The Monroe journal., 1921-05-31
NJ REASON WHY OI,PHaNGE
sHorIbN'T BE A SUCCESS
"Me Should Adapt the Plan and Join
Hands to Make IL Co." saEs Com
Hlerrial Secretary.
By e.. L. Ni>bet,

ff1iitt> tb NthC ~ TO- r.tf> ttft-
Ilerrial Secretary.
b. &. l.. Nisbet.
Every one who has ever studied
common school geography remembers
the pictures illustrating the i've
races OF mankind and the four main
stages OF their development sum-
marized as savage. barbarian. civil
lied and enlightened. AS the stud
ent advances he begins TO understand
somewhat more the distinctions
which set OF one of these classes
from another. For the purpose OF
this brief argument We may omit the
first three classifieations and consider
for a moment the distinctive traits
OF enlightened peoples.
The dominating rule OF life of the
first four classes is based upon the
primaval law of the survival OF the
fittest. With them the strong live
at the expense of the weak. The rule
of enlightened peoples is based upon
the law of love: the weak live by
the help of the strong. This idea is
given expression in modern enlight-
ened countries by the care which the
state exercises over its unfortunates.
such as INDECENT insane. decrepit,
poverty stricken and fatherless. Ger
tain unenlightened countries enjoy as
high state of civilization as ours. but
lacking in the application of this rule
OF the stronger helping the weak.
they are making no progress and
have made none for centuries. But
| did not start out to discuss the
trend of civilization. but a topic of
much more local and specific interest.
Union county's citizenship is high
" enlightened. The policy of caring
for INDECENT aged and infirm Is evi-
denced by one of the best county
homes In the state. The sick will be
cared for in the hospital now near
ing completion. There remains the
grave problem OF the child without
father and mother. or in home unfit
for any child to live in. The solu-
tion of this problem Is at hand in
the establishment Of home at Mon
roe to care for such children. De-
tails Of the plan for this home have
not been made public. but the prop
osition Is for the county to buy or
lease property suitable for IT and its
operation will be by a board of trus-
tees in cooperation with the welfare
officer.
The idea is good. The plan Is
feasible. Our duty in the matter
seems plain: we should adopt the
plan and join hands 10 make II 90.
Personally, | think the property
should be bought by the county and
the Institution assured permanence
from the start. But the main thing
Is 10 get II. Obstacles will develop,
hnt none Of them will be insurmount-
able.
The past FIVE years with the COM
bination of war. influenza and num-
erous fatal accidents have filled the
orphanages OF the state and to every
application for the admission OF "a
child comes back the sad response
mo room. and so many appliea-
tions," Scarcely less pressing Is the
need for better surroundings Tor
many children whose fathers and
mothers are utterly unfit to rear
them. We have done well in provid-
ing for the aged at the county home,
but in these cases the individual
alone Is saved. No one can tell the
possibilities of child The result
OF saving child may be ten thou
sand lold that of redeeming an old
man. Scripture texts by the dozen>
could be quoted. II Common sense
were not sufficient to prove this.
When first suggested the idea OF
county children's home seemed i'm
practical to me, but | see no reason
why il should not be successful II
the Christian people of the commu-
nifty Join to make II so.