Daily Republican., 1880-01-17
Juyenile Depravity.

come 70 US ulleu VIVA
| by boys and girls not yet fairiy 0a' U
childhood, and for us to be remihueO
that our own city is not an exception
We have but to call to mind the norm
bls prc fame language that We hear along
1.-THE streets and which come from youIh
nl Ii 8. A few days ago gang oi boyl
as discovered in Chicago who had form
ed themselves into an association ioi
purposes Of burglary and arson, and
those lads belonged to respectable fam
lilies, who were not driven to theft by
any need Of money. So too in North
Adams some two weeks ago, boy ol
fourteen deliberately shot his compan-
ion through the head, not being in q
rage at the time, but doing it through
mere bravadO. 1t has not been long
since another lad in Pennsylvania poi
soned his whole family, still another
coolly beat out the brains Of his gray
haired father, while girl comparatively,
in Lancaster county poisoned her step
mother and sister. With such startling
facts as these staring us in the face, we
may well pause with astonishment and
look around to see who is to blame.
Many of the leading newspapers, secular
and religious, call attention to the facts
We have noted and each appears to have
some theory to offer differing from ths
ether as to the cause. Judging from
all external appearances we might be
justified in the conclusion that children
are in the present generation born more
wicked than in the last, or parents are
cruelty lax in their indulgent method
of training. One thing is very certain,
boys and girls are allowed to read too
many cheap novels and flash stories,
and to 60 to the low dance halls or va
riety theatres. 1t will be remembered
that not long ago the observant Mayor
Stokley, of Philadelphia, attributed
the frightfal increase in Juvenile crime
and depravity in late years to the causes
we have named. Now there can bs no
doubt that the newspapers are measur-
ably right in each of these guesses.
With each generation Americans ap-
pear to be born more nervous, irritable
and hungry for excitement.
Busy parents, too often throw their
sons and even their daughters morally
on there own feet and leave them to
find the shortest road to happiness or
misery as they choose. Nothing can be
more pernicious in its effects on an
immature brain than the flash novels
and burlesque nastiness of the lower
class Of theatres, and here We should
say that even what is called the higher |
class of theatres should be INDUCED in
very sparingly. If the boys of the pres
ent day turn burglars and murderers
and the girls sink to the lowest depths
of infamy it will be largely owing to
the fact that burglary and crime of the
basestikind has been worked over, dish
ed up aud served out to them in perni- |
cious dime novels and other fashy |
literature of the day, so pernicious that
the moment it enters into family of |
promising boys and girls that it becomes
q moral pestilence. There is absolutely |
no apology for this broadcast pernicious
publication of illustrated crime. The
passing notice in the local papers is
quite sufficient without the fashy en-
bellishments made to captivate youth
fal minds and lead them downward on
he road to ruin. The apologists for
such publications tell us that they de-
ineate life and the offenders being put
DC trial before the bar of public opin-
on, create moral sentiment against
rhine. Nothing can be more insincere
than this fimsy excuse. The sole rea-
,on why such pernicious stuff is pub
ished and spread broad cast over the
and is because the morbid appetite
raves it and is willing to pay for it.
he evil is growing one even here in
Wilmington, and if by this article we
hall succeed in attracting the attention
f parents to the evils referred to and
hereby induce them to exercise a more .
7atchful care over their boys and girls,
hecking them in the downward course
pom which they may bs about enter ,
ng, we shall rest satisfied that we have
erfOrmed needed dnty and have
one some good. t