The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-07-08
Subject Is Discussed BY
Judge Lindsey
PRESERVE HOME URGED
Today's Program of National
Educators At Des Moines
Reviewed
ASSOCIATED Press Dispatch

Des Moines, Ia, July 6.-From a
different angle. but no less important
one than that Of natural parents. is
the "Parenthood Of the State to the
Child" Judge Ben B. Lindsey said
last night in an address before the
national Education association here.
This was first expressed in the
struggle for acknowledgement by the
state that it was its duty to educate
the child" Judge Lindsey added. mo
one today seriously questions the re-
sponsibiltty. Since that acknowledge
ment, the state Is becoming more and
more the over parent of the child"
THE next phase Of this struggle
concerns the responsibility Of the
state for the health and morals of the
child. Since health and morals are
so nearly related, they may be con-
sidered almost as one.
"The 'Parenthood Of the State in
cludes its duty to see that the child
is we'll born. BY strictest kind OF
marriage laws, the state must forbid,
as far as possible. the bringing OF
children into the world unless they
come from healthy parents. The
child must no longer be the victim
Of conditions over which it has no
control but for which society and the
state itself is to blame. When the
state Is imperilled, 1t calls the child
of eighteen to defend it with its life.
When the child Is imperilled, 1t has
q right to call on its over parent, the
State, to protect it with its wealth.
THE time will come when it will
be regarded as a crime against child
hood If the state permits that child
to suffer from undernourishment due
to poverty or ignorance. Since 1t is
the accepted duty of the state to edu
cate the child, it is far more Its duty
to feed the child.
"The time to save many a boy
bandit is in the nine months before
and the nine months after his birth.
We must have maternity laws. We
must have laws to see that the child
does not suffer for the lack of proper
nourishment If the parents are un-
able to perform that function, and if
they are able to perform 1t, to see to
it that 1t is performed.
eff this is "Paternalism" then all of
your free school system Is Paternal-
ism, and If free schools are Paternal-
ism, then give US more Of 1T. We
city of FIVE children Of q wealthy
family for whom the State has paid
over SCI, 900 for their free education,
and the five children Of a poor widow
who need to be fed even more than
they need to be educated and for
whom the expense Of education is
wasted because of this neglected
condition which makes them fncapa-
BILE Of receiving its full advantages.
Undernourished children are more
dangerous to the State than under
'It Is not the purpose Of the par
enthood of the State" to usurp the
function of the home or to permit the
natural parent to shirk, but rather. to
see that the home perform its func-
ton where 1t is careless, and to see
that no child suffers because of pow
erty where the home is helpless. The
state must preserve the home for the
child"
Toy stoves, tables and chairs large
enough for practical use, big blocks
with which to build houses large
enought to play in-these mark the
best kindergarten equipment Of the
present, Ella Victoria Dobbs OF the
University Of Missouri said here to-
day at the National Education AS
sociation convention. A revolution
in kindergarten methods has taken
place she indicated. The day Of the
tiny imitation of the real thing has
passed.
Instead of imposing upon the chill
dren our ideas of what we think they
should like to do, we have gone about
with them to find out what they real
ly do under natural, happy condi
tfons," said the Missouri professor.
I'VE are bringing back into the
school our Transforming discoveries
not alone to the kindergarten, but,
what is much more significant, into
the primary schools as we'll.
I'm comparison old and new the
writer is impressed with the bigness of
each individual child full sized and
real things are provided for coopera-
tive use. =
"The dolls have clothes that button
and unbutton just like real folks and
the dolls become real members of the
social group demanding much
thoughtful care. From time to time
there are live rabbits and other pets
which need food and care. Real tools
scraps Of wood and plenty of nails
tempt even the timid ones to venture
into the realm Of mechanics. -
+ Another striking feature is the
supply of low shelves and cupboards
where books, tools, and the most used
material as well as individual belong
ings are conveniently kept. AS a re-
suit the children early develop a
sense of individual responsibility for
the care Of the materials. -
under the old plan the teacher
carried all the responsibility for all
and the children were to do as they
were told. The relative value of
these two attitudes toward life in
government Of, by, and for the people
Is self evident" 81 49,.