Evening star., 1923-09-16

Lalk on ODeolenc0s t1ere II
IL is. / have argued both for and
against obediance. That's really
the only wsy TO get at the truth OF
any subject.
Come along with me, Pal. into
one OF those homes you know. You've
met Effle, haven't you? Effie Ruther-
ford, who doesn't believe in spanking
children. And young Bill, aged six,
who quite agrees with mother that
children shouldn't be spanked. Here's
cross section OF a day in the
Rutherford home:
"Just wait until your father comes
home!" storms Efie. Little Bill waits
and nothing happens. That particu-
lar threat has become a dud as far as
little Bill is concerned. He doesn't
know why his mamma should say
he escapes unscathed, he should
worryi
You're a bad. bad. bad boy and
mamma doesn't love you any more!"
walls Efhe. But little Bill, being
comfortably stuffed with the forbid
den layer cake. doesn't care much
whether mamma loves him or not.
Moreover, ne knows she'll be kissing
him In another minute, regardless of
her previous statement
I'll not take you down town with
meiv shoe cries--and takes him. She
knew all the time she'd take him.
because she has nowhere to leave him.
Little Bill also knows this fact as
well as she. Mothers biuffing-that's
ALL Little Bill Is well peased with a
world In which mothers bluff and little
boys do as they wish.
Efie '1oves little Bill too much"
to punish him when he siessn't come
In when he is called. when he tosen't
pick up his scattered toys, when he
wantoniy breaks her vase, when he
sasses back. Hes so little that he'll
outgrow all that" But he dosen't
outgrow all that. Why should he?
It's much easier and jollier to do as
| one pIeases. and since no unpleasant
| consequences follow. why change?
+ * -
IDUT the world isn't going to excuse
/
obeys and misbehaves. The world isn't
| going to plead, threaten. scold and
caiole, and then withhold its punish
ment. In years TO come when Bill loafs
and wastes. is unpunctua1 and untidy,
destructive and rude. he's going to
| lose his job and go hungry until he
gets another. 1t he's too destructive,
and too rude to the wrong people he's
going to be fned. II that doesn't cure
him, he'll be up against harder meth
DDS. II he steals he'll be jailed. If in
temper he kills. he'll be hanged.
And the world won't consider his
feelings while doing these things
either.
Does such a sequel to a 1ittel boys
naughtiness seem over-colored? It
isn't over-colored. It's the natural
result of an untethered spirit.
The basis of all social order is obe-
dience. without It, each man is a saw
age tribe unto himself.
Sin is simply q disregard OF duty
your duty to yourself or someone
observation-disclosures to established law.
often, taken by themselves, the acts
which constitute sin are quite HARM
less. But their reaction on society at
large isn't harmless. A man succeeds
or falls as he learns such considera-
ton and adoption. And there is only
one time when he can learn il with
the greatest ease and the fewest mis-
| takes. That time is childhood.
The mind OF q child Is q plastic
medium. The old analogy OF the ''bent
| twig" is literally true. AS a chlld's
bones are easily Strengthened or de-
/ formed, so Is a child's mind. He takes
| shape easily. But the shape he takes,
he keeps. 1t is harder every year to
undo the warping, just as IL Is hard
er to straighten out an old tree than
a young one.
] \ X r X
THAT'S the why and wherefore of
| l. obedience On the other hand
I Consider Clarence. Little Clarence
has a customAbuilt character. From
his first conscious moment he has
been trained to jump like a little
dog at the word OF command. "His
not to reason why. his but to do or
| die" To argue over the case is
considered quite as frightful by Clar-
ence's parents as actual disobedience,
They cherish obedience for its own
sake, not for the good 1t produces,
| But obedience for it's own sake is
! apt to be one of the deadliest expert
ences that can happen TO human be-
ing.
Clarence's mama and papa are not
training Clarence to cope with the
! world. They are simply training Clar-
ence to cope with mama and papa
and he won't be worth two boots
when mama and papa release their
! strangle hold. The self-righteous
glow they feel is not the result OF
doing their duty, but merely the
ecstasy of bosslng. Such mamas and
papas are just about as much credit
to this country as the slave drivers
OF the old regime. And they turn out
as pitiful and stupid a product.
"well. what Is right?" you cry
I"According to you. children go to tbs