Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-12
Very Successful Meeting at Columbia
Theater Last Night.
PRESIDENT M'KINLEY PRESENT
Senator Depew Tells Of the Results
of the Institution.
THE OTHER KERS

!
Navy. Mr.. John d. Long, and other high
| officials of the government, including many
senators and representatives in Congress,
testified their interest in the National Junior
| Republic, which has been established at
| Annapolis Junction by attending the meet
| ing held in the interest of the institution
| last evening at the Columbia Theater. The
| play house was filled with a representa-
| tive audience. which had gathered in
/ Spouse to an invitation sent out by the
| officers and promoters of the enterprise.
| Marked attention was given TO every word
| spoken in regard to the junior republic, and
/ it is believed lively interest in the plan
| of making good citizens out of boys that
/ might. if left TO themselves. become pub
! lie charges in after years, was aroused.
! Senator Chauncey NJ. Depew of New York
| delivered the principal address of the even
| ing. Several of the young officers of the
| republic were heard. These, in their per-
| sonality and address. gave vivid demon
stratiOn of the work the republic is
| cCmplishing. President Mckinley occupied
a box in company with Secretary Long and
/ the assistant secretary to the chief maSfs-
| trate. Mr. COrtelyou Mr.. II. B. Macfar-
| land called the meeting to order, and pre-
| scented Mr.. John JOY Edison. president of
\ the Washington board of trade, who acted
| as presiding officer, and first introduced Mr..
Blair Lee one of the trustees of the ma
| tional republic, now located on the Willie
Newbold Farm. MIR Lee told of the plan
| Of the republic: how 1t taught the boys to
govern themselves. He said the idea that
the institution was necessarily reform
school very erroneous. Instead OF be-
ing ruled the boys taught responsibility
for their conduct. and in their hands are
the instruments for Furnishing wrong.
The republic. MIR. Lee further stated. has
| its constitution its officials its laws, jul
dietary and other institutions. They have
a currency, and must work TO secure the
means of buying their food and clothing.
| The nucleus of a perfect system of courts
and police has been laid out, but on ac-
count of the small number of citizens the
| republic is able to accommodate at present
| 1t has not been thoroughly worked out. y
fine type of the American youth. he de-
clared. is TO be found running wild in the
streets. 1t is to reach and convert such
boys into useful and honorable citizens That
| the junior republic is formed. Obedience is
taught through respect of law. rather than
| through fear. The boy in the junior re-
public learns the valuable information that
he himself is part of the republic and Its
laws. and thus the best traits in his char
acter soon develop.
The National Junior Republic at Annap-
oils Junction Mr.. Lee concluded. is de-
signed to provide for the boys of Washing
ton and Baltimore place where they can
be taught to care for themselves. The ma
ton for its future must look to the youth
Of today and into the youth must be in
stilled those qualities that will maintain and
preserve the integrity Of the republic.
Senator Depew.
Senator Depew was introduced by Mr..
Edison. and said in the course of an eX-
tremely interesting address:
Il am always suspicious of philanthropy.
IT comes to in many forms and
many guises, seeking help. In many eases
either the individual is fraud Ike caUse
he represents is a fraudulent one. I am con-
WINGED that fully one-half of all charitable
efforts are productive of more harm than
good. 1t increases pauperism and encUar-
ages paupers to remain such. Especially
is it true in England that most of the
money contributed for charitable work is
absorbed in the salaries and office rent of
those directing its expenditure. The worst
form that charity can take is when 1t pau
perizes the recipient. | have observed that
Il scholarship in one of our colleges. that
provides for all the wants of the student
holding il, usually turns out an Indifferent
| or worthless man. while a scholarship that
only supplements the efforts of the student
produces a creditable and useful citizen, and
often a man Of brilliant parts. The men
who have become great are the men who
| have had TO work their way through col
lege.
1T is because it teaches self-helo and
Self-relance that | like the work of the
I Junior republic. The problem that con-
| fronts us in America is the concentration
! Of population in great cities. There the boy
| lacks the beneficial environment Of good
| home and good neghbOrs. and is surrounded
| by vice and temptation. / came from New
York today to be present at this meeting
| tonight. although my business requires me
| to be in New York again tomorrow. l am
| Interested in the work because ] believe ii
| promises the greatest good to our common
country.
| Whence comes the difference between
! the people who have settled in North Amer
| lea and those who have settled on the
| South American continent? Judging by all
| outward appearances, their conditions
| should be better in South than in North
| America. The reason they have not sue
ceeded as we have lies in their government
| Government is the source OF all prosperity
and all adversely. Those people of the
Latin races who are in South America SIM
| ply yield themselves to the will of a die
| tator. The race from which the men of
North America sprung has always been
| self-governing. They have that strong self
| reliance, that individuality of character
| that goes with free-thinking, free-actng
| people. And IL is this very principle of
| self-government that presents our oppor-
| tunity for rescuing these waits of the
street. In every large city there are hun
! dreds and thousands of boys whose sur
| roundings tend to make them villains and
| rascais. murderers perhaps. ballot box
| suffers and ward heeIers. How are we to
| save them? Various remedies have been
| proposed Some say by education, but the
| mere education of such a boy may only
/ make MIN the more dangerous as a citizen.
How 1t Works.
| You have got to appeal to the manhood Of
| that boy; You have got to'raise his self-re-
I spect. A few years ago the Junior Repub-
| lie established in New York was called to
/ my attention. / began to study the subject.
! and became convinced that the right way
/ had been hit upon. This system appealed
| to the race heritage of a thousand years of
| self-government. Many boys go to these
| republics with nothing but hostility in their
| hearts. As a first step it is explained to
| them that there are no rules for their gov
| eminent except such as they make them
| selves. Thus all the responsibility for their
| conduct is placed upon their own shoulders
| And l say to you that when the RESPONSE
/ bihty of government is placed upon a man
he Is not greatly to be feared.
| The boys meet and frame a constitution
| and they elect officers This part of the
| program especially appeals to the very first
| principles of their heredity. Then they
nave Judges and police force and a jail
| and finally they have a congress where
| they enact their own laws. The bows climb
| into the idea of governing. and they have
| respect Tor their own government And
| that respect for government never leaves
| them. The very healthiest possible Kind of
| public sentiment is created. What is the
result? When they get back to Their. homes