The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-06-05
THE CURFEW IDEA.
How the Movement Is Received
Throughout the West
Regarded as q Good Instrument for the
Regulation of the Morals of the
Rising Generation Inter
estinS Particulars

estins Particulars
The curfew ordinance, designed u
keep children of the streets at night
with which tne children of this stats
are now threatened, and against which
they are organizing protest, has come
TO be accepted as a matter of course in
the smaller cities and towns of almost
every state west of the Mississippi
river. Perhaps no movement in recent
years has spread SO widely in the west
and met with such general appreciation
as this curfew law. It was first intro
duced in a 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,
Indiana and Georgia. The idea does not
appear to have been generally taken UP
in any eastern 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 atsuch a rate that
it is likely to be adopted universally
soon in the states west OF the MississiP
pi. Heretofore the large cities have
not thought it best to adopt such q
law, although in many cities il has been
brought up for consideration and i'll
some cities a curfew ordinance has
passed the city council by small ma
H<a H. Aa
The other day, however, Omaha, Neb.,
adopted the ordinance by 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
example, it seems probable that even
the big cities of 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 leg.
islature of this state and to get it t.
take some action in the way either OF
the enactment of state law or of an
expression of approval of the curfew
principle. Nothing definite resulted at
the time, but the news that 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-
ecutive.
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 pre-
vide that children under certain age,
varying in different towns from Is
down to Is years, shall not be ON the
streets of the town after stated time,
ranging from 1880 p. m. to nine p. m,
unless accompanied by 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 be pun.
ished by fine 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 paternalisp in it's worst form, be. |
cause it delega ted to the municipality
duties which belonged solely to pa
rents. This argument was met by the |
statement that the ordinance was d. |
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 to
their own defriment, to say the least,
and often to the danger of the com.
munity. This argument usually was
convincing to the opposition. 1t was
also urged that the hoodiums exercised
considerable influence in causing or.
dinarily well-behaved children to be-
come unruly, and that good children
were very apt to be Influenced TO re-
main on the streets after the time they
should be at home. Another advantage
set forth was that the law would be
of great assistance TO parents who
under ordinary circumstances, failed
10 exercise proper supervision over their
children. The curfew ordinance and
its penalties could be used as a mild
threat to enforce obedience in the mat
ter of being at home nights.
All these arguments have been re-
iterated in the various towns where the
curfew ordinance has been introduced,
and very much information as to tho
working of the ordinance has been adj
duced. Usually, when it has been pro-
posed TO institute the curfew, the town
officials have written to the authorities
in places where the idea has already
been in force some time for information
as TO its results. and the information
obtained has been made public for the
benefit of those interested. All the tes-
timony gathered from every town
where the curfew has been instituted
appears to be in favor of the law. and
it seems everywhere TO have proved sue
cessful and gained general public favor.
Even the children are said to be pleased
with the law. 1t is not enforced in an
oppressive manner. and a good deal OF
latitude is allowed in its enforcement