The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1904-02-11
Peoples Forum.
Those Boys Again.

no the Editor of THE COMET;
The attempt at breaking into the
Carnegie furnace store, by part OF the
lettering gang, mentioned in our last,
shows what the youths, unemployed
and out of school, are doing. Parental
influence appealed to availeth nothing.
To look into the school business little:
l find suspension common punish
ment for absence or hardness. Then
where are the childrenp In the school
of the street, Of the stable and Of the
alleyway and doing and learning many
things unknown or unthought Of by
the parents. Is there no compulsory
school lawP AS things are now the
youth who controls his parents, or
mother, can stay out as much Rs he
pleases, sure of his excuse, when he
wishes it, Often he is taking his first
lesson in forgery. Can not an ordi-
nance be passed making it incumbent
upon the heads of families to see that
all children up to certain age are in
school, and so shorten the crop Of vag-
abonds and thieves fast growing up in
our midst? We have lived in places
where this law was in force, and il
children were absent the truant officer
hunted for the cause, and If there was
no sufficient reason for this absence the
parents were fined. Then they did see
where their children were. Children
unable to furnish books were furnished
them, and there are plenty of good wo-
men who take pleasure in helping to
dress or furnish books for those unable
to do SO, although the city or state
should furnish books for those unable
to buy them. Will the school board
and the board Of city fathers and some
of our good wise lawyers look into and
talk up this subject and save to our city
: what she SO badly needs, the manhood
and good citizenship of these boys
Some we fear are already too far gon'
> for moral suasion to reach them, bu
! there are Others younger and more i'm
pressibly following in their footsteps
Can not and will not those who hav,
the power and the ability take up thi
subject? :" Boys will be boys an,
: ought to have good times, but the,
a might better work all day in factorie
o learning something useful than be o,
the streets instead Of in school. Boy
uncomfortable by teachers should b
sent to reform school if necessary
q But the present law of suspensio
j. pleases the idle. Ask q youth sauntel
% ing around why he is not in school, an
:, he'll tell you with a grin, II am SUI
q" pended" and proudly own that he
glad. Something is radically wrong
the present system.
"a And while on the subject of school
how many Of our teachers give instru
ton in writing or drawing? We bu
IN the books and the time is spent, but
" know one pupil who has had no il
struction for four grades in eithe
There are few children smart enoue
to teach themselves, but the ordinal
pupil requires teaching, else why pi
r for it? How many parents visit Il
d, school with view to helping or @
a couraging the teacherp OF course,
= our children are made to mind, th.
one can start in hurry to see what
y the trouble that our hopeful should
to punished, forgetting the fact that '
can not always evade that duty on
selves, in justice to them, and that Il
teachers have not only our children
ie govern, but many more of the sar
We kind. Peace be with them.
r. ONE Who SEES Too MUCH.