The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-11-21
RADROYB.
20. tAe Rea.olagA .Agald.

From ne Weftfble0f Herald - I
It has been the complaint OF every
generation from the days of the paln'
headed prophet of old, for insnlHpe
whom, q whole school full of urcnins
were made bearmeat of, TO this day. that
each generation of boys Is worse thAn
its predecessor. without7claimtng any
special merit for the boys OF this gehest
alton, we don't believe the doc a-Ill.
From the earliest record they nave Ds ~
bad, as the infant Cain Is 9 me t1Ns.
example, but We don't believe they, are
any worse now than at any previous
era, nor that the breed Is likely 70 LODE oe
Improved by treating them as II they
were. -. to- ,,is.
chief sometimes they go into 1t be.
cause they like 1t, sometimes they ses
times thew knRw It and can't hell IL
II does not follow though, that becapse
hovs saen 10 banker after that Whlcn %
forbidden, they are therefore beyonu
hope OF redemption. Neither when Lns
mischief is indefensible, is II rtght1 t iia
all Participators In 1t, should % tns ..is
crfminately condemned. Ihey sho1ie4
be treated with Judgment ana oiscEit u
iDatIon. One boy requires to pc ireateo
like n gentleman, another TO De tnra5n-
ed somethinE like a horse; accorulng
as his susceptibility lies in his moe, OF
in his sense of honor and consclence,in
order best TO curb what Is eNIl, hn ti. oe-
yelop what is good in him.. Discipline,
Ia he effectualt should be wisalas well
a. severe, and generally it will etect
reformation. Occasionally, acase oc-
curs OF a boy being set apart from
babyhood for the gAllows1-predesttna-
ted as it were for some bad end and In
this case, neither PARENTAL or any other
kind of control, seems to amounsito
much. But such cases are compara.
lively rare. In the great majority OF
cases, If parents are anything like
what they should be, and treat their
boys anything like they should, boys
may be controlled and be kept reason
ably within the straight and narrow
path.
Inthe generality of cases, 1t Is proba-
BILE, parents. or where they haye no
parents, society is more to blame than
the boys.
Boys, like men, are very much crea-
lures of imitation, steering this way
or that, according as outside impulses
have been toward the good or4bad side
of the channel. If parents, or elders
indulge in that which is not exactly
right, the boy is very apt to sep it, and
il seems in such cases, that Il lis much
easier TO follow suit, than not TO. Bad
example is very readily followed, We
all know that, man as we'll as boy. 1t
sometimes requires an effort for the
best of US, to 90 that which iS right and
commendable, while that which is
wrong, seems almost to1o itself. Let
us then be considerate toward the boys,
who may not have our experience or
strength of resistanceg Let people who
have outgrown their roundabouts, set
better examples themselves, and not
turn up their pious eyes In despair of
the future ofthe race. u-5 --t9 ,
Let the elders, those who are not par
ents, as we'll as those who are, do their
duty by the boys, and ten chances TO
one the boys will come out, If not all
right, NJ least, as creditably, las they
haveidone.
Let old men keep away from dogger-
les and middle aged men likewise. Let
men of sense, put brides on their
tongues, and swear and blaekguard
less. Let us have less qnarrelling and
less CAB, less lying and detraction. Lei
sticks, chewing tobacco, and talking
Sunday, 'on the street corners, in the
ears of half grown boys, regularly at
tend Church, iffonly. for the looks OF
the thing, Let them take their boys
with them, and these latter Will not be
roaming the country, or robbinR
orchards. The DEVILS congregation
will thereby be that much diminished
and neither old man or boy, be serf,
ously set back by what they hear OF
see. s-l 20 li3tt!
In short, to wind up our sermon, lie,
men take in a reef or SO in their OWE
evil courses, and we can talk with
a better grace about total depraYitJ
among the boys.
q