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Show WOMAN'S EXPONENT. ... Woman's Exponent E2I3IELLXE 11. WELLS, Editor and Publisher AXXIE WELLS VAX XL) N, Assistant Editor. lNiMishp.l monthly in Salt Lake City, Utah. Terms: one copy one year, $1.00; one copy nix monthsU'-t-s- r No reduction made for clubs. City papers delivered by mail, extra for postage one year, 25 cts. ' Advertising rates: Each square, teu lines of space one tim $2.50; per month, $3.00. A liberal discount to regular advertisers. Exponent oflice rooms 28 and 2'J, 2nd floor Hi.hop's Business hours from BiHldJnjr, 40 North Main Street, 10 a. m. to 5 pm., every day, except Sunday. .Address all business communications to Jirs. K. n. WELLS, Salt Lake City, V tail , iiou-pari- i Office in SaU Lake City. lUah Knterjd at the Post matter. at ircond jrlass Salt Lake City, Utah 1911 Fehruaky, THE RISING GENERATION. The world outside, of the Church of Latter-day Sajnts is getting' very anxious about the youth of the. present (lay. Too much frivolity, extravagance and pleasure-seekinin andamong all classes of society, this is the opinion given in articles published in the best class of magazines by famous writers, and it is a subject discussed in the homes of the people and elsewhere. What shall be done to avert the danger? How areHhe- youftg peojfle tiHc convinced of the consequences of the course pursued by the majority of the boys and girls in their teens, or just past that stage ? To refer them back-tthe times gone by seems useless; when people do this, they subject themselves to ridicule of a very disagreeable nature, and do little, if any, good; but there must of . g, o r!7innr wnen. inev mane . vvv the mode of living, and of fashions' and to" the welfare practices as are detrimental' v of the human race. and repeated asked The question has been -- V'ls the quality of the human product rcallv falling off.". There is a sort of these picion in the minds of those who study matters scientifically that there is a material and change taking place in the physical life, constitution, as well as some serious delinhumiliquencies, and it is necessarily very ating to contemplate, and therefore high reformation should begin instead of time.-more and more fads. The causes of these things, if they do exist are too complicated to go into, in a brief nmnner, but to. the young people just coining on to the stage of action and who will have these things to meet, they will, if this be true, have very difficult problems to, solve. If higher standards of excellence are to prevail in business and in politics. then there must be wisdom, knowledge of affairs, fortitude, moral courage and earnestness of purpose brought to licar to effect the change; and Ls the training in colleges; universities, and commercial life today, the kind of essential discipline that will, help young men and women, (for it will need both men and women) to .fight the battle against these evils and corrupt practices that have been and are. undermining the types of American life. . Of course, the evidence of the facts that "th& hunTari pVodtfct is falling off," are not easily obtainable, and there must be positive and undeniable proofs if people are to take hold of so difficult a problem and attempt to renovate society and change, as it were, the very foundations on which human prostands today. It is a sort gress, not easily caught and held of under-currefor examination, yet palpably perceptible to the wise, the prudent and a old-fa-hion- so-calle- d, ed -- nt necessity eventually be a reform', and where or how will it be brought about. Vc- - are well aware that to attempt any "Some of the pleasures indulged in today criticism of the present educational system are , corroding to the taste-- to be obviously is to offend the dignitaries of colleges and frank they are, vulgarizing," so says one of universities the world over. Yet there arc :the modern authors. some men ,and even women, who are fearAgain it is stated, "Can anything avail to less enough to declare these things publicly. refine children whose tastes are formed by As an instance of the working out of some the colored supplements of Sunday papers, of the newest educational methods, one faas their taste in entertainment is shaped by mous writer, says; "T recall serving on a continuous vaudeville and the moving piccommittee to award prizes for the best es' ture shows." says in a certain competition .where the Are not these things potent factors in competitors were seniors in an accredited children's lives now, and it cannot fail to college. In despair at the material submit have an influence on plastic human material ted, the comrnittec was finally forced to unless some precaution is taken or some select as "best' the essay having powerful motive brought to bear in eradicatgrammatical errors and the smallest numing this pernicious evil tendency from their ber of misspelled words. The one theme tender minds. Formerly the' parents of which showed traces of thought was posithese children saw occasionally such fatively illiterate in expression' mous actors as Booth, Barrett and .Mod-jesk- a, The writer also remarks these are some and the play of Rip Van Winkle; of the minor indictments, but there are othnow their, children go to see vaudeville aler things that are not what has been ardenV most constantly. ly hoped for as the result of the "higher Fathers and mothers don't approve usu- education" of the present. The modern girls of,the children being so persistent about j are louder-voice- d and more pronounced in ally common ordinary shows, but they hate to everyXway, and their boy companions are have the children deprived of the pleasures rougher and more familiar than used to be the neighbors' children enjoy, arid are not As distasteful as these strong-mindethought well-bred enough to set the example last" 'mentioned things are they . perhaps and stand by their convictions. On some should not be considered ground for comthey are considerably conscientious plaint in those who are soon to be in full points about the children's teeth or. hair jorjonsils charge of the world, and as "a matter of etc, but the soul of the child that is most course every generation has a right to its precious is neglected or left to impressions' own code of manners and customs. that are more Possibly we of today are justified in crit- - those of the weakening and defaming than body. far-seein- g. -- i , the-fewes- d. ' x and higher education what are the results in real human improvement? How far have we advanced beyond our fathers? Is it hot a fact that the utmost that can be done for the child today will not counterbalance the ' disadvantages of modern conditions? Forging ahead at full speed materially, this generation is woefully dropping behind in many respects; The fundamental neglect now' is the edecation of the soul, and rapidly-growin- g this can only be effected by early religious training; this is what the people called Latter-day Saints are professedly trying to accomplish, but are wTe as a people earnestly striving, to Jceep alive the faith that will make the children of the day strong, those elements of character to meet' difficulties, the faith that has force and fortitude and is life capable of endurance and demands this now as much or perhaps even more than it ever, did before. Measure yourselves you young people by the highest standard of character, and make the ef life to reach it. Let it not be fort said of the young people in bur Giurch that they are markedly inferior to their grandfathers in every vvay, shallower, feebler, 'more flippant, less efficient physically and even mentally though their work has been more, with books and their grandfathers with flocks and herds or in the wood or self-deni- al, of-you- r fields.,. One writer tells of a young man who was horrified on its being suggested to him that he "might have to" care for his parents in their old age. "It would interfere too much," he said, "with his conception of working out his career." Afraid of responsibility, such words as character and duty convey nothing to young, people of this type." ' Is it not true that in former days when there was more work and less amusement, that people w ere better discjplined and there "was"more "growth and developmnet of the soul? Experience and pain have. in them great possibilities for solving the problems of life, or of selfhood, the great creative elements in personality are responsibility and suffering. The raw material of the, workman must have the hammer, the chisel, and the drill. It is obvious n.cn and women are here to make something of life; the whole matter is simple if we look at it properly and adjust ourselves to conditions instead of rebeling and making life, harder and more difficult by maintaining the dignity of the situation in which we find ourselves left to work out some of life's prob. lems." One of the common sayings of the young people nowadays, is that "life is not worth living if you can't have what you Want, and go where you please." The books of New England life in the early half of the nineteenth century were wholesome readimr. some of these are incompaf able text books on the art of living, .the habits and virtues of plain living, high thinking,. and purposeful lives. The men and women of that day gloried in responsibility. It seems the world is very much alive just now, and there is a fine chance for the young people to make a good fight for the right, and win against the heavy odds at work to destroy the better elements of character. The children of this people called Latterday Saints should grow up with the distinction of the highest spiritual-trainin- g, old-fashion- ed . - - ' |