Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1876-12-22
ABOUT .OUR D0Ys."


ainia are being awakened to a move
ment toward solving the mooted
problem Is to what shall b done
with .our boys" There are some
boys in Virginia who rightfally come
within the range Of that problem
and who appeal quite forcibly to
older heads for ITS solution. The old
heads elsewhere have been at work,
without, 90 far as we know. any very
encouraging result. This. however,
does not argue against the possibility
OF arriving ultimately at some method
for the redemption Of youngsters on
the high road 90 moral destruction
and the bettering thereby OF the
whole community.
The Grand Jury of Storey county
have recon mended the establishing
Of = Reformato.y School, and the
papers there JOIN in the recommends
ton. An institution Of that kind
may be necessary. Ii it be estab-
lished it h ,uld lnciude the care of
confirmed inebriates rs we'll ~ of re-
frsctory boys. This class of persons
require for their own benetit and for
Che benefit of others {, be removed
to seclusion and cared for With = view
to their reformation. But the great
problem is tina, of the boys. Their
proper rearing effects not only the
presen, generation, but future gene
ya,ions also. The solution Of the
question is simply as to how far the
Law shall trench upon the liberty OF
parents. Iuxsmuch AS the matter
effects the future Of the State, ind,-
vidual liberty should be made to
Weld to the general welfare, and the
law should provide restraints snd
methods OF proper instruction.
Here lies the roo, OF the problem.
The boys eau be reared t. manhood
ia the paths of rec;itude, The power
to do il lies somewhere. II il does
not lie with parents, as l, manitestiy
does not. then il lies with the State,
and the State should exercise II.
Such ordinances AS that passed in
Virginia recently with reference to
boys on the street after certain hour
OF the night are good. They inter
fere with the rights Of parents, at
least with the rights they have here
tofore exercised, but their authority
was insaequate. Just 81 far as the
parents are unequal to the perform
ance of their duty must the govern
meut exercise its power. The sensi-
bihties of parents, too, and their con-
venience and feelings, should he made
1, yield in view of the greater bene-
fits to come in time and the possible
chances of arriving at a condition
where the stringency Of the Law nigh,
be relaxed through the advantages OF
its own operation. Compulsory at
tendance at school, behavior in pub
lie, the keeping of good hours, all
the morals OF the youth may be reg
ula,ed BY statute. Where discipline
is wanting at home it can be enforced
abroad by the proper regulations. In
short. II Is manifest that where the
character Of the children or the char
scter of the parents is such that the
home government is Insufficient, the
State must attend to the case. Re
fosmatory schools Is step in that
direction.
But on this coast there 10 q special
obstacle in the way Of the boys. All
she avenues of employment, which
elsewhere are theirs almost exclu.
siveiy, here are filed BY Cinnamon
The Cinnamon must be rooted oui
before the boys and girls viii ever be
anything like what they should be,
Reformatory schools IN the contrary
notwithstanding. The rigid rules OF
trades unions with respect to appren-
tees is nothing compared to tins
obstacle, although II Is clog
in the social machinery and M
injustice. 10 not get the carl
before the horse and Say that the
boys are too bad and unreliable
to take the place Of the Chinese, but
remember that their badness and MI.
reliability is result Of the Chinese
presence herr, aud not cause. There
lies the chief root Of the evil on the
N~~sA~