The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1944-06-01
FOR WOMEN ONLY
BY RUTH TAYLOR

One day out in the Middle West !
was scheduled to speak to womens
club on fighting ideals" But unfor-
tunately at the luncheon before the
meeting ! happened to tell few in
cidcnts dating from my days as an
editor Of a fashion magazine. Immc-
diately | was asked to change my
topic to How to become a fashion
expert"
1t was rather a bad break for any
speaker. didn't know how to say no
and yet | did feel that the question
Of democratic ideals was more impor-
tant than fashions. SO | compro-
missed.
| talked first about fashions and
then I said, "Now if | had told you
of some new styles, you could have
made it the vogue here in your town
because you set the fashions. There
fore ! say to you-if there is hatred,
prejudice, i'll will among the youth of
this town, it is your fault-becausc
you could make it the fashion to be
kind"
Maybe that was prcachy, which is
something | try to avoid doing q
don't like women preachers cither).
but it is a subject that is so close to
my heart that III have to ask you to
bear with me.
1t is because the women of the
community, the mothers, have this
tremendous power of leadership that
their responsibility is so great. Train
ing in fricndlncSs must begin at
home Training in fair play must be-
gin at home. But all that any woman
has to do is to train one family for
life--train one family in understand
ing, And the first thing to do is to
begin at homc-with ourselves.
Let no child hear you speak un-
fairly show hatred or prejudice for
any group. Let no child sec you act
unfairly or with discrimination. This
does not mean wholesale opening Of
the doors Of your home. 1t does mean
demonstrating that you can respect
people and be fair to them. without
living with them or making them your
personal friends
Don't be patronizing don't teach
Il child to he kind to "poor" people.
Teach him to be kind-pcriod Half
the class consciousness of this coun-
try would vanish if we would stop
being charitable to the poor, trucu-
lent and "standoffiSh" to the rich.
You must make your children thor
oughly aware of the fact that hates
and preiudices arc things not toler-
atcd by anyone of good breeding. any
more than eating peas with a knife,
that sort Of thing Just isn't done by
ladies or gentlemen in America.
1t cant be done? Nonsense! There
isn't a woman among you who doesn't
know that YOU can make anything
he fashion, anything the habit
A child who hears no swearing, does
not swear A child who is taught po-
likeness by example and precept, Is
polite in times of strain. You do not
allow your children to play with those
children who habitually lie. or steal
or use bad language. Why let your
children be exposed to contact with
the diseased minds Of those who arc
intolerant or who hate?
There is a way that YOU and
can help to wipe out prejudice. We
can control hatred at its very source
and substitute good feeling and I'M
Outstanding. We can do more to in
fuencc our children than any other
group. We must teach them the fall
lacy Of hatred. the peril Of prejudice,
the deadly evil of CONGRATULATIONS.
Only in this way can VIC conquer the
virus of group thinking, which has
been the source of wars since the be
ginning Of time.