The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-11-29

reason 10 the means tlldt dFe tdheh to deceive children in early life, so as to induce them to agree to certain things which they do not like. Children lie frequently in order to get things that have been denied to them as we'll as to avoid being reproved for misconduct.
 There are many well-establlshed cas- es in which children have gone so far as to vilify their own brothers and sisters, and to accuse them of all sorts of imaginary wrongs in order to carry a point, and these things are not en- tirely unknown among school children in which one will commit an ottense and then lay it on another, and defend his accusation with a degree or bra2- enry that is truely appalling. All this, however, leads up to the more general statement that the true moral sense is certainly wanting in children during the first few years of childhood. When they are old enough to recognize the effects of actions, their standard is us- ually whatever the father or the moth CT permits or forbids. At the same ten der period hardly a child can be found who does not abuse younger and weak CT children. In general, Lombroso ob- serves that the child prefers wrong to right, and vanity and vice manifest themselves as strongly as in their eld- CTS. Other passions are active likewise, such as drunkenness and the use Of ob- scene language-the love of dress and display in traits are active before the period of adolescence, and at this time these savage traits begin to weaken or disappear in the normal child. Whether they diminish in intensity depends up- on the home and school training.
 It seems to be natural for the child to go through this low phase of animal existence corresponding to the traces of the prenatal period. AS the infautile period is passed through by the normal child, and it approaches adolescence, it puts on a new life and moves to Q higher plane. But there are unfortunate child monsters who never Ddss to the higher planes of existence Such con- stitnte that abnormal class of legen- crates who now and then display their innate characters by the commlssi1n of atrocities and obscenities which shock all the better feelings of human na- ture. The atrocious crimes recorded ev- cry now and then are only the results of the dormant state of those whose moral sense has never been awakened. In less degree, this degeneracy is seen in those who band themselves to- gether to pilfer churches, stores and to rob others on general principles. Some times it manifests itself in acts of arson or even murder
 | There is a degenerate criminal type, and this type as found in childhood de- velops along certain lines into the adult rascalS who infest the congested places in cities. All such types should receive l special treatment, and be separated l from well behaved, orderly and obedi ent children A study of criminal class es reveals a certain set of signs that point unmistakably to criminal tend encies, and these signs can be easily recognized and interpreted by any one 1 at all familiar with them The charac- teristics of such are always consoicu- ous and continue to be more pronounce ed as the individual grows older.
 Here, however, is where the teach 1 CTS knowledge of such matters is of l great practical value, and will serve 1 him we'll in the treatment of reforma I ton of offenders This will Illustrate the case involved. A pupil does wrong, { and the act has none of the outward l or perceivable special characteristics of the criminal or degenerate class, but the teacher can safely reassure the par ents that the vicious 'tendencies are only transitory.
 If the physical characteristics are conspicuous and continue to be more pronounced, and the misdeeds grow more and more serious, ordinary school room treatment will not do, and all ! tinespun theories as to moral suasion | and such like soothing sirups pass over ] the brain cells without leaving a single impression.
 In view of all these facts, Lombroso
 would have teachers become perfectly familiar with all these physical char acteristics which denote criminal ten dencies, and if these tendencies are
 weak there is hope of lessening their activity-but if they be pronounced and active, the child should be separated from other children and all influence be
 withdrawn which would affect him in- iuriously. Especially should such chil- dren be kept out of towns and cities.
 They should be set to work in isolated | places, and should they grow worse
 and worse-they should be separated
 on the same principle as lunatics are, so as to spare society series of mis- fortunes.
 From all this it is seen what task
 there is for both parents and teachers, and all others who have anything to do
 with the education of children. Were
 we assured that all would pass safely
 out of the first period of physical ex- istence into the right moral atmosphere
 then the task would be comparatively
 simple; but it is not so ordered, and it
 is great aid to the average teacher for such eminent men as Professor | Lombroso to indicate how to deal with all classes of children and to save as
 many of the degenerates as possible.- The Kansas City Journal.