The Florence tribune., 1898-09-03
THE CURFEW SYSTEM
Successfully Adopted by Three
 Hundred Cities.
Argument For and Against It's Re- vivGI = Improved Conditions Resulting frsm It's 0b-
 servancc.

The arguments agdlns1 inc feylVdi ol the curfew mention among other ob- jections that it sayors of a return to medievalism and that it intereferes with parental rights and with personal liberty. The advocates of the move 1nent reply that there.is no more medi- evalism connected with the ringing of the curfew than there is with any other custom that happened to be practical then and is still followed, and that the sentiment connected with the mere word should not be allowed to confuse its latter-day meaning.
 As to an interference with the rights of parents, they point to what may be called similar interference in the mat ter of compulsory education, imposed, as the curfew is, for the good of the state, and the question concerning per sonal liberty is compared with tie giv- ing of edged tools 10 infants for play things.
 As clinching argument in favor of restricting the hours for children to be on the streets at night, 300 towns where the ringing of the curtew has i been adopted are noticed, and the de- crease in crime pointed out. Lincoln, Neb., has, the mayor of that town re- ports, already seen vast improvement in many directions; there are fewer arrests and there is decided social ad- vancement. Omaha reports an equally satisfactory state as result of the es- tablishment of the curfew, and Des Moines, Denver, Leavenworth and Yankton, s. D., have given similar testi- mony as to the excellence of the rule.
 The Ontario act is thought by some toincorporate the most concise and con sistent rules, which may be also appli- cable to American towns and villages. This act is as follows:
 Ontario, 1892. . First . Municipal councils in cities, towns and incorpo- rated villages shall have power to pass bylaws for the regulation of the time after which children shall not be in the streets at nightfall without proper guardianship. and the age, or apparent age, of boys and girls resepectively nnder which they shull be required tc be in their homes at ths.ho4r appointed and snch municipal council shall ir such case cause a bell or bells to b, 1 rung at or near the appointed time. as warning, 10 be called the "curfev 1 bell" after which the children so re | quired to be in their homes or off the streets shall rot be found upon the pub lie streets except under proper control or guardianship or for some unavoid. able cause.
 | second-Any child so found after the time appointed shall be liable to be warned by any constable or peace off. eer to go home, and if after such warn. ing the child shah be found lettering on the streets such child may be taken by such constable to its home.
 l Third-Any parent or guardian may be summoned for permitting his child to habitually break said bylaws, after having been warned in writing, and may be fined for the first offense one dollar without costs, and for the second of fense two dollars, and for third, ol any subsequent offense, five dollars. 1 The suggestion that the curfew shall ring the tune of 'Home, Sweet Home, IS made with the hope that the rinpinp of the bell shall be considered as an in. vitation to return to the home rathe, than as a command to do SON. Y Tribune,