The evening Republican., 1902-06-30
CURFEW FOR
WILMINGTON.
Address by the Rev. O. r.
Miller, Field Secretary
OF FefOrm Bureau,
Washington, D. {.

l
vent the beginning of crime than to
reform the end of criminals. The
Curfew is a preventative measure.
! 1t prevents much crime and moral
injury to children. Children are
the wards of the State, and it is the
duty OF civil as well as parental au-
thority to protect them against
moral as we'll as bodily injury. The
Curfew has been tried in more than
Thousand cities and towns of our
country and everywhere has proved
an unqualified succefs.
What is the Curfew?
The Curfew is an ordinance pass
ed by a. city or town government,
requiring all children under a GER
tain age, usually under 16, to be off
the streets by the ringing of bell
at a certain hour, usually at 9p.
m. in the summer and at s p. m. in
the winter, unless accompanied by
the parent or other adult guardian,
or bearing a written statement,
dated that day and signed by pa
rent or guardian, declaring that said
Child is on an emergency errand.
The benefits of the .Curfew for a
city or town may be stated as fol-
lows:
First, a curfew will benefit the
morals of the children. Roaming
around the, streets at night will in
Jure the morals of any child. Chill
dren are better off at home than on
the street after 0 p. m., for on the
street late at night they will form
bad acquaintances and evil habits.
At night boys are more apt to be
thrown with evil companions than
in day time. Sometimes good BOYS
will associate with bad boys at night
undercover of darkness, with whom
they would not be seen on the street
in day time. OFT times boys will
get together at nisht on the streets
or in an alley and tell vile, smutty
stories which poison their minds and
soon lead to acts of immortality,
And sometimes boys and girls will
get together at night and stand in
dark doorWays or shaded corners of |
the streets or alleys and say and do
things that are certain, at 10 distant |
day to lead to deells of impur.ty |
and crime.
Prof. II. G Kraege OF Green Bay, !
Wis.,, states the case truly as to!.
lows; ITO the thoughtful student |
OF sociology It is painrul,to witness
the crowds OF youth, especially
girls, promenading the city streets
alter dark with an air of bonhomne
and good comr adship, exchanging
rude ]ests with young persons OF
the opposite sex and sometimes OF
doubtful character. The moral
dangers that beset tn. path of the
Young who are allowed too tree
contact with street life are not
sufficiently realized by many
pareots.
"rhc street talk among boys, ,espec-
tally. is not likely TO be pure; the
temptation to perform misclleyous
acts Is too alluring; and the whole
tendency is to establish habits de-
TO u proper regard for au-
thority. Nor infrcqucntly, street
gangs are formed. They tease, tor.
ment aud annoy citizens. abuse small
cr children, snatch fruit from gro
ceres, destroy property, and
insult girls, doing many OF these
things because they think it is funny
81 smart. Amidst such influences,
develop a low, quick species
1f cunning; but it is acquired at the
expense Of arrested deveopm
lighcr and better lines of growth.
AS the demoralizing process,
,hus begun, goes on, parental au-
.hority is first dsreyarded, then de-
led. Home restraints are thrown
)H, late hours, bad company and
from school and home soon
'ollow. Means must be found with
which to crafty the extravagant
md vicious habits contracted, aud
o keep pace with the crowd. If not
sufficiently far advanced along the
inc, a more experienced companion
the means.
First, perhaps, the theft of
ew cents from fathers or mothers
'urse. Next, a dollar or two tilch-
ID from neighhor. Then a mid
light entry into a store or ware
louse or the sluyging of some be-
ated traveller on the highway. The
and prison are the in
vitable result.
This, in brief, is the life-story of
undreds Of boys and young men,
nd young women too, whose names
re enrolled in the criminal records
t to-day; and it is the road of thou
ands of others are now travelling
Tho will swell the criminal records
to- morrow
Mr.. Hiram A. Baker, Ex-Alder- {
IAN and attorney and counsellor at
Nv, Hornellsville, N. Y, writes; II ,
'ok upon the streets at night as O. ,
reat training school of prostitution +
ice and loaferism, where boys and ,
iris fall into company that teaches
lem to take the first down
ard step. The law that removes
lem from such influence cannot be e
the: than beneficial. The Curfew t
NV is constitutional under the pow. \
which al! principal corporations t
ave to exercise police control over t
'eir Inhabitants for the general S
efare of the community at large" a
Second. curIew will conserve The t
,ath ot the children. Late hours II
the streets is always INJURIOUS 6
the young children who need SO d
ui h sleep. And o'timcs they con- 9
act bad colds aud other diseases k
! exposure on the streets late at