Vernon Parish Democrat., 1921-08-18
pecuIative Theorizing
Is Failure In Practice
cessfuI Cooperation Calls For
Observance of Inherent Natural Law

lony, it is of the greatest Importance
that this activity is properly supervis-
ed and wisely directed. The awful ex-
tent Of child delinquency and juvenile
crime throughout the country shows
what the result is when in this respect
children are neglected and permitted
to run wild.
The very best educators insist that
the most useful capabilities, talents,
and skill are gained by doing, through
useful and valuable result-producing
activity. All human progress has been
due to what mankind have accomplish
ed by the work they have done and
not by specializing about it.
In accordance with the most advanc-
ed educational principles, the children
at Newllano in charge of the teachers
take part in the work that is being
done in the Colony. Four hours a day
are spent in the class room and four
hours in the industries. Their work is
not very profitable, but that is not the
object aimed at. The purpose is to
train them to habits of usefulness.
They are taught by actual observation
that everything they eat and wear, ev-
erything that they use and enjoy costs
human labor to produce it, and that
people are entitled to such enjoyment
only as they take part in the produc-
j ton according to their ability. They
are taught an abhorance of all para
Sitism. He who will not work Gf
able) neither shall he eat" There is
quite large difference between chill
dren being few hours engaged in
healthful useful activity and being ex-
plotted for long hours in close, ill-ven-
tilated factories by capitalism.
The Newllano children learn to do
things, to be efficiently useful, and
they know that they can do them and
are valuable asset. in themselves, to
the community, and they thus acquire
a self-reliance and self-respect that will
make them valuable members of which
any community might be proud. Much |
of the dishonesty of the world is due to
the fact that the wrongdoers were not
trained to habits of usefulness in their
youth. The guilt of their criminaIity |
rests upon the community and the ma
ton at large for neglecting the pro-
per training of the young, and not up
on the victims of that neglect.
Human nature is not depraved, it |
is not inherently bad, and those who
rashly advance that claim are base
slanderers of their fellows. All the
phases of mans character are good |
provided they are properly trained, de- !
veloped, and exercised. To do this for
the young is a duty incumbent upon
the parents and the community. Right |
habits acquired from youth up are the
most valuable possessions of a person,
and wrong habits are a curse to them
selves and the race at large. The devil
finds mischief for idle minds and idle
hands to do. The uncontrolled apre-
tites and propensities dominate tn
when the authority and
good example of mature minds neglect
to act. Disputes about any phase of
this subject cannot be settled by violent
denunciation, fault-finding, and pas
sionate harangues. 1t is just as much
a scientific question as is any subject
pertaining to the mechanical part of
our work. The aim that we have in
view. the ideal that inspires us, not the