Birmingham age-herald., 1894-10-21
SCRIMES AND CRIMINALS.
Plain Truths from the Versatile
 Pen of Sam P. Jones.
likeness Fruitful Cause of ReclkIessneEs and Wrong Doing-fIoms Discipline Can Do More to Lessen Crime Than
 Prisons or Ref0rmatories.
IooPYRraHr, 1s94.l

 ago: Are not crimes and criminals 2 snore diabolical to-day than ever in the worlds history?" I replied: Grimes sAnd criminals are not more diabolical perhaps, but they are more frequent to- day, 1t seems to me, than in any age of 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 Ias 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. E
 Murder, rape, robbery, arson, for lgery, 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- ral districts and towns quit fiocking to the cities, as that it is impossible for many more than half of them to ob- 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 diabol- ical acts will outnumber by far any record of the past.
 It is not safe for woman to be idle, it is not safe for an old man to idle. likeness and extravagance practiced 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 a boys school days are over he must go to work or go to ruin.
 This is true of the sons of millionaires as we'll 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 diabolical 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 boy who has led an indolent and extrav- agant life until he is twenty-one years of age has already formed habits and 5 acquired disposition that it will take Herculean efforts to overcome.
 The parent in trying to be the best friend may find at last that he has been the worst enemy of the boy.
 If we could remove the force of habit and reverse that tendency occasioned by habit then we could repair the dam ages and find relief, but habit to the man is what the channel through which the Mississippi river flows is to it; first, the river cuts out it's channel and then runs in it's channel because that was the only course left to it. He who can successfully mount up and out of the channels which have been cut by the habit of his life is a giant indeed, but few can do it.
 When look at the list of habits and the carelessness with which parents help their children to make right hab- its wonder sometimes that there are not more wrecks along the shores than we see.
 The habit of economy should be in- stilled into every child raised in an American home. To live beyond one's income is manifestly to head towards the jail or penthouse.
 Abnormal wants with meager means for satisfying them are the doorways to the penitentiary and gallows of our country.
 Crime can be diminished by fixing the habit of industry upon our chil- rdren and teaching them the worth of an hour.
 Lifetime is made by the hour and Q noble life must be full of work.
 Crime may be diminished by en- forcing discipline upon our children at home.
 An undisciplined child will sooner or later regard no law because he seems to know no law.
 Crime may be diminished by teaching a child that it's integrity is the very basis of it's character.
 Teach him that to dishonor is to de- fraud, to tell a lie is as bad as to steal, to make promise and break it is as hurtful to character as any crime in the decalogue.
 Crime may be diminished by the os- tracism from decent society of those who are on the highway of crime and criminals.
 A young lady who will tolerate in her presence and in her parlor a boy who is idle and indolent, who spends money and does not earn money, who eats the bread and meat and wears the clothes of others without proper res turn, usually lends such character 8 helping hand on his way to the gallows or to the penitentiary. It is the duty of all who are virtuous and decent to shun and always avoid those who are thus given over to hardness of heart and reprobacy of mind.
 A line must be drawn strong and clear between the virtuous and vicious, between the honest and dishonest, be- tween the teetotaler and the drunkards between the gambler and the laborer.