The Savannah morning news., 1904-10-04
EVIL EFFECTS OF
STREET LOAFING
ON MINDS OF CHILDREN
NOTED BY JUDGE CANN IN CHARGE
TO THE GRAND JURY.

Court Suggested That Special Rooms
Be Provided Where the Boys Can
COngregate at Night, Instead OF
LOafing on the Streets-Of Espe-
ciaI BENEFIT to the Poor Children.
Chatham County Dockets Are Re-
mark ably Clear of Old Cases.
With Judge CAMS charge to the
grand jury yesterday morning the Oc-
tober term of the Chatham Superior
Court opened for it's first session. The
! charge of the court was listened to
with attention and interest
Especial attention was called to the
need of planning for some room or
rooms where the children of the poor
can congregate at night. If this is
done the pernicious effects of street
losfng will largely disappear, in the
opinion of the court, and the early in
culcation of criminal tendencies large
ly avoided. The following is the charge
of the court as to this particular.
THE distinguished history of our
beautiful city, the culture and hospi-
tality of her people, her progress in
her future, should all foster in the
heart of each citizen the desire that
our community be conspicuous as law
abiding, cultivated and progressive in
all things.
For centuries grand juries have
been retained to safeguard these pur-
poses of government, and as the latest
representatives from the people, their
laws expect you to voice public senti-
ment in the great reaching out of our
community toward higher ideals, more
splendid conceptions and grander ac-
complishments in all that goes to
make a people great, successful and
happy.
You are the grand inquest of the
county touching Investigations con-
corning supposed crime, county gov
ernmental matters and recommended
tions of public policy. Our people place
reliance in your knowledge, or expe-
rience, and your uprightness. When
you took your oath as grand jurors you
at once became sworn officers of the
law.
For Benefit of Children.
"Your helpful suggestions will be
met by responsive advancement along
proper lines. AS an evidence of this,
we are to be congratulated upon the
promptitude with which our able Board
of Education has inAugurated manual
training in your public schools. Along
kindred lines, consider whether it
would not be well to provide in each
of our public school buildings one or
more rooms as comfortable places of
mental Improvement and physical recre-
alton for our boys.
Nothing is so pernicious, undermine
ing, and dangerous to the character
of the youth of our city as the habit
| of street lCafing. To these rooms,
| however, the boys of our city could
resort at night. There they could find
| salutary pleasure and profitable amuse-
ment. The wealthy may purchase these
advantages for their children; cannot
the public provide them for the large
/ majority of the other children2
while We are pressing forward so
well with our educational opportuni-
/ ties, pause to consider whether we
are not neglectful of the development
| of sound body as a fit accompani-
ment to an educated mind. For the
| life as intense as it is now, do not
our children need cultivated bodies in
| order that they may. easily carry
wholesome, active minds, the better able
thereby to conceive purer thoughts.
Court DOckets Well Cleared.
| Recently there appeared in one of
our great newspapers the statement that
| the Superior Courts of New York had
| a case on their dockets filed thirty
six years ago, and that two years was
| the earliest time within which new
case could by any possibility be reach
1 ed for trial In this connection, it
may be of interest to our people to
know that in our Superior Court any
case has its opportunity for trial with
in five months and the oldest crimi-
nal case on the docket is less than a
| year old.
'"The judiciary is created to admins
ter justice; to interpret and apply the
laws as made by the people, in order
that society may be protected and the
| rights of the people preserved. The
| judiciary has no voice in making laws;
| for it to attempt to have, would be
an unauthorized assumption. The peo-
pie are the supreme law making power
| of this state, subject only to the con-
stitution of the United States. 1t,
therefore, follows that the political
! subdivision which has the best edu-
Gated. most law-abiding and most pro-
| gressiye people, has the best laws
and there justice is most secure"
The Formal Charge.
The court then took up the formal
charge, charging those portions which
| are required by the code. The laws
against gaming were given in full as
well as the liquor laws, laws govern
ing the furnishing Of water and lights
in railroad trains, laws against trusts,
and the laws governing the inspec-
ton of county buildings, county Of
| ficer's books, etc. In concluding his
charge, Judge Cam said:
Your duties, as you have observed,
are threefold in characterize inves-
tigate supposed crime, to supervise
county governmental affairs; to make
recommendations pertaining to public
| policy affecting our county. The peo-
pie have selected you to the accom-
! plishment of these vital purposes of
/ government, and we confidently RELY
upon the faithful discharge of your
! duties"
GROVES TAsTELESs CHILL TONIC.