Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1925-10-02

Sunday School picnic, or a days out
ing on the Thames.
An inexcusable crime Of the state in
not allowing adequate pnsions for
mothers who are making every honest
effort to rear their children is illus
trated in the story of MIS-. Alma
Kirby, which appeared in the columns
of the News Gazette last Friday.
According to the news story Mrs.
Kirby had the misfortune which any
married woman may have, of losing
her husband by death following a
long illness which took practically all
of their small savings. Since then
she has tried by every honest means
within her power to keep the little
family together. Failing here she
moved to southern Illinois to act rs
housekeeper for a family, losing the
small pension which had previously
been allowed her.
Upon her return red-tape prevented
her reinstatement on the pension list.
Then to cap the climax insanity pro-
ceedings were started against her in
the county court but apparently were
never completed owing to her removal
again from the community.
Practically penniless the probation
officer found her, the children clinging
to her and begging not to be taken
from her. Officers decreed that the
children should be placed in the
Huling home and Mrs. Kirby was per
suaded to continue her work in the
hope of eventually bringing the little
family together again.
But the family is broken up. A
mothers heartstings are torn in
twain. The children are motherless.
We do not doubt that the authorities
have done all they could for her, nor
that they have acted as wisely as the
present law will permit, nor do we
doubt that those who have contributed
to her efforts to hold the little family
together have been sincere. But for
lack of proper financial protection for
widowed mothers all efforts, however
sincere, have been futile in her case.
1t is not a thought TO occasion sur
prise that her mind could easily have
become unbalanced under the tension
of her peculiar and trying reverses.
1t is on the contrary remarkable that
she is not now in hospital for the
insane.
OF the merits of this particular
case The Review is unacquainted.
But we are acquainted with the in
fact that such unfortunate
mothers, who are victims of great
loss, are held in contempt by the laws
of the state, and are compelled to
bear burden that is unjustified when
viewed from any angle.
Theer is absolutely no excuse for
this state not pensioning such widowed
mothers adequately and that means to
point that for man would mean
"a competence so long as the need of
help continued. Instead the state
turns this responsibility largely over
to the charitable associations who pro-
vide only the absolute necessities
Such mothers and such children are
entitled to comforts equal to those
enjoyed by the more prosperous, i'm
stead of being Inundated through the
necessity of having to accept the
meagre living We give them through
charity,
Organized Labor has fought this
disgraceful neglect and will continue
to fight it until the wealthy state OF
Illinois awakes to its inexcusable
indifference.
We repeat, we are not familiar Will
all the circumstances in this particu
lar case, but the principle involved
suggests a step that the great state oil
Illinois should take without hesitating
or beating about the bush longer