The Natchitoches enterprise., 1917-05-31

The following address, was de-
liyered by James Douglas, mailing
clerk on the l.. & n. W. at the
colored Better Baby Celebration
held at the Asbury Church on the
first Sunday in May, when this
great national event was celebra
ted all over the union. It was
fsuch sensible. practical speech,
full of such good advice to the
parents of his race, that the editor
asked for copy for publication
and gives it in full below:
During Jesus ministry on earth, on
one occasion he made this statement:
Suffer little children to come unto me
and forbid them not, for such is the
kingdom OF heaven" If the kingdom
of heaven is ikened unto child, then
what must be child's place in the
world? The greatest asset of a COM
munity, state or country is its children
and the vital problems of a nation is
preparing its children for the response
bilities and duties incident to life.
Therefore, if a child does not receive |
training and have tie right kind of en-
vironment during its little career thru
this fieeting lite co maturity, he is ham |
dicapped when he is ready to begin life"
struggle. Today in the history of the |
xaroTih SO ffhn af |
Thus is it necessary to train the child
present themselves.
As our race is today considered the
most illiterate, the most immoral and
has the highest death rate, let the
mothers and the fathers begin today if
they have not already begun and take
more time and pains With their children
and see that they have every advan-
tage along hygenic and sanitary lines
while IN dependent state; have the
child reared properly, do not have 1t
said about your child that he just
sprung up by himself. Just as soon as
the child is able to differentate and I'M
derstand teach it to hate the bare and
sordid things OF nature. Some may
say that child should not be taught
too early, but that is not so, the sooner
the better. It is the little things
earned early in youth that will follow
1im thruout life. The second debate
hat l ever heard, the subject of which
vas: Resolved that girl should re-
,eive more education than boy, one l
# the contestants lady on the aff1rma-
i've stated that girl shouldbe edIca.
ed twenty years before she was born H
md she proved her contention. There
ore, l say to you mothers and fathers
Iont neglect your boys, but by all ii
III means don't neglect the training of II
our daughters. The future of our II
ace is in the hands of girls. No chain II
) stronger than its weakest link nor II
} any race stronger than its women. II
t is true saying 'that the hand that II
ocks the cradle rules the world" II
o often think of the statement of III
george Washington, our first President II
nd the father of this country. He
aid: "All that am and all that hore
D be owe it to my mother. Thus
on see mothers that if you give the
est there is in you for your children
hey will ever be grateful to you and II
ways give you that motherly love and
onor which is ever pregnant in a II
Iothers heart. But it does not stop
lere, am sure that there is not one II
rown person here who has not heard
: read where some man said: an in
eed fortunate in having good, true,
I'd helpful wife without her assistance
would not be the success | am today.
Il of these good things can be traced {
lex to the care and training you be-
owed upon your child in the beginning
its career. Then let US as a race TODAY
solve to take more care and proper
aiming of the children. Let us cut
wn the illiteracy irgures, Eliminate II
morality and give to the world race y
healthful, stalwart, honest, and II
re men and women.