The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1919-08-19
WORK
SHOULD FOLLOW
COMPULSORY SCHOOLING

We are not stuck on this cOmpul-
sCry business. We think it is an in
vasion of individual rights, and in the
erd will do more harm than good. A
compulsory school law could never
have been imposed on the people Of
Florida by the votes Of the people. A
legislature made up of well-educated
rlen would never have passed it. 1t |
Is a significant fact that this law was
passed when education in the execu-
tive, legislative and appointive
branches of the state was at its lowest |
mark in many years.
But since we have compulsory !
schooling, we should have compulsory |!
work-for the boys. To do the girls |
Justice, there is little use in passing
any such a measure for them. Except
with those who have wealthy or fool
ish parents, when girl comes out of
school, she either finds work at home
or abroad. Also, if thru the length of
the family purse, or the fOOlishness
, Of her parents, she becomes a para
site, she has more right to be, does
| less harm and inevitably pays for it
more heavily than boy of the same
| age. Also, nice girl can pay for
! living merely by being sweet and
kind-but a lazy boy can never be
sweet and kind to any but those who
are blind to his faults.
In every town, you will find lot
Of boys from fifteen to twenty-five
years who are purely parasites on the
body polite. Some have wealthy
parents who indulge them, some have
poorer parents who allow the boys to
impose on them, some just loaf any
how, and that class almost inevitably
degenerate into toughS Or out and out
criminals. In the average southern
town, d majority of this class is gen
orally negroes, but there are entirely
too many whites. And the advantage
on the white side of the line is bal
anced by the fact that the negro near
iy always has to go to doing some
real work, either to keep from starv-
ing, or because he can't keep out OF
tie chaingang, while the white boy
secures a JOB that really ought to go
, to girl, or becomes such an adept
al loafng that he can live and loaf,
too.
There are many more loafers in a
town than out in the country. The
country boy, no matter how lazy he
| may constitutionally be, generally
does some work from pure force of
circumstances. There is always work
to do, and he has to do some of it or
fail over it. Also, boy out in the
country who doesn't work at least
some is looked down on with a con-
tempt that can be felt thru the hide
g Of an alligator.
Now, the legislature has said every
child in Florida must go to school
until 16 years old. 1t having stretch
ed the constitution that far, the next
legislature should pass a law that
! every boy over sixteen years who
can't or won't go to school five years
longer, should go to work. An ex
cuse that he can't find work should
not be accepted There are always
the city streets and county roads tt
mend, and while those avocatiOns are
humble, they are more honorable and
useful than wearing clothes, eating
victuals and burning gasoline that
somebody else pays for.
Ocala has comparatively few loaf
ers, but it has a few, and even the
< same light proportion throughout the
D United States would stack up a mill
ion, who would decrease the H. c. Of
T.. by at least eight mills on the dol
4 lar, if they were put to work.
The Star doesn't believe in people
y being butterflies until they have earn
: ed enough gold to gid their wings.