The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1916-03-18
SAVE TIE aoys.


contribute anything toward preventing
the boys from growing up into men
like those Of today. Il is deserving Of
all assistance Not that the men Of
today are any worse than those OF
yesterday. OF of any previous age, but
they are SO very slow TO exercise their
reasoning powers, II the fathers Of
today were such az II Ia hoped the boys
Of today will be- when they reach mans
state, there would be no boy problem
now. The one telling fact that stands
out In all the testimony 80 far given
regarding the bad boy 10 the constant
connection OF ldleness and crime, The
hoy has no work, or his father 10 out
u work; or II either has work IL IL for
POOR pay. and want presses hard upon
means. The idle seek the companion
ship OF idle. and the mischief Is done;
for. as Poor Richard says, II 10 bard
for an empty sack to stand upright.
The fact Of the matter appears 10 be
that there In no room for the boy, no
room for him 20 play except In the
streets and alleys. and when he IL old
enough To work, nothing for him TO do,
Nearly all the trade unions limit the
number of apprentices to a much
smaller number than that OF their own
members. Consequently not more than
one. AT most. OF the carpenters Sons
can BE- n carpenter, II the ether sons
turn 70 hriekiayIng. plumbing. or eabl
nst.making. IL Ia only TO End those
trades also full with the sons Of their
members seeking opportunities to
work Ask the union members why
they take so few apprentices, and their
answer Is that the trade is already
osererowdsd This merely deepens the
mystery. for only very ANAL part OF
The people have all the buildings aud
other labor products they need II
would appear TO Indicate either that
the earth Ia too small, or the race too
prolific.
A little deeper reflection. however,
may convince these wellintentiened
people that the fault lles neither In the
smallness Of the earth. nor In the In.
dustry Of the stoFh, but Ia the stupidity
Of man II one-haAf OF the earth's sur.
fase were dedicated TO the sorshlp of
| Pan, and kept In 4 state Of nature. and
the remaining half were devoted 10 the
ases Of man on condition that the
harder he worked the more ha should
pay for it's use. II 10 possible that the
time might come when these who
| worked felt crowded felt 40 crowded,
indeed. that they would turn away
their own children. and their brothers
children. Then II might occur 10 them
III they knew as much as we hope
our children Will know -- that II the
laws were changed In such manner
ss 10 throw open NIL the earth 10 the
Use OF man. and 10 make the workers
share an ever increasing quantity.
there would be keen demand for ell
who would work. and apprentices
would be welcomed. instead Of shunned
There Ii no desire TO minimize the
Importance and necessity Of wiser
paternal authority and guidance: but
Nv the child il father to the man We
cannot have wise fathers sili we
have wiser sens. and how can We
have wiser sons till we have wiser
fathers? Evoiution alone can turn this
vicious circle into beneAeent spiral
Meantime. sufficient knowledge 10
prompt y man TO go In when II rains
siil suffice, II properly directed and
necessity sooner or later will compel
that 10 remove the legal obstacles
hat bar labor from the use OF the
earth That done, and the changed
conditions will offer room for the boy
10 play rs a child. and 10 work as a
man and the child growing up under
more favorable conditions mill make a
az
The child Room for the boys and
sirls''