The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-08-23
Juvenile Criminals,

q ~ only male children between
the ages of fifteen and twen-
ty-five years can be committed by the
courts to the Pennsylvania reformatory
If this opinion Is correct, and there ap-
pears to be no reason to doubt Its
soundness, the act of the Legislature
constituting Juvenile courts Is practic-
ally rendered abortive in its most i'm
portant provision. The court has still
wise and a wide discretion in return
ing under probation children who have
committed criminal offences to the GUS
tody Of their parents, or of removing
from under disreputable parental con-
troll boys and girls who are likely to
become contaminated by their home
surroundings. Here, however, II the
attorriey generals Interpretation of the
act Is sustained their discretion ends.
and the curious anomaly is established
that while young man Of twenty-five
may be committed to the Huntingdon
reformatory, a child under fifteen must
be sent to Jail or discharged. We do
not suppose for a moment that such
was the intention of the legislature.
But intentions cannot be read into
statutes. Judges are controlled by their
literal meaning, where that is not so
obscure or contradictory that it is open
to another reading more in concurrence
with humanity and common sense.
The Huntingdon is juvenile peni-
tentiary. 1t is not suited to children
under sixteen years Of age. 1t is an
excellent institution, admirably man
aged and adapted in every way for the
purposes for which it was founded.
But it is not nursery or a creche.
We believe that it would be a source of
infinite harm to send boys there who
have not reached at least the age of
fifteen. In this state law applicable
to men and women are made adjustable
to waits and strays of humanity who
have barely reached the age of discre-
tion. The American boy is very
precocious. His wits are sharpened to an
tricacy Of the laws which serve to regu-
late his conduct. 1t Is right and proper
that he should be kept in his place,
but it takes an elaborate and expensive
machinery to do that which might more
easily, morally and beneficially be ef
fected in less circumlocutory and
humane way.
When a boy is arrested for any Of
fense he is dragged to police station,
with all the solemnity and precaution
due to a hardened ruffian, charged,
lodged in a cell, awaits his turn for ap-
pearance before alderman or magistrate
as the case may be, and duly commit
ted, to Jail if he cannot procure bail to
await his trial. All this may be for
some trivial offense relatively and alb
solutely, or boyish prank. In European
countries there is no such demoraliz-
ing tomfoolery. Take a French boy for
instance. If he Is arrested for trivial
special officer, tried by special magis-
trate, and receives his punishment on
the spot by lecture or the birching.
That is rational effective and mex
pensive method of reform. If we had
something like it in this state, the
halls of our criminal courts and the
cells of our jails and penitentiaries
would be less crowded.
Luckily we have not very \long to
wait for the reconstruction Of the statute
which the attorney general finds defec-
tive or ambiguous on a point where it
is so necessary for it to be explicit.
We do not think that it would be be-
yond the legitimate functions Of our
county court judges If one or more Of
them drew up bill. approved of by all,
which would secure a merciful, humane
and scientific law for the check of juve-
nile crimes and the punishment of
Juvenile criminals,