The Saint Paul globe., 1897-01-17
NEW CONDITIONS.


a correspondent, whose letter ap-
pears elsewhere offers a plea against
the enactment of a curfew ordinance
containing much with which we are in
sympathy, but also obviously overlook
ing certain new conditions of our time
that invalidate part of his reasoning
No one can desire more ardently than
does the G o b e cessation of the i'm
pertinent meddling by the legislature
with private affairs, and the old
and always wicked and useless
endeavor to make people virtuoue
py statute. Whatever may be said for
or against curfew ordinance, it does
not, however, fall strictly within this
qualification. 1t must be remembered
that IL does not deal with the conduct
OF adults, whose wickednes or way-
Wardness is their own affair." when they
do not offend against the law or in
fringe the liberties of others, but sole
ly with minors No plea for personal
liberty can deny the right or the pro
priety of legislating with reference to
children. when those who should have
the natural care of them are either in
different or false to their duties. Our
factory acts alone, whose wisdom anv
one would be bold to question. have
settled that principle. The only uues-
tion to be considered is whether a cur
few ordinance is a legitimate exercise
of an admitted right of the state.
1t may be conceded willingly that if
every member of the community should
follow the advice of our correspondent
if all fathers and mothers were to train
up their children in the way they
should CO. and If every member Of So
ciety should interest himself in the
proper care of waits and incorrigibles
nothing would be left for the com
munity, as an organization, to work
upon. Unfortunately, this is not the
case There was time in the history OF
the world when pretty nearly all grown
people lived in the fear of the church
and all children lived in obedience to
their elders, at least as far as their
appearance and conduct in public were
concerned. That time has passed, and
we see no signs of it's return A very
large portion of our population is in
sensible to any apepal from the pulpit
for the excellent reason that it never
goes to church. Appeals founded upon
religious feeling to these people do not
reach them. The decay of family dis
cipl1ne is quite as marked as the de-
| cline in the universally of church go.
ing. 1t is one Of the most discourag.
ing signs of the age that family disci.
pine; has become SO far impaired and
/ that parental responsibility and OBJ
I legation sit SO lightly z-H1
1t hardly admits Of argument that II
is not merely unwise, but Improper and
dangerous to the state that children ot
tender years should wander at plea sure
through the streets of a great CITY al
night. Those who have interested them.
HNiNSS IL ~e~AAAA6 AOA WldI are called
the street children of a large city know
the magnitude of the problem. The
! records of our courts and our penal in.
stitutions show that an astonishineIv
large percentage of criminals are edu.
| Gated in this school, If it were possi.
| bic to keep boys and girls off the
| streets and out of public places, except
when attended by their natural guar.
| dams, after nightfall, we believe thai
crime would be diminished more thar
| by all the laws against it upon ou,
statute books. If this be true. if the
street, the saloon and the cheap shows
are a kindergarten for crime, destroy
| character at an impressionable age and
| seriously affect the community by de.
/ teriorating the quality OF citizenship
| then the subject is one that NAV pron.
perly receive public attention.
| BY ell means, let us appeal to the in.
| dividual. If parents can be awakened
| to a sense Of their criminal negligence
if a more careful supervision of the