Striking Children

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jun 10, 1913

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 40, No. 23.

Striking Children

The school children in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, have conducted a strike that had all the characteristics of the strikes of the grown-ups. They had their parades which tied up the traffic and necessitated a call for the police reserves. They had the inflammatory banners denouncing an obnoxious superintendent, and in every way behaved as tho they were a juvenile branch of the I. W. W.

In New York also 1,500 school children have struck in one of the high schools. On May 9 they won a recognition of their cause, and promises of consideration of their grievances. The students wrecked the basement of the dining-room as a protest against the poor ventilation and the quality of the fare. They said also that they were dissatisfied with the same old songs sung every day, and wanted livelier music. We have had thousands of incidents of this character during recent years among the grown-ups, but the contagion seems to be spreading very rapidly to the children and young men and women.

The New York World suggests that in the olden days a little vigorous spanking would have prevented such a demonstration of school children. But the World further adds that “that kind of interference would nowadays be ‘unfair,’ and any attempt at parental control would doubtless result in an application to the nearest children’s court for an injunction.” Paul’s second letter to Timothy, the third chapter, specifies quite a large number of things that will make the last days perilous, and among them is that of disobedience to parents. The general lawlessness of this age has spread to the children; and what will be the condition if time lasts long enough for these children to assume their place in the active management of the affairs of the world?