The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-08
SAFEGUARDS FOR THE BOYS.
DIR. sCHAEFFER ADVOCATES THE
CUHFEW FOR SAVANNAH.


should BE Required to BE on the
streets by o o'CIock-Home Train
ing the Chief Essential in the Mo-
raj Development of the Young,
Startling Crimes Committed -
Boys Of Frequent Occurrencc-Al-
lowing the Boys 20 Run ON the
streets at Night "A sure Means OF
Decentralization.
"The Training Of Our Boys" was tho
title of an interesting discourse by Rev
Dr. Schaefer at the Lutheran Church or
the Ascension yesterday morning. 4'l-
Schaeffer's text was from Proverbs, END
chapter. 9Th verse. Train nap child in
the way ne should go. and when Ae is
Old. ne viii not depart from b."
The subject, Dr. schaener said. is one
of grave Importance. 1t is of such grave
Importance that % is being generally dis
cussed not only by the church, but by the
secular papers. by the judge on the bench
and 10y business men. "Statisucians tel
us." said he, THAT there are about IS
100000 children in the country, Of whom
only about 10000 are in the Sunday
schools. and Of these about three-fourths
are girls. or that there are only about
100000 boys in our Sunday schools, and
about l0.6O1.OoJ of boys in this country are
without religious training. This is an APP
pallug thought. The seriousness Of
this condition il commanding wide at
tenuon.
The Commercial club Of Chicago. at
meeting a few weeks ago, Dr. Schaefer
said. discussed the question of what could
be done TO more thoroughly safeguard the
morals of the youth Of that city. II was
unanimously agreed that good nome
training, or something as near this as
could be had, is one Of the greatest
needs Of the times. DR.. Schaeter indors-
cd this idea strongly. The public schools,
nor the Sunday schools, he said, can sup
ply the place Of the home training with
the moral influences which should sur
DR.. Schaeffer made mention Of the fact
that recently some boys Were convicted
of murder and manslaughter in New York
for traln-Wrecking, one being sentenced
10 life time imprisonment and the other
10 forty years. Two boys of good fami-
lies IN Cambridge, Mass, were arrested
for setting fire TO sixty properties in BOs-
ton and Cambridge They confessed
their crime and were sentenced TO life
imprisonment DR.. Schaeffer referred TO
the arrest Of several boys in Savannah
recently by the police for gambling They
doubtless learned to play cards at home
he said. He referred to Judge Falli-
ganIs recent charge 10 the grand jury
training of the children, with the re-
sultant growing up of young criminals
This condition Of things is alarming
ana becomes us as Christian parents to
seriously consider the subject" said he
The criminal lack of our homes to-day
is the Christian training of our children
The text appeals to US in their behalf
Our boys are permitted to run the streets
unfeS trained in the night time in mixed
associations, alured to gilded haunts of
sin and shame. We must save our boys
The appeal of the text is an earnest call
and the facts which are daily before us
of the ruin and loss of our boys empha-
means to give thought and time and
prayer and sympathy. We must study
lnelr dispositions ana tendencies. One
serious defect IN dealing with our boys
is failing to teach them obedience to law
and authority. Our children are too much
INDUCED. one of the safest lessons for
a child is to learn obedience to authority.
to obey because il is right. Many parents
indulge their children, in serious DISC
bedlence, teaching them disregard of
their authority, and then. when out Of hui
NOR, for trivial offenses, severely punish
ana abuse them. Many boy is made bad
by being constantly told that he is bad
boy. He at last believes that he must be
bad. Never encouraged for the good the
better element of his nature never devel-
erence for holy things In the house the
Bible is disregarded instruction neglect
ed, no prayers offered, the church criu-
cised, Christians ridiculed and so the
DR.. Schaeffer referred to the revival of
the old idea of ringing a bell or curfew
at o'clock at night as a signal to all
young people under certain age that thew
must seek their homes a once. The adop-
ton Of this old plan had been SERIOUSLY
discussed in several communities he said
He indorsed the idea strongly. and fav-
Ored its adoption in Savannah. one of
the greatest evils to the youth of the
city. he said, is the manner in which they
are allowed to roam the streets at night
The text calls upon US, - he continued
Ito train our boys in the way in which
they should go. Take your boy to himself
tell him what he is and what is expected
tell him what he is and
what is expected of him. He is
Gods child and your child. He must live
to honor God, himself and you.
kneel down with him and with your arms
about him commend him to the Lord
That love and prayer will encompass
him as chain of gold to bind him to
right living. You cannot expect your
boy to grow up into a noble and cody
life without giving him most careful and
loving attention. Many fathers scarcely
know their boys, give them no thought
or attention and are amazed when they
go TO the bad. The father is guilty of
lack of training. Character is formed
when our boys are or z years Old This
emphasizes the necessity of early train
ing them to walk in the way in which
they should go, establishing good char
acter, teaching them to love God and
righteousness, and in their manhood they
viii not depart from it,
DIT. Schaeffer's sermon next Sunday
morning will be on the subject of "The