Smyrna times., 1892-02-03
The Pest-Holes of Society.
WHERE SEEDS OF VICE AND CRIME
ARE sOWN

WHERE SEEDS OF VICE AND CRIME
ARE sOwN.
Father Birmingham preached in St
Paul's Il. c. Church, Wilmington, on
Sunday evening to crowded house,
a discourse denonucing boys clubs a.
a curse and scOurge to the cOmmu
nifty.
He spoke of the evil surroundings of |
home and society to-day and said that
many of the existing vices have their |
origin in these so-called social organi- |
cations. Many of them, he said, were
curse and scOurge to any cOmmu-
nifty. The life Of man can be compared
to certain seasons of the year. Spring
time is his youth. In this season of
his career he sows the seed which af
terwards bear the fruits of his sowing
Like the plOwman who sows his cereal
in the spring time, is youth. The har-
vest he shall reap depends upon the
seed he has planted. So it is with
man. Youth is the springtime of life.
! The nature and character of man is
moulded in youth.
All should he careful to plant in
youth seeds that will ripen into a
grand and beautiful manhood. Expe-
rience tells US that passions are strong
est in youth. There are many snares
and pitfalls to destroy the minds of
man and to destroy his heart. II is
upon our youth that the welfare of
the state depends for as they advance
and become more enlightened so will
the advancement of society aud state
certainly follow. In looking around
him one behOlds the rising generation.
If things are not changed fear for the
safety of the future. This is an age of
invention, of enlightenment and in it
are the g:andest years that man has
lived. But in the age of enlightenment,
side by side vice comes and stalks be-
fore us, sapPing the very foundation Of
society and crushing the home to
atoms.
We look to the church for assistance
in the grave crisis, but the church
must likewise receive the support of
the home and of the parents, otherwise
the work counts for naught. If par
ents stand by us the reform must come
The place to begin is in the home,
where the surroundings of youth
should be all that is desired Parents
! should be more careful with their chill
dren and see to it that they receive
the proper training and care
But these O-caled sOCials and vice
r must be destroyed / will crush them
and destroy them as long as God gives
, me power. 1t is in these second story
fronts where these dens exist. Here
! is where vice stalks unmolested and
. where some of the youth of to day are
+, spending their nights.
To show that crime is hereditary anC
+, that parents are to u large extent re
:. SpOnsible for the acts of their children
the priest cited the Burke case in New
o York state. In the family there were
six sisters from whom descended 49,
:, persons. OF this number 206 wtrt
a paupers and the crimes charged
: against them were ll5. This rnmil,
a cost the state of New York 81 600 OOO
+ The speaker argued that if these per
. sous had received the proper care an,
: treatment in their youth the crime
would have been avoided and 81 600
600 would have been saved the state
In conclusion he urged parents to ben,
every energy to reclaim the youth O
!, to-day, and added that be would see t
!. it that no social clubs cOmpQ ed q
4 Catholic young men should be allowe,
to exist outside the church in tha
city.
- The above is from the columns 0
{ the Epery EUening The Daily Repuh
a IicGR in an editorial on the same sub
= ject, says
n There is terrible lQosepess at tn
= present time in the training of tn
- young. The bar rooms, the socia
y club rooms, the pool rooms, the gam
"a bling rooms are drawing the boy
= away from the home circle, whic
:, should be the best the only place 70
. the training of children ia the wa
!, they should 70.
II "The whole community of parents
:, without regard to denomination, shOul
i arise and thank the Rev Father 70
:, the stand he has taken to save thei
:, children from worse than death througl
. the deadly club room"
:. II is noticed that the club bows ar,
a rarely seen in the house of worship ol
= Sunday mornings, and at night tn
- club rooms are lighted up and run il
= opposition, seemingly, to the churches
!. The present generation of men VIII
= are sustaining the churches and fillini
n the Responsible places in business will
r soon be gone, and the question is, VIII
!. will tilI their places with virtue, homo
q and capability.