Milford chronicle., 1896-06-26
THE CURFEW IDEA.
How the Movement Is Received
Throughout the West.
Regarded AZ Good Instrument for the
Regulation Of the Morals Of the
Rising Generation = Inter
osting Particular

osting Particulars.
The curfew ordinance, designed t
keep children off the streets at nigh
with which the children of this stat
are now threatened, and against whicj
they are organizing protest, has con-
TO be accepted as a matter Of course il
the smaller cities and towns Of a1mos
every state west of the Mississippi
river. Perhaps no movement in recen
years has spread so widely in the ives
and met with such general appreciation
as this curfew law. 1t was first intro
dueed in Minnesota town year and
half or so 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, Missouri
nIpdiana and Georgia. The idea does not
apBv7r e. have 5een- generally taken uT
in any--astern or southern state, al
though isolated cases have been noted
of the passage of the curfew ordinance
in the south. But in the west the cur
few idea is spreading at such rate thai
it is likely to be adopted universally
soon in the states west of the MISSISSIPPI
pi. Heretofore the large cities have
not thought it best to adopt such o
law, although in many cities it has been
brought up for consideration and In
some cities a curfew ordinance has
passed the city council by a small ma
jority and been vetoed by the mayor
The other day, however, Omaha, Neb.
adopted the ordinance by a unanimous
vote of the city council. Lincoln and
South Omaha already have such an
ordinance, and so generally is approval
of the idea spreading that with Omaha's
lexample, it seems probable that even
1.-THE big cities of the west viii 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 leg,
islature of this state and to get it t.
take some action in the way either OF
the enactment of a state law or of an
expression of approval of the curfew
principle. Nothing definite resulted at !
the time, but the news that a curfew
ordinance was proposed spread among
the children of the state, and various /
protests from societies of young people |
have reached the legislature and the eX
lecutive.
The general principle of the curfew
ordinances is the same wherever they
have been adopted, but the ordinances
differ in details. The idea is to pro
vide that children under a certain age
varying in different towns from Is
down to Is years, shall not be on the
streets of the town after a stated time
ranging from 1880 p. m. to nine p. IN.
unless accompanied by a lawful guard
ian. The penalty for violation of the
ordinance also varies in different towns
but as a rule it is provided that the of
fender shall be taken home by the po-
lice for the first offense and ks ,.un.
shed by She or Imprisonment or both
for the second and subsequent offenses
When the curfew idea first began to
spread the suggestion of passing such
an ordinance was in many cases re.
ceived with ridicule. 1t was denounced
as paternalism in its worst form. be
cause it delegated to the municipality
duties which belonged solely to pa.
rents. This argument was met by the
statement that the ordinance was di
rected against the young hoodlums
that exist in every town, who congre. ]
gate on street corners and in public
places after nightfall to the discomfort {
and annoyance of many people and tc
heir own detriment, to say the least {
nd Oft 70, AIs ..f !
nunity. This argument usually was a
to the opposition. 1t was
Ilso urged that the hoodiums exercised ;
considerable influence in causing or /
linarily well-behaved children to be. o
'ome unruly, and that good children h
we're very apt to be influenced to re Il
main on the streets after the time they )
hould be at home Another advantage il
ct forth was that the law would b.
+ great assistance TO parents who b
noer ordinary circumstances, failed G
0 exercise proper supervision over thei A
hildren. The curfew ordinance anc II
IS penalties could be used as mild p
breat to enforce obedience in the mat III
sr of being at home nights.
All these arguments have been re
Grated in the various towns where the m
lrfew ordinance has been introduced Is
nd very much information as to the a
orlSing of the ordinance has been ad. e,
need. Usually, when it has been pro D
osed to institute the curfew, the tow1 he
hcials have written to the authorities 90
places where the idea has already WI
ZEN in force some time for information tn
to its results, and the information m
stained has been made public for the hi
nefit of those interested. All the ties Wa
nony gathered from every town a
here the curfew has been instituted pa
pears to be in favor of the law, and tn
seems everywhere to have proved sue DO
ssful and gained general public favor wa
zen the children are said to be pleased flu
tn the law. It is not enforced in an so
pressive manner, and a good deal Of ro'
bitude is allowed in its enforcement cir
n. Y. Sun. fol