The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1891-05-22
,.Re.popstbi,,,y of Parents.

Ill LIC IlAJ Vi
small boys were arrested anG are now IN
Jail for burglary. Almost every week
| children are arrested in our towns and
| cities for criminal conduct. Referring to
| this matter the Elizabeth Journal very
properly says:
Walk along the streets at night, in any
partof the city. There are literally thous-
andso of children under the glare of the gas
| light whose parents do not know where
they are, children who ought never to see
the outside of their houses after nightfall,
unless accompanied by their parents or
some person in whose company they are
safe.
1t is this night-prowling that is the curse
of the children. 1t is at night tina. they
learn to drink, at night they learn to
smoke cigarettes, at night that plans are
conceived TO rob, at night that the robber-
les are committed; in short it is at night
that 90 per cent. ofall the mischief, wick
edness and immortality is learned and
practiced. Night is the schooi of vice for
children, and every night our streets are
full OF children, unaccompanied by parents
or guardians. What else can such child
rem become but immoral, wicked, criminal?
Who is responsible? Not the children.
Taken as a whole children are tractable.
They can be governed, restrained and kept
from the streets.
They can be taught obedience and be
made to stay at home nights. If they are
not taught ard managed it is not their
fault if they attend the night schools of
vice, and they should not be held response
pie foI their deplorable education.
Time and again those who have visited
police headquarters have seen a wee bit of
a boy, ragged as wicked, smart as vicious,
hardened like an old criminal, appear
before the magistrates desk. He is scarce
ly tall enough to look over the counter
when the complaint is read to him. And
then comes his father; a great s%trapping
man, heavy Of bone and sinew, every
ounce of flesh solid muscle. With a hang
dog look and a w%himpering voice that his
wayward boy would scorn he says:
Judge, l can't do anything with tie boy.
He will stay out all night. Ioan't do any
thing Will. him."
The natural impulse is to take such a
man and kick him till he has no more
strength than his boy; frat for bringing
into the world a child that he will not take
care of, and second, for covering up his
own neglect by lying, for when he says he
can't do anything with such a boy he is
lying in the most vicious and contemplate
manner.
Children have no business on the streets
alone, aud parents have no business to let
them run out alone. Home is the place
for them after nightfall till they have
reached some years OF discretion, and if the
wretched fathers of most of them-not all
to be ure-we themselves at home, try
ing to make it comfortable, pleasant and
respectable, and trying to bring up their
children under wholesome restraint instead
of being in saloons and on street corners,
there would be fewer arrests of children.
What ought to he done in this matter?
Thousands of children are annually grow
ing up as paupeTs, street.runners, thieves,
and their parents allege that they cannot
do anything with them. 1t is wrong. sim
fully, shamefully wrong to send them to
Jail, to prison, yes, even to the reform
school, for it brands them forever. These
children are not responsible Tor anything
else, why should they be held responsible
for these crimes and immoralities when
the neglect Of their parents is responsible
for nearly all their childish wickedness?
There ought to be some way to hold the
parents for the crimes of their children
clearly traceable TO such neglect as allow
ing them TO run the streets after night, or
to any Other wiliut incompetency. If
they felt the Iigors of the law a little
themselves they would soon exercise a
little more restraint over their children.
Department Commander James II. Null
kin, of New Jersey, has issued his orders
for the observance of Memorial Day. Every
Post should make arrangements to attend
Divine Worship in a body on May 2itb; by
resolution Of the National encamp ment, all
flags displayed on Memorial Day should
be at half mast, and every soldiers grave
J should be marked before the 30sh inst.