New-York tribune., 1896-11-16
pRCCOCIOUS REFORMERS.

Little Louisa Jones. the cleyeii-y'ar-oi" 'ni''
who was stabbed by six -yearoid ithiihh po'
because she asked him not TO throw pah'n'
skins from his mothers frult-s'ahh ih'o INV
street. was doing 10 the best OF her kho"iedsc
her duty as a neat and orderly meiip'' vi so
cicty But the unfortunate outcome Oh her NJ
tempt to promote the public welfare suggests
that the rcformatory work Of children may be
OverdOnc.
A large number Of organizations exist among
children in this country for the promotion OF
their own morality and good conduct. ana to eH-
ercisc a beneiiccni influence upon their elders.
The Juvenile street Cleaning League to which
the Jones child belonged. Is one of them It's
object is most praisewOrthy. The children who
frequent our streets should De taught 10 have
a pride in them and to strive to keep them
clean. But their civic virtue should not he de-
veloped at the expense Of their private man
ners. 1t would be unjust To say that little
Louisa was impolite. On the contrary, she
seems to have acted with entire propriety AMI
had no reason to suppose that a mere baby
would resent her well-meant teaching. But.
incXcusablc n ii was. the attitude of the boy
that he would "tcach her 10 mind her own
business fear e4hocs the feeling which
many elder people would have at being in
structcd in their public duties. no matter how
justly, by children. The people who organize
such societies are seeking to accomplish great
good but they run the risk when they attempt
To use the enthusiasm Of children as a weapon
on adults Of Subjecing the children to rebuffs
and rude treatment. They take even greater
chances Of developing unpleasant traits in the
little ones. Conscience iidincss and strong
chs rf in ,.,i a.,
nature. but prggishness and sclf-asscrtion are
not. Children. after all. should he children
honest. well-tralncd children but still children
Their place in life is not TO bear too serious bur
dcns and become crusaders in any cause
We all have seen and found dlsagrccablc the
child who had fallen under the teaching Of
! some over Jealous reformer and carried n
weight Of responsibility around on its little
shoulders. Some Of these children are taught
to disspac in religious feeling. and go about
striving to bring their worthy. If somewhat
worldly. parents and other relatives to a higher
/ spirituality. Others have learned To their own
good the evils of tobacco and alcohol, and with
more zeal than breeding let their llyht shine
before grown men and women. Then there are
the multitude Of charities which employ chill.
dren to solicit funds. sell tickets and generally
poster people who wish well to the charities
but wish the children were at their books or
their play. Nothing is TO be said against the
purpose or any OF these organizations or against
the policy OF trying to make each genera
/ ticn OF boys and girls nratcr, purcr, more
! temperate and more spiritual than those who
go before them But those who strive for
this good end are likely to do harm IL they do
not remember what children ought to he. ANY
earnest worker Is under temptation to Use all
possible instruments to further pet reform.
Children are impresslonable. Jealous and ON.
thusiastic SO armies Of them are favorjtc de-
vices In moral movements. These armies oro
all very well In their place But no mission
or crusade should be allowed to obscure in n
child's mind the old fashioned virtues Of defer