The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1916-01-28
A PLEA FOR THE CHILDREN OF
MISSISSIPPI
To The Women of Mississippi:

To The Women of Mississippi:
Two years ago the Central Commit
tee called on you for help in getting
the State to do certain needful things
for Mississippi children, and you
responded so well that we secured
most of what we tried for, that win
ter. But you we have still goodly
list of things which we want done,
and which must be done if our child
rem have as good an opportunity to
make the most of life, as the children
of other States. So l for the Central
Committee am come to you again
for your help, for we realize that
without that we could do nothing.
And first of all we want your
prayers. For we remember the
promises that when two or three are
agreed together to ask for anything
our heavenly Father will grant it;
and also that where two or three are
gathered together in His name there
| will He be also. So we ask that on
the second Sunday afternoon in Feb
ruary each community gather and
ask our Father to guide US in our
work, giving us wisdom and truth and
purity and love, that no thought or
act or word may prejudice even the
most critical against the things we
are trying to do for our children, and
that He will open the eyes of His SER
wants, Mississippi's lawmakers, that
they may see their duty to the child
rem. That He will send His Spirit
to convince the men of our State that
they owe it to our children who are
here in their care to have for them
the best training we are capable of
giving them that they, when they
come into power, may know how to
use it for the benefit of our State
with no thought of self to come to
obscure their duty. And pray that
the laws enacted shall be the very
best possible for the children and SO
of the State.
Then we ask that you sign and get
others to sign petitions to the COVER,
nor and legislature, urging them to
provide a place for training oul
youthful offenders of the law, into
good citizens. For it is an establish.
ed fact in the experience of those
States which have such places tina,
l95 out of every hundred sent te
them do make good citizens. While
a greater per cent than that of those
sent to the jails and the penitentiary
develop into the worst kind of crimi
nails, and over half of those bao
children who were left without res
traint or punishment of any kind de
veloped into criminals. When l say
bad children mean those who dc
things which the law if it were usec
would place in the Jail, or the county
farm or in the penitentiary.
It is H. B. No. 80 we want enacted
into law, and the bill making womer
eligible as State and county Supts. o:
Education, on the school boards, tn,
educational boards, and the boards O.
trustees of the eleemosynary institu
tions of the State. These are tn,
things which we want, which are t,
come up this winter. And the com
mittee is stressing the trainin,
school provided by the bill No. 80, a
we think that the most needed thin!
at present.
Then when you have gotten thes
petitions-and get them up righ
away-send them without delay t
Mrs. c. H. Alexander, N. Jefferso
Street, Jackson, Miss, who is tn
chairman of the subcommittee O
legislation and is also chairman o
the legislative committee of the N
F. W. C.
| And see all the men you can il
fluence and ask them to write letter
to your senators and representative
asking them to support the bills.
Il Oh! women of Mississippi, what
battle cry to lead US to victory, "
= have in the words "Our Children
\ Neither men nor women can resist
: if it is used in the right way. Let ,
( use it in such a way that we must g
Z the right and just things for thes
J little folks who need them so muc
} and whom we are responsible for.
} Very truly your friend,
h Mrs. T. R. Henderso
81 Chairman Central Commit,
< Woman's Organizations.
II Exchanges please copy.