The Washington herald., 1916-08-25
"The Cry of the Children. y
BY ORIsoN SWEET MARDEN,

In recent plea for vocational training for
youth, Secretary of Commerce William {. Red
held, said: "The youthful years in which mind
and hand respond more readily than they ever
thereafter will should be the time in which the
child should be taught among other needed
things, how he may best fit himself for the day
of labor when it shall come, 81 that he may
carry that burden more easily, more productivity
with more of peace and less of pain"
If every received in youth a practical
training that would fit him for the work Nature
intended he should do we would have no incom-
petcnts, and few crooks or criminals
THE cry of the children, that they be taught
to work, to know why they work as they do
and how to work we'll and effectively" has too
long fallen on dull, unresponsive ears We pre-
fer to spend prisons and asyums the money
that, expended practical vocational and in
dustria training, would have made the inmates OF
those places happy, productive workers.
America is ahead of other nations in many
things, but it is certainly not ahead is indeed
long way behind some European nations in
the preparation Of every youth for his lie work
1t is shame, national disgrace, that our
young people should be allowed to quit school
before they half prepared for life, before they
are properly equipped for scf-supporting careers.
1t is a crime against children that they arc
obliged to pay the penalty for their lack of prep
aratlon by being forced to remain in inferior posi-
tons, many of them perhaps all their lives.
There are multitudes Of people who have fine
native ability who might make splendid contribu-
tonS to the worlds work but for the lack Of
early practical education. Their minds, however,
are not trained their eyes not trained; their
faculties not Sharpcned by direction and use.
They are mshts in their work, and in many in
stances menace to the society which did not do
It's duty by them.
The consciousness, that they have much more
ability than they are able to apply or to utilize
to advantage because Of their ignorance makes
them unhappy and discontcnted. This leads to a
general sagging of the ambition and loss of
enthusiasm and interest in life, and often makes
criminals.
The man who does not learn to do thing
we'll who does not specialize in some branch Of
mechanics, trade or industry, never hope 10
rise above d hand to-mouth existence.
With the cost of living as high today and
rents and tho prices Of provisions and clothing
constantly advancing the unskled man can do
little more than provide the cheapest kind Of a
dwelling and the barcst necessities for his family,
even though he may have natural ability enough,
# specialized to enable him to educate his chill
drcn and have some OF the rehnemcnts and pleas
ures OF life.
A millionaire merchant said: "The keynote OF
success as | have found in my career and as
think every man who has built up big bust
ness has discovered. is founded upon expert
knowledge and application. II I had to begin
business over again and was offered the choice
OF big capital and no knowledge OF the business
or small capital and expert knowledge I should
unhcsitatingly choose the latter
Give our young men and young women expert
knowledge, knowledge that they turn to prac-
tcal use outside Of school and college walls, and
we will do away with failures and criminals.
The president OF Radcliffe College says,
Mature having specialized women, the colleges
should continue the job" Nothing more apt has
been said regarding education. If our schools and
colleges could rearrange their educational system
in agreement with this cpigram there would soon
be revolution in our civilization.
At present educational systems do not
give a training for life Our youths are taken
out Of practical life during their most plastic
years supposedly to prepare for life, but after
all their years OF study in school and college arc
obliged to go back again to practical life to learn
how to get living.
Now, if education means anything it means
training and fitting for living getting. In justice
to children it is time that we practical Amer
leans should to it that every child in this
nation receives education that will give him at
least fighting chance in life
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