Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-17
Good Progress Being Made in Rails
ing Funds.
SUPERINTENDENT SELECTED
Meeting Of Subscribers to Choose
Washington Trustees.
AN ELIGIBLE FARM OFFERED

The progress being made in the raising Of
funds for national junior republic to be
located between this city and Baltimore Is
satisfactory to those engaged in the work.
and a meeting of the subscribers and those
who intend to subscribe has been called for
next Tuesday. at 4:30, in ST. Johns Parish
hall, 10th street above H. This meeting is
held for the purpose of hearing reports
and electing trustees from this city to the
combined Washington and Baltimore board.
About 81, 900 has already been subscribed in
this city, and besides this generous Wash
ington man has offered farm situated
about halfway between Washington and
Baltimore for the use of the republic. This
offer comes from a gentleman who wishes
in this way to commemorate the memory
of his youngest boy, who died on this
place. This offer has been extremely graft
flying to the people in the movement, and
action will be taken as soon as the board
is organized.
superintendent Chosen.
Another of the knotty problems in con-
l.ect;on with the inauguration of the work
has been the selection of a superintendent,
and it is also believed that this question has
been solved. After much examination the
Baltimore committee and Rev. Lawrence
Hunt representing Washington, have
chosen Mr.. Rawson Warren, young man,
who, it Is thought meets all the require
ments. He is a graduate of Leland Stand
ford University, and also of theological
seminary. He has for several years been
interested in work among boys and has
spent some time at the George Junior Re-
public.
Warden Harris Opinion.
Those who have especial means Of know
ing, officials and others, here, have all in
ha
people have especial knowledge of the
criminal young. Warden of the Jail James
H. Harris speaking of the republic plan,
has this to say:
II am entirely in sympathy with the
movement, and believe it will be a solution
of a great social evil that now exists in
this country. The primary cause of the
evil sought to be remeGied by this organiza-
ton is ignorance. The parents of those
young boys and girls in many cases were
tillers of the soil. Being ignorant they
were unsuccessful. If they owned land
they lost it because of their ignorance. and
no one having good, fertile land would
lease it to an ignorant man who managed
badly. Hence, they could only lease such
poor land as well-informed people would not
have.
Now we have a poor manager on poor
and unproductive soil. What surer thing
would bring him to want and drive him to
seek other employment? He at once turns
to the densely populated communities, be-
leving he can secure more profitable en-
ployment in the crowded city. Once there
he finds he is ignorant of how to perform
skilled labor, and is compelled to perform
such labor is not very remunerative, and
his ignorance and consequent poverty lead
to vicious habits, and they at once become
the criminal class and objects of charity.
1T is from this class We are to select in
habitants for the Junior republic. We be-
leve it is wrong to give aims to those who
are physically strong If they are mentally
capable of Instruction. that 1t is far better
and more economical to teach them how
to support themselves and ultimately place
them on the list Of taxpayers than to sup
port them in their ignorance without any
Labor is the legitimate inheritance of man.
There is no danger of overproduction. The
laws of distribution may be at fault, but
can be adjusted under our present form of
government. The plan or idea of junior
republic is not Utopian, but is essentially
individual. We believe in all the individu-
ality that can be consistent with govern
ment of the people, by the people, and for
the people, and there can be confliction
of these ideas by applying the laws gov
erning the Junior republic. 1t is much
cheaper for society to furnish competent
and efficient instruction to the ignorant
class than to support them. But this is not
all. When they have been instructed and
taught how to apply their energies they
are not only self-supporting, but they be-
come taxpayers also. More still, and by
far the greater benefit to society, is their
moral elevation and social worth to the
community. We believe the National
Junior Republic can accomplish this if
rightly administered. Much will depend
upon the selection of president for each
society. He should be an all-round man.