The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-03-23
The Tidal Wave of Youthful Depravity.

NO Iuui Wuvc OI xOutnIui DePruvNys
The communication printed below Is from
a subscriber and esteemed friend. who gets
THE Sun In Its weekly edition:
"Hsvins been for many years . constant and admir-.
ing reader OF THx sus gives pleasure to ray that
II 10 not often that anything 10 found In s columns Of
Questionable character. But there items
In the weekly number for March IL that feel consrs
cd TO comment on unfavoraby, to tho extent Of
Offering friendly remonsrance. The items referred
10 are ~ follows four Of them appearing in single
column:
~. Plundsrins the schoo,houss by the Jesse James
gang composed Of boys from twelve to sixteen years Of
age.
"2. william Riley's Crime A sixteen. yesr.old boy
kills his father. and his sister, thirteen years DID, 10 In
dicted a. IN accessory.
rs. Mrs Harvey stabbing Her Sister to the Heart
~ 'Dsadwood Jim's Band Their ages do not aver.
age ten years. They intended to poison their mohers
and then start for the West.
10. The James Boys outdons Frank Rands. the
Latest and Worst Of Humans!
"Supposing these startling statements to be true
though it Is hard to believe them sowhat catalogue do
we have here OF arocious grimes committed by children
from ten to sixteen years old and all occurring In the
same weeki This too. 10 In region OF country that
boasts or its superior civilization and purer morality.
What coming to- when little boys and girls twelve
and thirteen years found numbering their fathers
and other boys whose does not exceed ton years.
found banding together for the purpose Of poison
ing their mothers and for other than that they
may not DO prevented from going wesf II almost cur
dies ones blood and makes blush for his country. to
read such horrible things and that too In respectable
newspaper like THx SUN. which claims to be In some
sort censor Of public and private morals.
Let me beg Of to leave such to polluted and
polutng Journals and not pain your hundred thousand
readers by thus panderng to the depraved taste, OF the
vile and vicious "F. JoussroN.
"GiLNons's MILLS. yn, March IS"
We should be glad to keep our pages free
from accounts OF such manifestations OF
youthful depravlty MS have startled and
shocked Mr.. JOHNSTON and thousands Of
we should rejoice II there were no such crimes
by children for US to record.
II the crimes occurred In tho columns OF
THE Sun, as our correspondent almost seems
to assume, we assure Mr.. JOHNSTON that thoy
would DO promptly stopped. They do not
occur in tho columns OF THE SUN. but in tho
rOal world Of events which it Is our function.
as a newspaper. to chronicle with fidelity
every morning In the year.
1t would be easy to make paper which
Mr.. JOHNSTON and other people could read
without any disturbance Of tho complacent
optimism that reforms tho world by shutting
its eyes to whatever is unpleasant But tho
paper would Immediately cease to DO news
paper, and would also cease at once to be of
any use to anybody.
The group Of shocking incidents which
happened together In the news columns Of
The Sun. aud In the aggregate stirred Mr..
JOHNsToN's soul to amazenlcnt and horror.
presents an abnormal phase OF social develop
mont that Is important and interesting In
the highest degree. The very fact that he
was stirred to amazcment and horror is owl
donce that he needed to have his eyes opened
to what Is going on In the world. 1t may
not be pleasant to know that such things
can be- but Is that good reason why people
should not know that such things arcl It
is only through publicity that social evils
can ever be cured. or that wrong conditions
Of society nre ameiiorated. There ia no
earnest student of humanity who will not be
glad to get the fullest details concerning
these extraordinary manifestations OF o
premature development of criminal instincts
There Is no philanthropist who does not
want tho fullest light on the problems with
which he has concern.
We hope thnt our friend in Virginia ia
philosopher enough to see, on reflection, that
a newspaper docs It's duty only when 1t
prints the news Of this wonderful world Of
good and evil.