Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-14
COLLEGE BOYS LARKS
INCREASE In JUVENILE INSIDE
/ MEANoRs DUE TO THEM.
Some Newspapers Explain Certain
Phases of Hoodlumism-Make
Lawlessness q Virtue.
From the New York Tribune.

From the New York Tribune
1.-THE exploiting Of college boys and their
pranks in the newspapers has made many
boys think that lawlessness Is manly said
Mrs. Anna Garlin Spencer to the women's
study class of the Society of Ethical Cub
ture yesterday, in enumerating the causes
which make for the increase In juvenile
misdemeanors in this country. The great
publicity given to college boys. the lengthy
accounts of matches. the pictures OF the
foot ball heroes. the joking over their es-
capades, have had an immediate effect Oh
the imagination of the ordinary boy from
Maine to California.
"It makes my blood boil.'' continued Mrs.
Spencer Indignantly, ito see group OF
East Side boys condemned to the reforma-
tory for playing some trick in the street,
and when a crowd of college boys larking
past my house at o'clock in the morning
does the very same thing have 1t treated IS
a joke and laughed at in the editorial col
umns of the papers next day.
Glass Privilege.
This privilege of the college boy to mis-
behave is the last remnant Of the class
privilege in American life. There are other
countries which retain the class privilege
Of the military or the militia, but know
of none that has held over from the past
class privilege. 1t has its root In the old
idea that the university student forms a
class in himself, and that while he is form
ing into a man he ought to be allowed 10
acI a boy.
Mrs Spencer's subject was '"rruants and
What to Do With Them" 1t was the first
in group of three lectures on delinquent
children. which will be followed by three
on defective children and four on dependent
and neglected children, the whole forming
a course of ten on child care and child
saving.
In the course of an address of great earn
estness the lecturer said:
Juvenile delinquency has increased
markedly in this country within the last
thirty years. What are some OF the special
causes?
In the United States we have unprece-
dented political and domestic freedom,
which affects adults but children especial
ly. 1t results in the development or the
| individual before the development Of habit.
1t. exertS pressure on the child to decide
before the capacity has been gained to de-
eide. 1t is on the whole. one of the most
beneficent of disciplines people can I'M
dergo, but one of the most troublesome.
Its general tendency in America 1s danger
Gus to children. 1t encourages will, ind
viduality choice, decision before habit has
been grounded into character.
Freedom and Democracy.
1.-THE general difficulty we are laboring
under is how to apply democracy to the
undeveloped human being. This is the
problem of the age. We have had fragrant
example Of the difficulty of it right here in
New York in our recent election. Freedom,
democracy-these are our national destiny,
and only the coward that nearly obsolete
creature. the aristocrat and the fool can
dream of going back to the old order Free
dom, democracy, give US our trouble with
our children. If we have more trouble with
our children than other nations have with
theirs, it is because our democracy is fur
Their advanced
Another reason cited as cause of juven
lie delinquency is the change in religious
ideals. This Mrs. Spencer said. has
been practically universal in America.
Whereas fifty years ago religion exalted
control and obedience. now We eXalt the
idea of sympathy and response to sym
pathy that shall be entirely voluntary. This
works well with finer natures. but has great
difficulty in appealing to coarser types"
The growth of cities. the damming of
childish energy by city restraints, the
spread of learning without corresponding
development Of character. were other rea
sons assigned.