The Jersey City news., 1891-08-28
THE POLICE AND cnILDRES's RIGHTS.

From the Netgdrk EueHiH0 Nelrs.
While its purpose is to be commended
the order issued by Superintendent
Brown to the police captainsin regard to
arrests of young girls is open to grave
objections. 1t is so worded that it prob
ably does not say what 1t means. 1t
directs the captains to instruct the Off
GERS 70 do indiscreet aud illegal acts, ana
at the same time to impress upon them
the necessity of discretion and good judg-
ment. 1t gives sucn sweeping orders that
discretion can mean scarce anything less
than disobedience To understand its
purport IL will be well to again quota its
text. Addressing Line captains tue super
intendent says:-
You are hereby directed to instruct the
officers of your precinct to arrest all
young girls under the age OF sixteen VINO
may be found in places OF amusement at
mig mt time, unless accompanied by their
proper guardian; also any girls of that
age who act in a disorderly manner on the
public streets or parks Your officers
must exercise discretion and good Judg-
ment in enforcing this order.
The order that Young girls shall be ar
rested for attendance at places of amuse-
ment is tyrannlcal and ABSURD. There
are many kinds OF places of amusement,
aud there are many kinds OF escorts.
| What Superintendent Brown means by
| ''tneir proper guardian" Is something cal
| culated to puzzle policeman. Young girls
| frequently attend places of amusement
with entirely safe and respectable Coin
| panions who yet cannot be called their
| s'proper guardians" The requirements
! in regard to disorderly actions on the
| streets is another pecu1ar one. Presum-
| ably the police need no special orders to
arrest girls or women OF any age who dis
grace themselves by conduct properly
1 laH Fdfar
aud disorder, and children may act in a
way which is proper for them, but would
/ be disorderlY in their elders. Young girls
| under sixteen sometimes run and Snout
and play in perfectly innocent but de-
cidediy disorderly manner. Are the po-
| lice to arrest them for SO doing?
| There Is no doubt at all that the night
pfcnics the tolerated deus ia this city
! where liquor Is sold to minors and the
| degradation OF children Is an attraction,
do ruinous WORK. While tne pollse eau
| not make laws they could make life very
uncomfortable for the proprletors Of the
| saloons, concert and dance nails, picnic
| grounds beer gardens and public parks
| where these things go on. 10 attend TO
| these people and 10 exercise supervision
over their resorts would accomplish the
| results aimed at much better tnan to is
! sue sucn orders IS have 0eea given TO the
captains and patroimen-
| AS to the public streets they are for
| public uses, and young girls, US long as
| they behave themselves with outward
| decorum and deceney, have perfect
| right to use them by night or
day. 1t is deplorable that young girls
| should find the streets avenues to ruin,
| but against the wiies of those who seek
| to lead them astrdy, their own de-
| praved incIinations or the neglect of their
| parents, the police canuot entirely pro-
| tect them II the Superiatendent Of Po-
lice really wants to do Eood work ia this
direction ne should use tue power at his
command rather TO clean out the places
/ where young girls are tempted and 70
| punish their tempters than TO commit
ouLrages upon the rights of children.