Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-10-17
Tho Cause md Hemedy i"r
Juvenile Delinquency.
To TIM Editor of the Dispatch:


Juvenile Delinquency
To thp Editor Of the Dispatch;
There are more than half mi''on Va
negroes. as against million OF WHITES
in tho state of Virginia. This negro pop
uiat,on has steadily increased since '"S
close of the civil war-since freedom ""u
citizenship were accorded the blscK 80
The character OF the increase mas peoi'
morally inferior 90 that OF the np 49,
and enfranchised cldss-as Is uniI,ist9ns
hIv shown from the Police ana hus'ii ~,
Court and penitentiary recores, VII VIII,
have been daily. Tcnthly, ana ani' '' 10y
laid before the public by an argus, W
press Notwithstanding the cohCtueu ia ~
that misdemeanors and ielohaes s,a vs.
committed by Virginia negroes as Saves,
and the other fact that slavery may NV .
given immunity from public trlai, con-
demnation. and punishment, In some IN
stances there has been, NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
the disparity In numbers before ana since
the war. more crime among the black
race since than before the war Ihat tills
condition which cOnfronts us IL uOlns
such harm 10 the negro race mere as may
not be- disregaIded by the respectaDle Oh
that race, and which is rightly cOndehlneI
By tho white folk. makes the matter Oh
cause and remedy Of more than pasSins
concern. That the necessary dlsclpilhe
of slavery was repressive or crime among
the blacks goes without saying, mat NC
removal of that discipline without ihe
substitution OF a parental discipllne-a n
tie less severe is unquestiOndoiy tno
cause for the existence in every haHllee'
village, towr ship, and city In the Co ill-
monwealth-of a large and increasing
class Of boys. girls. and youths, VINO uIS
utterly without any other restraining IN
fiuence than the law and its ofhcers, "no
can do no more than arrest, Try, consICl'
and imprisOn the delinquents OF tnls class'
who. after serving out terms or irlPil-
sOnment. are let loose upon their seVe-
raj neghborhOods greater terroIs 70 il'
peace and dignity than before thelr Aoi
mer apprehension.
So far as knowledge of the race may
be drawn from contact with II In tne
Observation-Disclosures universal test-
mony Of residents and travellers from
AIungo Park to Stanley attests 10 tie
very excellent control exercised py pa
rents over their children. and the wiling
obedience and respect for elders SHOWN
by African children and youth. 10 NUS
trate: For a young person in west Africa
to volunteer the expression OF an opln-
ion in the presence of an older person Is
breach Of good manners. Whlch is
promptly censured. The black mammieSS
aud uncles I'm savely inspired respect ana
obedience from the children OF their
masters, as well as a certain degree OF
respect and obedience from their own
children, over whom they had permissiVe
control.
Now. what is the remedy for this grow
ing, irresponsible, and ultimately criminal
class other than mere temporary repres-
sion by imprisonment? There Is no rene
dy Of general application, AZ present nor
will there be any unless the Legislature
Of Virginia enlarge the charter powers
Of the Negro Reformatory Association;
make necessary appropriation for the
maintenance of the present and prospec-
tive inmates Of the Virginia Manual La
Dor School. and furnish aid in way OF
necessary houses for the inmates to sup
plement the generosity Of Virginia, New
York and New England philanthroplsts,
and the munificent gift Of l,32 acres or
land. valued az 81 ojS. for the use Of the
school. By Mr. Coils y. Huntington.
While action of this kind will be par
TALLY remedial. it will not be wholly so
until aid shall be available TO secure the
services of devoted men and women, VINO
shall train the heart. hand, and head or
this delinquent class.
The remedy for this condition, mere ana
I'm the South Is holy Christianity-suppl
mented BIZ work and rudimentary learn
ing. ,,,,.. ... H.. %
Condorcet must be brought 10 the solu-
ton Of the Ills under which the negro
race suffers here and in other Southern
"Condorcet's central dogma is the per
fectibility OF the human species. always
excepting kings and priests, the supposed
Joint SOURCES OF all its evil. His Sketch
was written more than century ago
under the shadow. as IL were. Of the gull
otine. France. In that period since, ought
10 have made great way towards perIec-
ton She has got rid Of kings. she mas
ruininized the influence of priests, espe-
ciallv I'm all things educational. The re-
suit Is that the prisons and reformatories
In Paris. I'm particular, and France in gem
eral are d.stcnded, az II were, TO DuIst-
ing by plethora of Juvenile crime; whl,e
the adult criminal population has deYel-
oped new social hydra Of wholesale
atrocities-not, Of course. that they are
confined 10 any one COuntry-eXpressly
directed 10 cOnVulse and terroriZe society,
10 paralyZe the repressive hand or law,
and make the public peace Impossible.
The progress of civilization, in when
Condorcet put his trust, IS chiefly intel
lectual and material, alike In its aims
and i'm their results. We can, by degrees,
overcome the adverse powers Of nature
around us-viz.. by improved intellectual
processes applied to the world or matter.
But those within us we cannot eXpel nor
even moderate. save by the influence or
religion. Thus. while civilization seems
TO advance at any rate, IN a Zig-Zag line,
and within a limited area, intellectually
and materially, in morals II seems to
20 round and round a fixed point Among
ourselves IL seems certain that crime has
not diminished. and there are various UNI
EASY Indications that IL is rather in
creasing than diminishing. When
we have this dismal record TO set of
against the fact that certain forms or
vice once condoned by society. are now
disreputable there seems absolutely no.
thing 10 confirm CondOrcets cardinal as
sumption. JOHN H.. SM IN.
Virginia Manual Labor School, Hanover,