The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-02-26

( Washington County, whose appeal to
ng's Journal.
the standard for parents, morally and
financially, has usurped one OF the
sacred functions that belongs TO every
| mother The government, I have been
! told, is founded on the family rela-
ton, the home, yet the most sacred
! ties are broken up by these methods
adopted by the Children's Home So
ciety OF Florida. If poor people, or
people whom the Children's Home So
ciety do not think are fit to take care
of their children, or because they are
poor, and because rich people can give
| them a finer home can take my chill
! dren, how soon will It be. mothers and
fathers OF Escambia county, before the
Children's Home Society of Florida
will invade your home and take your
babies from your arms, and your loved
ones from your firesides? Is It pos
sible that our state and the law is now
going to invade our very homes? I
was taught to believe that mothers
love was the first that a child should
have; that a strangers care was not
equal to mothers love even though
the mother be poor, but the Children's
Home Society thinks. differently.
/ do not believe that the court will
ever sanction this principle or deprive
parent Of the custody of its child
merely because on financial or other
grounds a stranger might better pro-
vide. Don't you think that nature de-
mands that the right shall be in the
mother to have her children? Surely
the law does not make the Children's
Home Society the guardian of all the
children OF the state with power to
take them from their parents, so long
as they discharge their duties, and
give them to a stranger, simply be-
cause stranger may be able to pro-
vide finer clothing, or richer food and
fine automobiles to ride in. / believe
If this Were the law and the rule. the
good people of Escambia county would
not stand for it, very long. Isn't 1t
your experience mothers, that wealth.
especially when coupled with indul-
gence. is not conducive to a useful ed
ucatfon and foundation of the best
character2
The maternal instinct can generally
be relied upon to protect the child far
better than strangers who act simply
from cold and unsympathetic feel
ing or duty to society. A mothers
heart Is bigger than any strangers
heart. How far will you GO mothers,
for your child? Don't you think you
would go farther than a stranger?
l submit that the best part of the |
cniids education is not obtained at
some ideal society institution. begin |
ming with the kindergarten and end |
ing with university, but generally at |
the hearthstone OF its family. The /
weirare OF the child not only includes |
the training OF its head but includes
the training of it's heart. The home /
lie In the family circle where the /
mother and father and children are
gathered together. is the life that is
taught in the Bible. The command
ment Honor thy father and. thy
mother is a commandment fol-
lowed by promise OF peculiar value
In determining the welfare of the child.
Now mothers and fathers of Escam-
oia county. have laid before you my
case. i am deprived Of my children.
am not permitted to visit them in
the homes OF these people Of society
and a1fluenee. ] am not a welcome
visitor to the side OF the automobile
parked on Palafox street when I see
my little girls and attempt to speak
TO them. The other day / walked over
TO the automobile and spoke to my lit
tie girl, Mary Elizabeth, and asked
her If she knew her mother, and she |
said was not her mother, that her
mother had gone across the street,
the lady who has her in
charge. / am appealing to you. the
good mothers OF Escambia county. 70
come to my aid and help me in this
light TO gain possession of the richest
treasure that God ever gave to q