can, to smash what it dislikes and can, and generally to behave in an
altogether unaccountable manner within the limits imposed by the similar
rights of its neighbors. And the rights of society over it clearly
extend to requiring it to qualify itself to live in society without
wasting other peoples time: that is, it must know the rules of the road,
be able to read placards and proclamations, fill voting papers, compose
and send letters and telegrams, purchase food and clothing and
railway tickets for itself, count money and give and take change, and,
generally, know how many beans made five. It must know some law, were it
only a simple set of commandments, some political economy, agriculture
enough to shut the gates of fields with cattle in them and not to
trample on growing crops, sanitation enough not to defile its haunts,
and religion enough to have some idea of why it is allowed its rights
and why it must respect the rights of others. And the rest of its
education must consist of anything else it can pick up; for beyond this
society cannot go with any certainty, and indeed can only go this far
rather apologetically and provisionally, as doing the best it can on
very uncertain ground.




Should Children Earn their Living?

Now comes the question how far children should be asked to contribute
to the support of the community. In approaching it we must put aside
the considerations that now induce all humane and thoughtful political
students to agitate for the uncompromising abolition of child labor
under our capitalist system. It is not the least of the curses of that
system that it will bequeath to future generations a mass of legislation