Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-02-22

associated with wrongdoing and con-
lsequent arrest. But the city boy
tsoon learns that if he is disposed to
behave the policeman is his best
friend-he guards him from danger
and wrongdoers; he holds back with
his uplifted hand not only the great
sweeping tide of the streets. making
safe place where he may cross. but
the swift tide of evil that would en-
gulf him. Have you ever thought
how many cases are brought into
court not for justice, but for re-
venge?
Is Caught Finally.
\ restless, active little boy whose
every muscle aches To he exercised,
who is not bad. but only idle and UNI
restrained, LOSSES a stone, just for
fun, at the corner store where the
cross old man is always ready to
come out and throw back at the
boys yulleys of broken English and
whole oaths. He has always sue
ceeded i'm running away from the
old man before, but this time he is
caught, Il warrant is sworn out and
he is arrested. rpcrhaps the mischiev-
Gus boy, who has never been taught
to see any beauty in flowers and
trees and grass. pulls up a young
tree in the public park or accident
ally breaks window trying to pitch
Il curved ball. Our own boys on the
avenue do such things sometimes.
They tease Il passing peddler or walk
across the flower beds. or throw a
ball to Il window pane that they
meant for the batter. but no one
drags them off as criminals; the
window is paid for. the boy is told
that his acts are mischicvous and the
matter is dropped.
Not so the street boys cScapade;
he is taken away by the policeman,
who has no alternative when given
Il writ. AMI in the time that must
necessarily elapse before the case
can come before the court. is actual
ly put in a cell, maybe with hardened
criminals. Here in one night he
finishes the college course in crime.
and even should the boy-naturc resist
the teaching, he is branded as jail
bird when he is released. and you
know the old story about giving Il
dog Il bad name.
MOtherly Counsel.
Here is where your boy would want
his mother. when the Jail confrCntS
him and he begins to find that his
FUN * crime. And here is where the
police matron supplies this need to
him. wins his confidence. finds he has
only been miscellaneous, for she soon
learns to discern. and with a little
earnest. kindly talk To the boy, and
to his mother. if she can he reasoned
with, makes of pscuGo-criminal the
beginning of good loyal citizen.
When u girl shows frivolous tend
oncies. an undue love of fiattery and
bad company do you send her to
men To be reformed? or to some low
ing. big-hcarted woman, who will
talk to her of her errors. tell her of
the better life that il open to her,
and through other friends who stand
ready to aid and love her back to
true womanhood?
There can be only one answer.
This * what the police matron is
doing in our cities every day-thiS
is the humane touch which must come
through her to the unfortunate and
crring from YOU if they are to be
reached. 1t * am oft mistaken idea
that the principal duty of police
ma tron is to search women Grimm
ais who are brought into court. This
is only one of the necessary things
she is given to do. Another mistake
is i'm thinking that only the larger
cities need such an officer.
The police matron is largely pre-
vcntivc. The people of Rock Island
have learned i'm ,hc last few weeks
the meaning and value of a preventive
of disease. The few cases of small
poN which escaped the vigilance of
the city officers or came i'm from
other towns probably cost the city
more apiece than all the prcvcntivcs.
Costs Less In Cash.
Chicago and other large places
have found this equally true in the
case of crime; that it costs less in
actual cash to exercise this care over