River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1903-06-18
Gentleness and Persuasi on the
Moving Forces.

Moving Forces.
In speaking of the petition for a
curfew we neither argued for nor
against such an ordinance. The
petition suggested some enquiries
as to the occasion for such meas
ure and to ask if there was not a
more rational method of securing
the end in view. Some anonymous
individual in Reply" asserts
that mo person with common sense
will oppose a curfew," "There can
be no argument against it.. This
being SO his assertion that we made
no argument against it was a SUI
perfuity, and the column and a
half of logic used to refute it must
have been an utter waste of 'uncom-
mon" sense. Had we asserted that
a curfew was not needed-which
we did mott would be a drawn
game between us for all the argu-
ment he used in favor of it was the
simple assertion that a curfew is
needed. Thus far we are quits"
All this is inconsequential and
but an introduction for a statement
for more candid consideration We
had made the assertion that it was
matter of serious consequences to
arrest a sensitive boy and shut him
up in jail. The writer of the reply
ridicules the statement, characteriz-
ing it as utterly silly" Now we are
ready to go into court on that plea
and leave the issue to the judgment
of common sense and common
experience. 1t seems to us that
the man who can with conviction
contravene that statement with such
a characteristic denial is not deeply
versed in the philosophy of human
nature.
The ordinary boy has horror for
the jail. He associates it with Grim
inals. II S a dreadful thought to
him to be arrested by policeman
and sent to prison. He supposes
as matter of course that no per-
son that is innocent of criminal ac-
ton is put in jail. The man who
has been imprisoned has lost the
respect of his acquaintance. What
terrible shock it would be to such
boy to be shut up over night in a
lonely jail with thoughts of crimi
nails as his companions! Can we,
looking back to our own boyhood,
realize the despair that would come
to that boy? He will think how he
will be deprecated, Idespised, scorn-
ed by his mates. There comes a
change in that boys conception of
things. people are seldom better
than the opinion had of them" If
you want boy to be criminal
make him think you believe he is.
Treat him as if he were. If you
want to make liar of a boy dis
trust him. Insinuate that he does
not tell the truth. Call him liar.
If you want to make him thief
why just make him one-by accus-
ing him of stealing. Just persist
in this practice and you make liars,
thieves = Criminals. And you do
we'll to make jails for your crimi-
mails. A final judgment may decide
who is the most guilty.
Any man can remember many in
stances in his boyhood where by
| gentleness and persuasion he was
influenced to exert himself to do his
very best. But he remembers with
more distinctness and with bitter
ness the hurt occasioned by unkind
words, by suspicious, by false ac-
cusations, by insinuations. He re-
calls instances where he rebelled
because of this distrust and harsh
ness when kind word, little con-
fdence would have impelled him TO
run his legs off" to please.
Man, like other animals, is born
with disposition TO fight. 1t is
necessary to his existence. Invade
mans rights and he has an i'm
pulse to fight. One of these rights
is the maintenance of his honor.
The boy is endowed with an ideal
of honor. You can do him no
greater injury than to impugn that
conception of honor which an inno-
cent boy cherishes.
''For youth is the hero and thirsts for glory;
The champion of honor; the knight of truth.
He burns for the conhiet--the same old stoFys
/ ST0fAi brave EOHtntn