368 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



them were due to race hatred pure and 

 simple. So frequent an<1 so cruel have 

 these affairs become in Georgia that it is 

 time for the better element in the state 

 to rise in its might and suppress the lower 

 one the perpetrators of such dastardly 

 deeds Hon. Dupont Guerny, of Macon, 

 Ga.. says in this connection: 



"Lynching once established readily 

 extends to crimes not originally con- 

 templated, and, unless restrained, ult- 

 imately to acts of crimes." 



The Chicago Tribune says: "The 

 problem which the people of Georgia 

 must solve is not the amendment of the 

 law. There is law enough and it is strong 

 enough, but the law-abiding people must 

 give it their moral support to make it 

 effective in securing the obedience if not 

 the respect of the depraved of both races, 

 for every time they defend or apologize 

 for a lynching, to that extent they still 

 further weaken the law. If the people of 

 that state are wise they will give heed to 

 Mr. Guerry's words: "Mob violence, in- 

 stead of being better or a substitute for 

 law, is but crime itself; crime set off 

 against crime; crime that diminishes 

 respect for all law among all people and 

 thereby multiplies the violations of all 

 law, human and divine." 



A writer 'has come to the 



A Good 



Word for front with a good word for the 

 the Child. American child. A rare cir- 

 cumstance in view of the fact that the 

 public in general holds up its hands in 

 holy horror at the youngsters of this 

 country. They are as a rule considered a 

 mixture of impudence and precociousness 

 tolerated by their immediate family, 

 tabooed by boarding houses and landlords 

 and regarded as a necessary evil by 

 "grown-ups." If, then, some one rises in 

 their defense it is well to listen, especially 

 as the arguments advanced are such 

 logical ones. The writer in question, 

 Charlotte Perkins Stetson in a recent 

 issue of the Saturday Evening Post, after 

 acknowledging that American children 

 as a rule are lacking in reverence, are 

 forward and often impudent; with little if 

 any restraint at home, draws attention 1o 

 the fact that they develope into more law- 

 abiding citizens, and are better men and 



women than those of any other country. 

 As children they are subjected to less 

 restraint and are impatient of correction 

 but as they grow older they are patient, 

 even under imposition. The writer holds 

 that the "Old Adam" must break out in 

 .us sooner or later and that the rebellious 

 nature of the child brought up in an 

 atmosphere of repression and restraint, 

 breaks into revolt and anarchy in the 

 adult. We learn by experience and "for- 

 get wisdom" is the best, so the child, 

 brought up in the free atmosphere of the 

 American home is early taught to rely on 

 his own judgment; he learns from his 

 mistakes, and is good from the love of 

 goodness, not from fear. 



Through the process of this gradual 

 growth, the period of his education at the 

 famous school of experience is such a trial 

 to his friends and relatives as to make 

 them wish he might be "brought up in a 

 barrel and fed through the bung-hole 

 until 18 years of age," yet it is good for 

 the child and helps to mould him into a 

 reasoning, fair minded citizen, who does 

 right because it is right, not because he 

 has been forced to do it. 



The famous actress, Olga 

 Example. Nethersole, has followed the 



example of many illustrious 

 predecessors of planting a tree in Tower 

 Grove Park, St. Louis, near the statue of 

 Shakespear. Around this statue, there is 

 now quite a little grove planted by mem- 

 bers of the dramatic profession and very 

 appropriately christened "The Forest of 

 Arden. " Aside from its beauty, the grove 

 holds a romantic interest, each tree being 

 planted by some famous actor or actress, 

 who thus testified their admiration for 

 the great dramatist. This is a beautiful 

 idea and one that might be advantage- 

 ously followed by ordinary mortals. If 

 the farmer would plant a tree to com- 

 memorate the important events of his life, 

 his old age might be spent beneath the 

 shade of stalwart trees and the bare 

 desolate yards, now so common, would be 

 seldom seen. The question often occurs 

 "Why do country dwellers take so little 

 advantage of their opportunities':"' A 

 farmer may have acres and acres of land; 

 yet his house will be small and his fan.il/ 



