The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-03-07
En- ening Chat
When Boys Fight.
BY RUTH CAMERON.


Many interesting letters have come
to me in answer to the letter friend s
question whether one should invari-
ably try to stop a street fight between
boys 1 am sorry that I could not
use them all.
las you say, to fight for a prin-
ciple'," writes one letter friend,
strikes some fine chords. But isn't
your Interpretation of the sentence
merely a mental illusion produced by
the use of one word for two separate
meanings? The word fight is COM
monty used in two ways: first, mean
ing to strive, to exert ones self for
some end; second, in the sense of
physical fighting, the object of which
| is to inflict the greatest possible dam
meaning it is which strikes the fine
chords, the constructive or the de-
structive meaning. the sacrifice of
ones self to an end or the sacrifice of
an opponent?'
Another recalls US to a viewpoint the
world seems to have forgotten lately.
Il surely would stop a fight if possible
| by telling the boys how wicked and
! degrading it is to fight. I would tell
/ the one that was insulted or wrOnged
he had better suffer wrons
than do wrong. for Gods Word tells
us that. When the Lord Jesus was
| insulted and beaten, He didn't strike
back or retaliate in any way, and He
! should be our example in everything. u
Il am only q mother of a boy whom
/ wish to be a perfect gentleman il
| the truest sense of the word" writes
| another woman, land perhaps I ar,
wrong in my opinion, but am open
| to conviction. 1 believe there are
times in every boys life when he may
| use his fists and still be a gentleman.
| want my own boy to be able to pro-
| tect his honor and that of his loved
ones with the two clean hands God
| has given him for his selfdefence.
| do not believe in fighting among boys
and men usually, but there are occa-
sions when a boy or man cannot be
a gentleman and not fight. L think
| boys should not be taught never to
tfight-it takes the backbone out of a
| boy for the time when he may have l..
| do it. He should be taught when to
fight and when not to; there are many
little insults and annoyances which
may be overlooked, but who does not
admire the man who can use his
hands if necessary to protect the good
name of mother, sister or friend, also
the sterling principles of his OWL
MANHOOD
Again, speaking about boys fight
| ing, my youngest brother, then a LAD
| about twelve, got into a fight with an
other about the same age but stronger
| The only reason for the fight we could
| find out was that the other fellow
had it in for him. My brother came
home with a very badly broken nose
What that boy suffered a doctor car
tell you. My parents had large doc
tors bills to pay and they were poor
My brother is disfigured for life, aa6
he would have been a handsome man
| Consequently l stop every pair of boy:
fighting, telling them that fighting il
anger may bring serious results
LAS to boy fights" writes a very
logical person, 'inasmuch as the Law
does not make any more provision fol
private boys to punish others than il
the case of men, and inasmuch a.
fighting is unlawful, 1 cannot see VIII,
children should have a right to do the
unlawful thing any more than mer
have. The principle involved is law
lessness; if boys are to have the RICH
to mete out violent and unlawful pun
ishment to those whom they think de
serve it, why not men ?'-( ProtecteG
by The Adams Newspaper Service.)