San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-04-16
OVERCOME AUTHORITY"

OVEK-DONE AUlHONllf
Where is the barefoot bow OF yester-
year: If he is to be found at all, the
back alleys of districts where s}ualor
reigns, or neighborhoods forbidden to the
children of the respectable, constitute
his range. That is, so far as the city
is concerned. Yet even in the country
he is few and far between. AT the little
Red Schoolhouse-if there be any left
there are not many modern counter
parts of the youngster that helped to
make Whittier famous. Why:
There are various reasons, some OF
them indefinable But very definite
reason for the fact that the barefoot
boy of earlier days is now extinct is
made plain in a dispatch from Boston
which reports the action of school au-
thorities of that city in promulgating
rule of forbiddance. Three boys. the
dispatch says, appeared at certain school
there. sans shoes and stockings. The
first heralds OF spring were in the trees
The grass was peeping through the
ground that was frozen but yesterday
Brooks were running again after spell
OF icy inactivity. The April sun was
warming the water in the swimming
holes. And the boys, no doubt, heard
the call that has fallen upon the ears
OF their kind since man learned the vir-
tues OF water.
But the boys, shoelcss, with their
shins and knees exposed to more than
the zephyrs, created a scandal. The
teachers were Mortified. Decency for
bid such sights!
| The youngsters saw no harm in com.
ing to school in the way their forbcars
They enjoyed the sensation that comes
OF touching tender feet to hard earth
So, they pcrsisted-and were expelled
The higher authorities were appealed to
since the teachers themselves had nc
control over the recalcitrants. And the
higher authorities decreed that the bare.
foot boys must not be permitted to asso
ciate with the respectable children o.
unctious patrons.
But Boston is not the only place
where intolerance has shown its ugly
head. Nor is it the only place where
school teachers have lost the powel
to control those to whom they under
take to play the role OF mentors. O
course there are some things done by
present-day school boys and girls which
are not in the book OF good conduct
But how come? Is it simply bccaus,
modern students suddenly decided to b.
intractible?
Most plausibly, if not altogether oh
viously, it is because authorities" O
various kinds. including some schoo
teachers, have undertaken 10 go beyon,
, the limits Of common sense and natura
laws in showing their authority The,
display the spirit of those who prcacl
the bluc-sky philosophy. But they Cal
60 so far and no farther. When tn
limit of their proper authority is ex
ceeded, they forfeit the respect of thos
over whom they would domineer.
Recently the Supreme Court OF Ar
kansas was called upon to decide whetfl
er girl who insisted upon powderin
her face could lawfully be exclude
| from a. schol whose authorities had for
hidden that practice among its stadent.
The court ruled, and probably right
from the legal standpoint, that tn
school authorities had right to impos
: such forbiddance.
a score of years ago there would hav
J., been no trouble over such an incident
r for the simple reason, however, ths
] there wowld have been no such incidcn
Students respected and obeyed the
: teachers-because the teachers. as
c class, did nothing to merit the student
: disrespcct; they did not undertake to s
t beyond their proper sphere as scho
r, teachers. Matters of dress, within n
= son, OF course, were left 10 the parent
d a. few days ago school, authoriti
'-Iof San Antonio had to enlist the a