Are You Fighting for Your Children?
By M. Bessie De Graw
BEFORE a large company of teachers stood an influential man, and speaking of the needs of the children, he uttered the following thrilling words: “Men of the North, men of the South, women of both sections, why sit we here idle when the struggle calls us to the fight? In those days of 1861 to 1865 what were you doing? In all this splendid Southland of ours there was the sound of marching troops, and the martial drumbeat, and the tears of our women watered the land. They gave up all that they had. They sacrificed every dollar, everything of value. They laid aside the things which belonged to the life of luxury and refinement, and the circumstances under which they had been born and reared, and took up the labors of the field and of the factory,—and we sent more men to the front than we had voters in the State. What were we fighting for? . . . You were fighting for your children. If you gave in war the lives of your men and the destruction of your homes, now that the union has been preserved, and the negro has been freed, and we have achieved a more glorious independence in the South than we had ever enjoyed, what hinders it that we sacrifice the time and money that are necessary , and to build up the rural schools in these States?” This was Governor Aycock, of North Carolina. The hearts of men who had fought in war thrilled as they heard these words. Teachers responded to the call. The South is making a strenuous effort to educate its children. Men have been willing, as the governor says, to sacrifice their lives for their children. Women, in the great struggle between the North and the South, “gave up all that they had. They sacrificed every dollar, everything of value. They laid aside the things which belonged to the life of luxury and refinement, and the circumstances under which they had been born and reared,” in order to save their children. To-day the children of our denomination are being rapidly swept away. One of our own workers, who stands in a position to see what is actually occurring, says, “I never saw a time when it seemed so hard to plan definitely for our Sabbath-keeping children and young people. Every possible excuse is offered to keep workers from laboring for them. I think that in the past two years there has been a steady drift of our young people into the world, and that in a more marked degree than our own people realize. We have made but puny efforts. With all that has been done to establish church schools and other means for holding our young people and children, it seems to me that there must be a more gigantic and universal movement on the part of all the workers before we can hope to accomplish much. “I have wondered many times if in this great movement toward the outposts [in behalf of foreign missions] there was not danger in forgetting just as important things at home.” Discourage foreign missions?—Not for one moment. But while sending our forces into foreign countries, what provisions are we making to recruit the army? It is hard to find workers now to fill the calls. The supply is decidedly limited. What shall we do when this supply is exhausted? Answer the question for yourself. What are we doing to keep up the supply? We have been told definitely that in the youth is the future hope of the missionary work, and yet to-day hundreds of our youth are drifting into the world. It cannot be otherwise; for their education is conducted by teachers of the world, and if its teachers have any influence at all, the children must go with them into the world. We say that we are establishing great schools, and yet in the words of the worker just quoted, our efforts have been puny. Unless there is a general uprising on the part of all our workers in behalf of the children, what can we do? If the nation calls for help, every man, woman, and child is willing to sacrifice. A cry is going heavenward, and yet we sit still. The condition is deplorable. How long will heaven bear with us?