Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1917-05-04
The Farmer Must Have The Use OF
His Children.
COMPULSORY EDUCATION AND CHILD LABOR
LAWS SHOULD Be SUSPENDED IMMEDI-
ATELY, AND ULTIMATELY REPEALED.

10 THE EDITOR The time is now at
hand in which every farmer and Gamer
must call upon his representatives in the
State Legislature to vote for the suspen-
sion of the child labor and compulsory
school attendance laws of the State, not
only during the war. as was at first pro-
posed, but for three years at least. The
war may come to close at any minute,
but all authorities agree that famine stares
the civilized nations in the face for at
least the next three years to come. At
this writing Acknowledgement Richie is
framing bills. One announcement reads
ut is probable also that the Legislature
may be asked to pass bill authorizing
the Governor to suspend the child labor
and compulsory school attendance laws"
sometime since laid before the Gov
ernors Of all the States the imperative
need of at once suspendine the compulsory
education laws of their respective States,
and have heard from many of them to
the effect that they are doing so at once
while others are preparing for such action.
l had hoped that My Maryland" would
lead the way. but North Dakota. Missouri
and Connecticut have been the pioneers
The latter State was the first State of the
Union to adopt drastic compulsory school
laws; but so it is that those first and
longest in sad experience are the first to
take leave of the cause
1t was at our last Legislature that the
Statewide compulsory school law was
passed. For nearly two decades had
myself kept it out of the State. then
said general choas is coming on. in which
pet fads and feminism will 60 by the board.
and compulsory education will be one Of
them. So now we are to see the very
same Legislators that voted for compulsion
to be the ones to vote for its suspension.
Many farmers are calling for its absolute
repeal and say that in the future the men
they vote for must commit themselves in
advance to that. The fact is farmers ought
to demand a definite platform from every
candidate and the one who cannot give
one and wants to be all things to every
body should be dropped.
Various authorities, State and National
are just now thinking more about compul-
sorry laws to work the land than compul
sion to school studies. have ever prophe
sled that we would see the day when the
call would be for bread rather than books
that day is here or near. But people
Boosting our freedom. ought not be com
PEELED into anything. Compulsion in edu
cation has started the cry Of compulsion il
everything. 1t has in large share robbed
the father and mother of their authority
made them the lauehing-stock of thei
children and brought them all to a general
don't care relationship to law. nature ant
God. We note the best educated cities-lik'
Boston and Chicago for years sen
up sad lamentations over their juveniles
Farmers in these times must have tn
| use of their children. A law which forbid
to a sick mother the attention of her Cir
or to busy father the help of his boy
law that voices for the breaking up o
the farmers home, for his selling out an,
moving to village or city. with his chill
dren following. Club women will now. a
ever. put in their plea for continuance
of compusion. but they must be ignored
FRANCIS BUCK LIvESEY.
West Friendship. Md.