
have been directly influenced by the
worI, of our own Womans Glul
when through their efforts very
material Improvement was made III
the sanitary condition of the grocery
stores and meat Shows though there
Is still much room for criticism.
There seems to be- no limit to thu
thincs which though indirectly
most surely have an important bear,
ing upon our home life knoWint
the ultimate good that may be ac.
complished and the evil resultant
from disrcgarding the principles u
n important measure, it is next t
criminal to ignore our unqucstion
ahle duty.
Fifty years ago not home wa
What it should be in so far as santa
ton is concerned even the most pala
tial being veritable death traps. To
day however we need not be handi
5capped by ignorance nor lack of ia
ciHties brit can foree ahead anC
making it goal, as it were, strif'
religiously to achieve the idea
sanitary home"
Given the knowledge, the ambition
and the concern. to gain the desire'
, end can be no easy task; but it's on
obligation and ever must our watch
word be Eternal Vigilance"