Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1883-11-22
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YOUTHFUL CRIMINALS.

Nothing can be sadder than to sec
young lads starting upon n career Of vice
and crime. All persons who have pity
in their hearts feel an instructive desire
to shield them from the consequences Of
their first acts of crime, and to try to Sc
euro to them chance Of recovery and
reform. 1t is distr ssing, indeed, to SEQ
boy sent to the ponitentiary and invest
ed in the Very morning Of his life with
the character Of criminal To avert this,
good people have in many places institut-
ed the reform school. In most cases tho
offender will reach the penitcntiary or tho
gallows at last; but the reform school may
keep him from such fate till he becomes
| a man, and thcn there is little sympathy
for him when he commits crime. Prob
ably the reform school serves better
purpose in saving the shock to public
feeling which would arise from witness
ing the execution Of the law upon youth
iul offenders than in any actual rcforna-
ton Of bad boys effected through it. In
nearly every case such boys are destined
to criminal lives. and at the very begin
ming Of their downward career are already
lost beyond hope Of redemption.
The reason is that in most cases they
have been badly born and badly reared.
They have had small chance, have recciv-s
ed noproper instructionand know no prop
er restraint. sprung from worthless par.
ents, ike evil weeks o1t Of compost they
are only following the natural law Of life,
the natural order Of being, in falling into
vicious ways and ripcning into criminal
lives. What else cam in reason, be ex-
peetedl
There is case now before the com.
nrunity. A boy not more than Is years
Of age Is found in possession of seme
stolen watches. He Is a thief, but every
one says it is too bad that mere child
should be sent to the peuiton;iary aud
receive the brand Of feiiGn, and SO it is.
Here Is one oi the hardest of all prob-
lens. This child is one Of lare class
who are cursed with existence; who are
brought into the world and get afforded
no opportunity Of discipline or instruc-
ton to fit them Tor useful and happy
lives. When it is said that his father Is
a brkeeper, and baikeepar now out Of
employment, 1t may be readily guessed
what kind of chance the poor child has
had ior instruction in the way Of moral
ity, honor and virtue. The greatest crime
that can be committed against God or
man is to bring children into the world
without disposition or ability to give
them their right!ul heritage OF parental
care, inculins moral instruction and
needlul restraint. The elief of criminals
j. such a father No wonder his chill
dren do not bless him. He has cursed
them, and through them he has cursed
the world
We never see one of these youthful
criminals without passing at once IRON
an emotion OF pity for the child to feel
ins OF indignant reprehension of the
parent who, without any sense of his re-
sponsibiliIy, brought the child into the
world and allowed him to grow up with
out care or restraint, under the influence
OF surrounding evil. A child has birth
right TO good training, and they who,
without being fit to give it, bring children
INTO the world, commit the greatest Of
crimes, What are they to eaects Youth
ini criminals are but natural product.
What else is to be lcoded tor from such
soil as that cut of which they Gomez
OrYoniau.