Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-22
OBEDIENCE TO LAW
Fundamental Principle Of the Pro-
posed Junior Republic.
RECLAMATION OF BOYS AND GIRLS
Plans of the Scheme Outlined by
Rev. Lawrence Hunt.
COUNTRY OF CITIZEN KINGS

Impetus was last night given the move
ment to establish a junior republic be-
tween this city and Baltimore. when Rev.
Lawrence Hunt spoke at Mount Vernon
Place NJ f. Church South on the subject.
Strict attention was given the speaker, and
the congregation seemed deeply interested
in his description of the workings of the
George Junior Republic at Freeville, n. Y,
and his outline of the plans for the local
colony which is expected to reclaim from
slum life the boys and girls of the monu-
mental and capital cities and incuicate in
them the ideas of obedience to law and the
practice of good citizenship. Mr.. Hunt was
connected with the George republic for
some time. and is familiar with The results
of its work since the organization. five
years ago. At the conclusion of the ser
vice many subscriptions Were added to the
guarantee fund of 5000 which is being
ra Used N Washington.
MIR. IIurt introduced his subject by speak
ing of the great republic OF the United
States. which. he declared. is the only true
pubic in existence, the others being re-
public in name only.
The greatest problem confronting us in
this magnificent country of citizen kings
today" continued he. is what shall we do
with those who are not king-the slaves of
incidence and crime? We abolished one
but it We're far better to be the slave of a
good man than of bad passion.
4 Practical Test.
The junior republic idea put to a
practical test five years ago, when Mr.. Will
liam r. George took a handful of boys from
the Sums of New York to his farm near
Freevlle for a two weeks outing in the
ST MINER. Here they breathe1 the fresh,
pure air of the country, and he taught them
the difference between right and wrong.
The movement grew. and the neighbors
agreed to take a lot of boys The follow
ing summer found two hundred of the
toughest and toughest boys in the big cit
les spending two months at FreevIle. The
evolution of the republic Is a long story.
In its organization the attempt was to min
imiZe the evil effects of charity. People
who had come to the conclusion that the
community owed them a living and We're
| entirely dependent upon charity We're
taught the value of self-suppOrt.
ON one occasion Mr.. George was asked
| how he made his scheme work. He replied:
| L do not make it work. 1t is republic,
and the boy and girl citizens rule them
selves
The first great lesson learned at the
| Junior republic is respect for law. The or
! binary boy in the cities today thinks the
| laws Of the land are good enough for
! grown-up folks, but do not apply to him.
! When this boy is arrested he becomes
| hero in the sight of his companions. and is
Immediately elected to the leadership of the
| gang. Let this lad go to the junior repub-
| lie. There he finds boy congress, working
under the Constitution of the United States.
| He finds a boy police force. boy magis
| trateS and a boy jury. When he is brought
| into police court he is fined so much in the
| money Of the republic put in striped
suit and sent to the rock pile for few
days This takes all the romance out of
| crime. and the lad soon learns to behave
| himself one can have adequate idea of
the wound it gives the republic boys to be
| convicted by jury Of their peers.
| Becomes Permanent Institution.
| The George republic is now a perma-
| nent institution, and the citizens are kept
| Il ere until they are capable of self-support
and self-control Then places are found
| for them at whatever trade or skilled art
| they may have chosen
| When boy arrives at the republic from
| the Sums his first ambition is to be a
| 'cop'-a policeman. To get on the force
| he must pass civil service examination.
| Thus he learns the value of a common
| school education and Immediately gets to
work to learn something. There is a pub
| lie spirit pervading the republic which
| makes its citizens Iaw-abiding. 1t also
| makes them as proud of their little repub-
| lie as We are of our great country They
| will cry down things there that would be
| laughed at in the large cities. The boys
| learn to value the opinion of the commu-
| nifty. | have seen d lad cry at the SEN
! tence of a boy magistrate when he would
! laugh in the fact of a police judge of the
| city.
| ''In the Junior republic the children, who
| are received between the ages of twelve
| and seventeen. are not put in Utopia, but
| are surrounded by conditions they will
meet In the world. A second lesson taught
| in the junior republic is the dignity OF
| labor When the government owned the
| republic restaurant, pauper table was
! provided where the indolent boys who had
| not worked were fed bread and soup from
rough board tables. They were required
to stand. The lads who had worked paid
| IL cents for their meals and were served at
| decorated tables with wholesome food
| This went along for some time, when one
day little fellow got up in the boy con-
| gress and introduced IL bill doing away
with pauperism The pauper table was
abolished and thereafter every fellow had
TO work or go hungry. If a boy was dis
covered giving food to an indolent com
panon ne was arrested and fined for in
duc.ng pauperism The republic now has
hotels and restaurants run by boy corpo'
ratOns.
Third Lesson.
1.-The third great lesson the boys learr
| is that of civic responsibility. They be
come familiar with the machinery of the
great republic in which they are to live
They learn these things gradually ant
| make the discoveries themselves. Most O.
the boys. upon leaving the republic, TAKE
; up farming. p-eferring that to return Il
| the overrrowded cities.
Mr.. Hunt gave number or Illustration
: ! OF how the boys work together and sticl
| to one another until the bad one is saved
God is at the head of this Junior re
, | public" he said, las He should be at tn
. head of the government of every country
The republic is free from sectar!anism, bu
a religious life pervades 1t all
Mr.. Hunt next gave several incidents tina
had come under his personal observation
! at the republic. Bad boys developed int
good citizens. were regenerated ana re
turned to God.
He then spoke of the establishment of
national junior republic near this city, Bal
timore and Washington working jointly
! In Baltimore the sum of 5000 mas airead
| been raised and a like amount, it is hoped
| will he secured in Washington. The ma
sonal republic will be modelled after tn
| George republic. 1t will be called natlona
| on account of the proximity to the nation
| capital and the hope that it will soon be
| come national in fact as well as in name
| AS soon as the necessary sum has bee
raised, a meeting of contributors VIII b