The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-06-03
WOMEN FOR GUARDIANS
MORE HONEST IHAN MEN, BUT UAYE LESS OF BUSINESS INSTINCT

JtAVE LESS OF USINESS INS1INC1 Difficulties That Lie in the Way oi
 Steppnren ts to Whose Care are Com
 mitted the Fortunes of Minors Law
 yers Not Eager to Take Charge oi
 Women's Affairs.
 Tt is hard enough to be guardian for ones own child. To accept the re-
 sponsibility on behalf of the child of some one else unusually argues either
 great magnanimity or exceeding dis
 honesty"
 The lawyer brushed bushel of
 papers aside and put his elbows in their place on the desk.
 "If the guardian is honest, there is, ordinarily, nothing in t for him ex- cept trouble: and it makes one optimistic about human nature to see
 the number of persons who cheerfully submit to being condemned to hard labor, without compensation, just for friendships sake or human kindness
 Of course, if a guardian wants con trol of minor. in order to get his hands on the child's money, that another thing. There are plenty of such cases. Then there is third situation in which the guardian is honest, but poor and is glad to get the money which the court allows for the chlld's board and maintenance.
 "One finds any number of cases of that character among the poorer folks. In fact, if money is left to child in the tenement district, there is a grand scramble for the privileges of guardian ship. You know, a child has a right, after he is IA years old, to make appli- cation for change of guardian, and 1t is amusing to see the pressure brought to bear in some cases In order to persuade the minor that he needs another guardian.
 Such incidents occur most fre- quently in connection with step parent who is guardian. If man dies and leaves his child in charge of stepmother there are often kinsfolk who try to make trouble. The word stepmother is peg upon which to hang charges. A saint in that relation is liable to islander. The child is easily prejudiced against a step-parent and long line of uncles, aunts and cousins will come forward to prove the step- mother incompetent. If the woman ever whipped the child and sent him to he'd for any fault common to boy kind she is charged with cruelty, as though she has been in the habit of keeping the boy on bread and water and fogging him within an inch of his life two or three times a day.
 Then there are a great many step- paren<s guardianship cases in the courts?" asked the reporter, with whom the lawyers was talking.
 Well, yes; not that stepparents primarily abuse their trusts. But, as saidy 1t is easy for minor to be pre- judced against a step-parent and to resent actions that, in real mother or father, would pass unnoticed. I'm honestly sorry for the stepmother or stepfather who is left guardian to a family of children with money. It is very probable that tlere are shoals ahead for that guardian. Sometimes the complaints are justiflable, and the stepparent does abuse the child or neglect his interests; but in my ex perience such a thing is rare, and the same complaints are often made against real parent.
 If I were a stepmother or father, and left in charge of children with money I'd want surety company associated with me, It would be bad for our business if everyone felt that way, but I'm unprofsssional enough to admit that it would save the guardian a deal of wear and tear In that case that the surety company would | countersign all checks, have joint access with the guardian to the safe deposit vaults, and share all responsibi- bility for investment and management | of the estate. That protects the estate, but it also protects an honest guardian, and it's a good arrangement if the estate can stand the expense.
 You see there is no law by which good man or woman is bound to be intelligent" An honest fool can make havoc with an estate as thoroughly as clever knave. Somebody said that | ignorance may not be as damnable as humbug, but that 1t does more damage when it gives pills. Now that applies to law as well as to medicine. An up right guardian may be an utter fool, in regard to law and business. A large percentage of guardians are appointed particularly if women do the appoint ing-for their moral qualities, without reference to their business ability and they make mess of things. That is where the modern idea of associating q reliable surety of trust company with ', the personal guardian is good thing. II The guardian can't run wild on invest ment, even if he wants to do it. On the other hand if the guardian personally hold all responsibility, he may with the best intentions in the world and the worst judgement, borrow the ,, child $ money make bad investments , and dissipate the estate, in dime novel fashion. There are so many chances !, for mistake in the management of an {. estate.'' How do women compare with men as guardians?" , Chivalry struggled with veracity in : the lawyers breast. He weekly com , promised ''Now." I'll tell you" he /. said confidentially,. "There are two . sides to that story. For conscientious / ness and devotion to her trust, give me a woman; but, when I've got to handle business propositions with a 1, e, o1,, r,;, 1