Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-04-12
PARENTS OFTEN TO BLAME:
 WILL NOT SEE THE WRONG
And Are Offended If Any One Points Out Faults a < Their Children---A Policeman's Comments on Father Slocums RemarkS---This Officer ThinfYs the Law Should be Made to Reach Parents az Well as Their Children

Commenting upon Father Slocum's remarks last Sunday about crime among youngsters, one of the police men said that while there is but one side to what Father Slocum said, no- body but priest or minister dare make such Statements, and even these gentlemen, ne thought incur consider able censure for their words of warn ing from parents who are so self-con- ceited that they think they know it all and their children are just right. Some time ago." he continued, .'I no ticed a couple of girls cutting up ill a quarter of Lhe city where had reason to suspect that their father would not allow them to be if he knew it, and knowing him, I made up my mind to call his attention to their conduct We'll, he didn't tell me I lied but the look he gave me was equivalent to that, and, to make things worse, the man hasn't recognized me since. When he happens to be coming my way ne invariably sees something that attracts his attention on the other side of the street, so you see it is almost out of the question to make some people be- lieye that their children would act in an unbecOming manner, and as a re- suit few realize that their boys and girls are fooling with fire until 't is too late. The police and their neigh bors are onto them long before their fathers or mothers get an inkling of what they are doing. I'm not sur prised that boys are constantly being brought into court charged with seri- ous crimes and that slips of girls are going to the devil in leaps and bounds. The wonder is, considering the length of the rope given them and the oppor- tunities afforded them to get into mis- chief that so many of them keep out of the public eye. I have often thought 1t great pity that there is not a law whereby parents who allow their chill dren to run wild and do as they please could not be taken hold of and pun ished."
 Another man viewed the situation in a more hopeful light. He was of the opinion that We don't hear enough of such talks as Father Slocum gave last Sunday, and had an idea that it would pay to have what he did say printed in pamphlet form and mailed to every body in Waterbury who had anything to do relative to the training of chil- dren. ''The man who goes to bed,'' he said, "and leaves his boy in a rat hole and his IA or 15-year-o girl promenau- ing the streets with some young scamp is sure to have frightful awakening some day or other" Asked what he meant by a frat hole," he replied rath- CT cllrtly: ..Why, those notorious clubs composed of youngsters, the worst breeding nests in the com munity. The parent who turns his child over to the authorities when he gets beyond his control shows a fathers interest in his offspring and is entitled to the sympathy of every good citizen; but the one who allows him to keep on going from bad to worse until finally the police have to take him in hand of their own accord, is a scoundrel and earns the~ contempt of people wno are working for the up lifting of mankind"