Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1888-08-08
CHILD CRIMINALS.
The Most Dangerous Product OF Wr0na
Educa tlOnal system.

CHILD CRIMINALS.
Tho Most Dangerous Product Of . wron5,.
Educational system.
T An unusual number of crimes have
recently been committed by persons so
young that they may properly be called
children, and nearly all Of these crimes
have been of the most heinous char
acter. A boy of fourteen caused q
million-dollar fire. A boy of ten de-
liberstely committed suicide to escape
punishment for truancy. A girl of fif4
teen administered poison to her father,
mother, brothers and sisters. A boy
of twelve tried to wreck train. OF
course 1t would be improper to general
lie from these and similar cases, and
absurd to infer from them the exist
ence OF any prevalent tendency, but it
Is certainly worth while to inquire
whether cases of the kind are prevent
able, or whether they are due to some
Unborn bias too stubborn to be removed
by education. Take the case
of the ten-year-old boy who poisoned
himself. Is it probable that child of
that age would commit suicide if he
had any ideas about the value and the
purpose of life? This poor boy, evil
IDENTIFY, did not understand what
he was doing, but thought,
in a confused way, that he
would escape punishment at the hands
of his father. It is not credible that
the little girl who tried to poison all
her family had any clear notion OF
what she was doing. Possibly she had
been scolded for something, and felt
angry with all about her, but it is hard
ly conceivable that she realized the i'm
plications of what she did when she
put poison in the COTE. In these
days, when so many people think it
proof of advanced views to indulge
their children from infancy, and re-
frain from teaching and disciplining
them for fear of injuring their spirit
and crushing their independence,
children of naturally strong passions
are often seriously injured. By ac-
quiring the habit of indulgence their
egoism is dangerously developed. By
being treated on terms of equality
with their parents they lose all rever-
ence and subordination, and it very
easily happens in such cases that OPP
portunity or passion will lead them
into absolute crime. We know what
happens when an attempt is made to
treat savages as though they were
civilized. They abuse their privi-
leges, behave childishly or lawlessly,
and generally come to grief before long.
Savages are but larger children, and
children smaller savages. They must
be taught how to conduct them
selves. They do not bring that knowl-
edge into the world with them. It
does not belong in the category of in
nate ideas. An untaught child is
capable of doing almost any thing.
Such children have been known to
mimic a hanging, and actually to kill
one of their number in doing it. The
initiative faculty is strong in them,
and, therefore, they can easily be
trained rightly, if there is any one to
do the work. When they develop dan
gerous and evil tendencies, the first
question which ought to be asked is:
What has their education been? If
nobody has taught them to distinguish
between right and wrong, to hold
guard over their passions, to be I'M
selfish, to be considerate of others, to
do as they would be done by, how can
society blame them for getting into
mischief? In such case they are clear
ly irresponsible; but can the same be
said of their natural guaradians-of
those whose duty it is to put and keep
them in the right path, yet who have
neglected that duty, no matter whether
through false philosophy or through
Incidence and indifference?-N Y
Tri0I32e