The Elbert County tribune., 1903-01-08
SCHOOLS AND COURTS MUST COMBINE
TO SAVE CHILDREN AND LESSEN CRIME

habitual truancy and the necessity for
enforcing the present compulsory edu-
cation law. / say. with the facts in our
County Court to back IL up. that OF
nearly 200 cases of habitual truants
brought there in eighteen months.
three-fourths were guilty OF larceny.
burglary, malicious mischief or some
other equally grave offense, and while
the records OF the same court show
that we committed twenty-one boys to
the Industrial School in eighteen
months ending July list last for ha-
bitual truancy, all but six were guilty
OF some one of the offenses named. 1t
is always my custom to find out all the
bad things boy in my court has ever
done before a commitment is made.
Nearly all of the remaining six were
persistent buns. runaways. or incor-
rigibles. We had on one juvenile court
day a gang OF five boy burglars and
sneak thieves--as these terms are ap-
piled to adults-before us for trial as
disorderly Juveniles. | practically sue
ceeded in giving the history OF every
case in advance OF the evidence. The
testimony confirmed completely my ex-
perience in several hundreds of similar
cases of more or less severity.
First-Truancy, of course. Until a
very short time prior no truant officer
was provided for the district. Second
and third grade for these boys. twelve
and fourteen years old
Second-Fathers having divorced or
deserted mothers in three of the cases.
Third-Parental neglect at home for
several causes; mother probably honest
Woodworking woman. kept from home
at work because of the fathers deser-
ton, or. as in one case, drunkenness;
and what | may call a fourth case.
namely. bad associates" in one case
of good father and mother and reg
ular school attendant up to short per-
iod before the trial. The other four,
belonging to the same nelghborhood,
had overcome all the good influences
of good home. good parents, teacher
and school, and succeeded In making .
"jigger'' OF this boy. and consequently
Just as guilty in the eyes of the law.
The ''jigger" is the lookout-as boy
explained 1t to me once, de kid what
watches for the cop and SWITCHES de
gang" Now this boys moral sense
had to be conquered gradually. He
had reached the point where he would
'jigger," but no inducement would yet
get him into house or barn. l have
noticed this evidence of evolution or
number of boys Within a week
sweet-faced little girl came to me to
say that her brother. twelve years old.
was in jail again. She had been to see
her father (who. by the way. is sup
posed to find life more congenial with
another woman than the mother of his
children, and she reported that he
said he didn't care whether Johnny
staid in Jail or whether he didn't. and
that she knew I cared to get him out,
for she was sure he didn't do it Well.
didn't feel bad that 1t was after mid
night that night when | got Johnny
out. did feel bad when it was
the third bicycle Johnny had stolen.
and he had lied to everybody but my
self about it. l felt indignant and out
ragged that by the history of that case.
which ! will not digress to relate.
know that fathers selfishness. neglect
and brutality. but for the fact that the
state cared, imposed on the community
a thief and burglar.
Some people carp about the school
or the state usurping the functions of
the parent in rearing their children.
II the parents are irresponsible. heart
less. incompetent or Indifferent, as
there are thousands In this state. it is
=
this function unless the school and the
courts undertake 1t? Parents are re-
sponsible for their own children, but
as illustrated by the case referred to,
very often for their neighbor's chill
dren, and while responsible. careful
parent has no more right than the state
to intermeddle in the particular plan
or method of other parents in training
or educating their children, 1t is not
only their legal right, but 1t is their
duty to insist that their neighbor's
child is trained and educated. If it
were not SO. community life would be
uncomfortable. and If there be parents
who will not do these things. the state
and the school, its agent, must and
will do it.
When, last summer, wandered
through the foreign settlements of
some of our large cities and visited the
schools and prisons and found the same
conditions in a smaller and less seri-
Gus extent in our own capital city,
and added to this my experience with
poor children, unfortunate children.
or evil-disposed children. was fairly
appalled, at the problems they seemed
to present. and in searching for a solu-
tion | could only heave a sigh of re-
lief when, as light out of the dark
ness that made a straight way ahead.
that was refulgent and radiant with
hope. also saw. wherever my foot
steps carried me. from palaces to
slums, and even into misery and de-
spair. the American public school tri-
umphant amidst 1t all. the hope of the
Republic. now and forever worthy a
thousand times of the appellation 1t has
received. the most American thing In
all America"
With moral training in the public
schools, 1t is destined to do more to
bring order out of disorder. to make
good men and women. good citizens. to
promote love of country and all that is
good. true and beautiful. than all 9TH
er forces combined in the entire social