The Greenville times., 1894-10-27
CRIMES AND CRIMINALS.
plain Truths from the Versatile
Pen Of Sam P. Jones
,s.n.s. a Fruitful Cause of Reekiessness
"a wrong DoIng-HOms Discipline Can
Do More to Lessen Crime ihAn
Prisons or Reformatories-
lcoPrRIGHr. lss41

world ulSbOAg :, =.
and criminals are not more dlaooilcal
perhaps, but they are more frequent 10.
dav. il seems to me, than in any age Oh
the worlds history. -,
The daily press Of this country dis-
closes to the gazing eyes OF men IN their
columns daily such record OF crime
as would startle any good man or inno-
cent woman as they read the glaring
headlines and abbreviated reports OF
the shocking crimes committed WITHIN
the preceding twenty-four hours.
Murder, rape, robbery, arson, for
pery, felony upon felony, and SO many
Young men are guilty of these crimes
These facts naturally make us look
after the cause.
| declare it to be my honest convic-
tion that unless the boys from the ru-
raj districts and towns quit hocking to
the cities, as that 1t is impossible Tor
many more than half of them to OBJ
tain steady employment, and unless
the number of idle boys shall be de-
creased in the next few years, ! believe
crime will increase and these diaooi-
ical acts will outnumber bv far any
record of the past.
It Is not safe Cor a woman to be idle,
Il is not safe for an old man to idle.
Idleness and extravaganza practieed by
so many Young men in our country will
as certainly end in crime as that effect
ever follows cause. No young man is
safe who is not employed. When q
boy,s school days are over he must go to
work or 90 to ruin.
This is true of the sons Of mill,onaires
as well as the sons OF paupers.
The boy who gets his own consent to
live idly has already taken the road to
ruin that forces upon them the diabolicai
crimes which are recorded by the press
OF our country every morning and every
evening.
The question arises, how far are we
parents responsible for this state OF
things ON the part of our boys. The
bow who has led an indolent and extrav.
apant life until he Is twenty-one years
of age has already formed habits and
acquired disposition that II will take
Herculean efforts to overcome.
The parent in trying to be the best
friend NAV find at last that he ha,
been the worst enemy of the boy
IL we could remove the force Of habit
and reverse that tendency occasionet
: bv habit then we could repair the dam
ages and find relief, but habit to tn,
man Is what the channel through
which the Mississippi river flows is tc
Il. first. the river cuts out its channe
and then runs in its channel becaus,
that was the only course left to II
He who can successfully mount up an,
out of the channels which have beer
Ont hv the habit Of his life Is pian
indeed. but few can do it.
. When | look at the list of habits an,
the carelessness with which parent
help their children to make right hab
its wonder sometimes that there ar
I not moro wrecks alonr the shores tina,
= we see.
: The habit OF economy should be In
stilled into every child raised In a,
I American home. To live beyond one
2 income is manifestlv To head toward
d the Jail or poorhouse.
: Abnormal wants with meaper mean
for satisfying them are the doorway
IN the nenitentiarv and oalIovs ~ ~,
!, country.
h Crime can be diminished by fixin,
!. the habit of industry upon our chi
dren and teaching them the worth g
II an hour
n Lifetime is made by the hour and
. noble life must be full OF work,
' Crime may be diminished bv er
forcing discipline upon our children a
home.
u An undisciplined child will sooner q
h later regard no law because he seem
i, to know no law.
Crime NAV be diminished bv ta,cb;n
| a child that its inteoritv 10 N. v.,.
Il. basis of its character.
Teach him that to dishonor 10 to a,
fraud, to tell lie is as bad as to stea
to make promise and break Il is ,
hurtful to character as anv crime
the decalogue.
Crime NAV be diminished bv N. .
tracism from decent society Of tho.
who are on the highway of crim. ~, an
criminals.
D A young lady who will, tolsr.ts