The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-01-03

The Cincinnati Gd:dte calls attention TO
the police reports as evidencing the decay
Of family discipline in cities and towns
Children are allowed license that once was
unknown, and the consequences are upon
society. They are allowed to lead compare
lively irresponsible lives-to read pretty
much what they please, and 10 go where
they please, even after night. Hence the
increase in juvenile depravity, and in all
sorts Of social evils, and in family unhap-
piness. Is there Il remedy2 The Ga:ctts
says that
The day is passing when the old-tash-
iOned unrestricted intimacy between boys
aud girls C,ln be considered us safe. The
fact is n melancholy evidence OF the de-
paHure Of former simplicity and virtue"
There is much in this for parents to pom
der One cause Of this melancholy state Of
things is thus stated by the Ga:atte:
at is too painfully obvious that boys
need TO be watched us much as girls. Pre-
Cocious dissipation, iostered by the reading
Of sensational and immoral stories, and
rendered possible by evenings passed from
home, exists TO degree that would fright
en- many easy going and unsuspiCious pa
rents. Others recognize the evil, but seem
utterly unable to deal with it, The chief
source Of trouble is the neglect OF the father
and mother 10 enforce the authority which
properly belongs 10 them, and which it is
their duty to exercise"
As showing TO what the absence Of prop
Cr iaIaiIy discipline leads the Ga:,tts men
} tions the following instance of wayward-
ness:
"a sad illustration OF the neglect to carry
out the latter part Of this injunction was
afforded in our local columns on Saturday
though the victim OF her headstrong
ways was in this case girl. A silly crea'
ture Of sixteen years, she came as near be
ing ruined as possible without reaching the
natural elimination OF her folly. She was
asked why she wandered off She replied:
"Well, thought it was good chance to
escape from home and my father" Did
he ever mistreat you in any way% "Oh,
no; but he scolds when run out late Ut
niErt-that is, he does not scold me SO
much, but he complains to mother about
my being out so late at night Now, do
not like this at all, as am sixteen years
old, and feel perfectly able to take cure oi
myself"
We have referred to this wretChed child
as the victim Of her headstrong ways, But
she is not alone to blame. She should
have been told TO stay at home, and com
PEELED to do SO. Fifty years ago her DISC
bedicncc would have brought upon her Q
sound whipping. Such discipline may, and
may not, be the best course to pursue. II
certainly would not be required If the girl
had been taught that she must be obedi'
cnt from her earliest years up. Her hom'
should have been made TO appear to hel
the happiest OF places, il possible. Yet /
she could not be convinced Of this, sht
shonld have been made to obey by force.
Among the remedial influences ant
agencies to be used to guard against thi
state Of affairs, the Gasetle suggests the fol
lowing:
"ltis high time that parents, cspeciall
city parents, should become the close OF
servers and vigilant and rigid directors 9
their childrens ways. We have no douh
that our Sunday school instruction ha
been made TO work badly through its at
ceptancc as substitute for the parents
trimming which should always accompan
II. The avenues to misconduct have won
.deriulIy multiplied OF late. II one pair c
eyes were formerly required to watch tn
ways Of young people, dozen are nol
needed. There should be n censorshi
over the books and papers that childre
read. The directors OF the Boston Publ
Library, impclled by the showing up Of tn
immoral works on its shelves by an INTEL
gent critic, have removed n large numbC
Of these books from circulation. The sam
thing should be done in Cincinnati, an
until the expugation has been complete
and even aitcr-parents would do we
to regulate their childrens reading.