Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1882-04-14
A NEW REFORM NECESSARY,


lNltNcihhu ithuy AtcHeN
Mnch hae been said concerning social
reforms in Cleveland, OF late, and the ngi
tation has resulted In some good, Men
and women have been severely punished
for keeping dens for the destruction Of
public morals. PROGRESSES and gamblers
have been taught lasting lesson by the
the municipal court and evil doers gener
ally covered by its severity. 1t il arrange
that during the progress OF all this refor-
nation nothing has heen done for the
boys of the streets, and those who have
good homes but careless parents. 1t seems
strange that with society for suppression
of cruelty to animals, there could exist
such school for crime as that describ
ed in local article oil to.day's Press.
Stranger still il 1t that the authorities
should wink at the open violation OF n
law made to protect the moral welfare
OF the future business men and citizens
OF our city--our boys. There are legal
lied snares enough all along the path Of
city boys life, without engendering in
his mind disrespect for laws that are en-
forced by an exhibition OF those which
he knows to be good laws, but which are
net enforced. In that last hour, when
the final reckoning comes, and the wretch.
ed criminal looks back over all the years
of dissipation, crime and shame, and the
unwritten pages OF his yonth's history
SWIM before his eyes, he knows at last
that all his despair and ruin can be at
tribuied to evil associations and surround
ings in his youth. But IL is now too
late. His fate is upon him and unloved
and unmourned he sinks into an unhon-
ored grave which perhaps his associates
were digging for him away back in the
| q Il. L. 4.
less boy and his character was being formed
parents wronged him in neglecting to
keep him out of the saloons and other
dens of the city and in expecting that,
away from the family firesids, admid.t the
| jingle of bottles, the cracking of billiard
balls and the oaths of bad companions,
his moral development ut maturity would
be any but that of hardened criminal.
Let every lover of the public good who
reads this paper to-day accompany the
reporter through Spangenberg's palatial
sa loon, the clinking of whose glasses cal
almost lie heard from the most moral Us
we'll ns the most beautiful avenue IN the
world. Enterl The odor of choice liquors
permea,es The air aud pleases the senses
On one side is the elegant bar glisening
with it's polished mountings and mirrors
on the other the tasty tables. Pass to the
middle room What a sightl Old men
and young men, excited or I'm, laughing
and drinking over their cards, and the air
thick with tobacco smoke and oaths. Pas,
to the rear room A crowd of boys, al
most children, ut billiards They quar-
rel, smoke, swear and drink in imitation
of grown men, with apparently all the de
light and abandon Of grown men. 1t is bu
a step to the card table, and only one NOR,
to the bar, where sits the smiling proprie
, tor to collect the dimes. What place il
which to begin boys training Wha
! hope for the morals Of boy whose night
: are spent among such companions an,
amid such surroundings? Who is Il
blame if the boy, after becoming an adep
at swearing, drinking, smoking and play
\ ing games for checks, strikes out from sucl
rudimentary branches and learns to gam
BILE, to stea to crack n safe, or TO murder
c Is the boy alone to blame, or are his par
ents, who, perhaps, cannot watch him al
q the time? Or, is not society which suffer
!. the existence of such a school for criminal
when, there are laws for its suppression
: and the punishment Of its proprietor? T
i. be sure, smoking and swearing are com
mon practices, drinking is permitted, an
> playing billiards is OF itself excellent ex
: ereise ;but even those of most liberal view
: on this matter will admit that, il you tax
Y a young boy and surround HIM with thes
i things exciting his appetite and his pas
sions, and make it his ambition to'becom
: an expert in these practices, the chance
8 are that you will make criminal OF hin
(. every time. And the laws of Ohio sa
q that this shall not be done, and that II
man shall make money out of tears Q
heart broken mothers, the groans of dii
e appointed fathers and the unhappiness @
!. The victims themselves, and more than 2
), years ago the legislature declared:
"whoever being the owner or keeper Of
billiard saloon, or the owner or keeper Of
billiard table alta grocery or other publ
place, permits or suffers a minor under tn
age Of 10 years to play at the game of billiard
o in such saloon, gr0cery, or other public place
or upon such billiard table, or to be or renal
in such saloon, grocery or other public place
i shall be fined, for the first offense, $50, an
:, for each succeeding offense, $50; and for til
. fine and costs adjudeed in any prosecution uu
A der this section, the billiard table and fixture
shall be liable to be seized on execution, an,
sold without exemption"
In exposing the doinss at Spangenberg'
T place, the Press only seeks to do its dut
s as public journal. A broader and lea
. pleasant duty devolves upon the legal au
thorities OF this city. 1t is that they i'm
mediately take steps to prevent arepeti
tion, IN 9py place, OF the scenes witnesse
at Spangenbergs last Saturday night. /
is what they owe to society, and 10 til
sanctIty Of their oaths OF office.