Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-03-24
CURFEW FOR CHILDREN.


Tne curfew ordinance, designed to
keep children Off the streets at night,
with which the children of this State
are now threatened, and against which
they are organizing protest, has come
to be accepted as matter of course in
the spaller cities and towns of almost
every State west of the Mississippi
river Perhaps no movement in recent
years has spread so rapidly in the
West and met with such general appro-
baton as this curfew law. 1t was first
introduced in a Minnesota town year
and half ago. In the past six months
curfeW ordinances have been adopted
in various towns in Oregon, Washing
ton, Idaho, South Dakota, Nebraska,
Kansas, Minnesota, Michigan, Mis-
souri,, Indiana aud Georgia. The idea
does not appear to have been generally
taken up in any Eastern or Southern
State, although isolated cases have been
noted of the passage of curfew ordi-
nance in the South. But in the West
the curfew idea is spreading at
such rate that it is likely
10 be adopted universallv soon in
the States west of the Mississippi.
Heretofore the large cities have not
thought it best to adopt such law, al
though in many cities it has been
brought up for consideration, and in
some cities a curfew ordinance has pass
ID the City Council by a small major
ity and been vetoed by the Mayor.
Last Wednesday, however, Omaha,
Neb., adopted the ordinance by unar :
imous vote of the City Council Lin
coin and South Omaha already have
such an ordinance, and SO generally is
approval of the idea spreading, thai,
with Omaha's example, it seems prob
arle that even the big cities the West
will before long revive the curfew for
the purpose Of regulating the habits
and morals of the rising generation.
An effort was made recently to bring
the subject to the attention of the
Legislature of this State, and to get it
to take some action in the way either
of the enactment OF State law or ofan
expression OF approval Of the curfew
principle. Nothing definite resulted q.
the time, but the news that curfcw
ordinance was proposed spread among
the children of the State and various
protests from societies of young people
have reached the legislature and execu.
tive.
The general principle of the curfew
ordinances is the same wherever they
have been adopted, but the ordinances
uiffer in details. The idea is to provide
that children under certain age, varying
in different towns from Is to 15 years,
shall not be on the streets OF the town
after stated time, ranging from 7:30 p.
M. to 9 p. M, unless accompanied by a
lawful guardian. The penalty for vic.
ation of the ordinance also varies in
different towns, but as rule it is
provided that the offender shall be
taken home by the police for the first
otiense, and be punished by fine or
Imprisonment or both for the second
and subsequent offences.
Throughout Minnesota the curfew
ordinance seems to be on the same
lines. Children under 10 years of age
are required to be at home by nine
o'clock at night, or very soon alter.
Curfew is sounded by tolling nine
strokes on the fire bell of the town.
Any child found on the streets after
that hour unaccompanied by guardian
may be arrested for the first offense
taken home to his parents and eau.
toned. If arrested a second time fine
of from So to $40, or Imprisonment
frop, thraa IN fan dsys at the diScra.
ton of the magistrate, is the penalty.
In most other western States the
curfew rings earlier than in Minnesota.
1t has been urged in several States
by those opposing the curfew ordi-
nance that it is unconstitutional. This
is pretty freely admitted, too, but after
the ordinance has been passed and en-
forced for few months the opposition
has invariably come to favor it, and no
test of the constitutionality of the law
has yet been made in any State.-M Y.
Sun.