Evening journal., 1891-07-30
NEWSPAPER OPINION.
Save the oniIdren

New York journal OF Commerce.
IL is expected that the offsprings Of
vicious parents encouraged in evil
habits by both precept ana example, win
grow up into a life OF shame. And tie
children whose parents do not belong to
the criminal class, but who are left to
roam the streets without restraint and to
form eompanionships with the vile, will
of necessity gravitate in the same dir
tion. One has only to watch the 'hood-
lums' In the thoroughfares OF a great
city, tonalisten TO the themes Of their
conversation, and TO see how thorough Is
their abandonment to evil desires and
practices to wonder that any Of them
reach maturity outside of prison walls
In the rural districts the associations
are not quite as polluting, but the min
istries of vice are not wanting and there
is enough everywhere to supply the con
tamination If the child is surrendered TO
them without careful supervision The
neglect of children in this country is alb
solutely appalling. Not in the hsunts Of
vice nor the city slums alone are the
young growing up without proper care
and restraint; the disregard Of parental
obligations Is so general that it has be-
come the rule instead Of the exception.
The saddest reading in the daily papers Is
the stories Of the waywardness Of the
young. Boys are left to feed their i'm
aginations on the most unwholesome
literature II they do not steal the
necessary means purchase an outfit for
q highwayman, q burglar, or
free booter's life on the
prairie, and creep away In the dark
ness to realize the ideal that has taken
possession OF them, they are none the
less poisoned at the fountains Of thought
and untitled for the prosalc, practical
duties Of life. In our boyhood no young
lad belonging TO proper home was
allowed to be absent, or to roam at will
wherever his fancy or his grosser appe.
tites and passions might call him II he
was not at school, or otherwise in some
regular employment, his hours were tc
be accounted for, aad he had no freedom
Of choice not governed by parental
authority. In these days the boy, ever
Of respectable parents, Is I'm too many
cases law unto himsel + He spends his
time as he chooses; he selects his com
panions; he reads whatever delights his
fancy, and he resents any dictation from
his superiors as to his personal habits
The girls in our day, II we may Judge
from the painful stories that greet us OF
every side, are In the aver
age home quite as badly ne
elected as the boys. They are not re
stricted in their reading, and there 4
very little restraint on their choice o.
companions They are not kept at hom,
and under the mothers watchful eye
The sweather seems to be the only hin
drance to their going out, and they ar
turned loose into streets and cars ant
parks full OF beasts Of prey. What ar
called "sbductions" greet us by tn
dozen In the columns Of each days paper
The wonder is not that so many yeunl
maidens 60 wrong, but that any thu
given up to freedom and license escap
the danger and live without dishonor
to repent Of their waywardness an
folly. The one thing to be emphasize
is the tendency to evil in every huma
hoart and the need Of constant trainin
aud watchful care to insure virtuou
life. The father and mother look int
what seem the innocent eyes Of thei
children, and will not believe that the
: san ever 60 astray. Alssl that ther
should be no exception to the commo
, inheritance.
a stG-ut...