The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-04-27
THE CRY OF THE CHILDREN.

Painful Facts Revealed in the Report of
the New York Society for the Proven
ton of Cruelty to Children.
Intoxicating beverages and the sa-
looms wherein they are dispensed i'm
pose heavy burdens upon society in
many ways. and beget untold degrade
ton and suffering. Their worst re-
suits are perhaps the grievous wrongs
they continually inflict upon innocent,
helpless children. Some idea of the
extent and fragrant character of these
wrongs may be obtained from the rec
ord of the prG.iseworthy labors of the
New York Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Children. The report OF
this society for the year 1888 is before
us. During the year $500 complaints
were received and investigated. 2,244
cases prosecuted, and in this number
2,20S convictions were secured. and
3,2l6 children rescued and relieved
Twenty-siX pages of the report are
filled with condensed accounts of some
of the many cases in which the officers
of the society have during the year in
terposed their authority to shield and
rescue young girls and boys, exposed
to great cruelty and wrong. In large
part of these cases, almost all of
them-strong drink, INDUCED in by
one or both parents, is conspicuous as
factor of the parental degradation
and the childhood suffering.
On the first day of the year, in the
midst of the joys Of the holiday season,
frail little girl of eleven years pre-
sented herself at the rooms of the
society, and asked for that protection
and care of which it was quite evident
she stood IN great need. Her mother
their cruelty and neglect had driven
her from home. In another case. an
officer of the society found dissipated
mother Lying dead upon the floor Of
her room, surrounded by several
drunken women, while her children
Kate, Nellie and Johnny, three, two
and one years - looked wonderingly
upon the scene" The children were
cared for by the society. On one of the
severest days in January little girl of
ten years. "whose parents were found
to be worthless drunkards," was OBJ
served, with a large basket on her arm.
begging from bakers stores, driven out
by her parents to supply them with
food. The weather was at its worst.
us cold wintry storm of rain and
snow and wind had prevailed all day.
The slush upon the walks and in the
streets was ankle-deep, and all exposed
to these elements had suffered. The
little girl was taken into the society s
rooms and made comfortable, and sub
sequently placed in Il home In an
other case the society rescued five ia
thcrless children, with drunken, inn
moral mother, from one Of the wrctched
tenements where ''were found huldled
together upward of sixty families, the
ma ority of which represent some phase
of drunkenness and debauchery. Two
OF the children suffering from neglect
twas necessary to send to the hospital,
where one died, and three were placed
in home. In another case an attract
i've little girl of eleven years, exposed
to the vilest influences, was rescued
from her drunken, dissipated mother,
in place where several depraved
men and women were found in the
rooms, and all more or less intoxi-
Gated" In another instance the Off
GERS found pretty girl of eight years
crying plteously from cruel whipping
by stepmother to compel her to do
some mental work in a saloon; and
the child bore also scars and marks of
previous assaults, and her head and
eyes were in such state that her i'm
mediate removal to hospital was
made" Another little girl of twelve
years appealed at the office of the So
ciety for protection from drunken and
brutal parents--the mother celebrat-
ing her release from prison by pro-
tracted debauch, and the father little
better. In another case q young girl
OF eight years, herself intoxicated,
was arrested with her drunken
father, who had compelled her to
drink with him in saloons. The
father was locked up, and the child
placed in the care of the American
Female Guardian Society. In another
instance, three young children, two
boys and girl, were rescued from
the possession of an habitually
drunken mother, who, in her drunken
fits, frequently cruelty assaulted them.
These are but few samples of numer-
GUS cases of cruelty and neglect with
which. in single year, this benefi-
cent society has been called upon, in
this city only, to deal. Alas for the
uncounted multitudes OF kindred I'M
reported cases throughout the land!
1t is quite time for philanthropic
Christian citizens everywhere to hear
and heed this cry of the children, and
In the might of true manhood and
womanhood unite in righteous
crusade to discourage injurious social