Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-11-09


treatment and control of dependent,
neglected ard delinquent children and
This act shall construed literally TO
the end that it's purpose "be carried out,
towit; that the care, custody and dis
nearly as may be that which should be
given by its parents, and in all cases
where it can properly be done. the child
shall be placed in an approved family
home and become a member of the
family by legal adoption or otherwise"
Whether or not it's purpose shall be
realized in its practical application,
do not hesitate to say, depends upon
the Judges Of the state and the agen-
ces provided in the law for its opera
ton and the interest and Co operation
of society III some of it's many organi-
cations looking to the uplifting and
protection of childhood.
1t Is not my purpose here to enlarge
upon the Importance or need of the
work in saving children from immoral
ity, vice ami crime, for the heart of the
nation is aroused and is going out In
many ways to her bad boy" and that
we may have too many of him in every
community of our fair State is too we'll
known to every citizen.
I wish here to call attention to one
item Of thu, report OF the chairman Of
the committee on juvenile courts and
probation ut the last annual meeting OF
the National Conference of Charities
and Corrections: There are over one
hundred thousand children. principally
boys, brought to the criminal courts
and jails hi this country every year. I'm
a large city Of the north upon my trip
l talked to number of boys between IL
and Ia confined in a cell with three
men After getting the confidence OF a
14-year- OLD boy. who said he had been
names Of twenty five boys in his neigh
borhood. who he said stole as much as
he did but who had not been caught
An 11-year- old boy gave me the names
of five boys. whom he said had stolen
more than he had. With few excep-
irons. every boy ever questioned In
the city and county jails have visited
had from five to fifty boys in mind
whom they knew to be guilty of Of
lenses, which In their opinion were
equally as, bad as those for which they
were incarcerated. OF course some OF
these statements may have been ex-
aggerated, but have allowed think,
for some exaggeration. For instance,
the boy who gave me twenty five
names said IL he could only have had a
longer tirne he was sure he could add
many more to it, as he was certain that
there were ait least fifty. 1t was a COM
thing for boys / met in Jail to tell me
that over half the boys they knew stole
things. and not infrequently did boys
tell me that all the boys they knew had
stolen something at some time and
would not hesitate to steal IL they
thought they would not get caught"
Is not that nearly as bad as the ex-
pose of graft and stealing in the great
insurance companies of New York?
Again, in the questions sent to the
chiefs Of police were the following:
How many arrests over twenty one
years of age were made for the crime Of
larceny?'
How many under twenty -one?"
'In the great majority of cases, where
spction Of the records made by myself,
it appears that nearly as many actual
arrests for larceny were made among
boys and girls as among adults, and In
q number OF instances, more minors
were arrested for larceny in the course
of a year than adults. In proportion to
as between adults and nil
nors there are easily twice as many nil
nors as adults arrested every year for
cat last one-half OF the arrests
among adults are the weaklings who
are the victims booked as DRINKS, dis
orderlies and vags. 1t follows that most
Of them are arrested for their own
vices ard bad habits; therefore the i'm
portance of guarding the youth of our
country against those habits which de-
stroy manhood.
Cali the police officials answering the
query Favored the Juvenile court and
probation system and opposed the Jail
as a proper means of correction for
children offenders
with one exception they all favor "a
law. nsIking parents responsible for the
moral faults of children, and emphalti
cally declare 1t would be a great help
to the police department in dealing
with crime among the youth Of the city.
"Wit.a such facts as these to consider
is 1t any wonder that President Roose-
welt, w'no is keenly alive to every ques-
ton Of morals and every interest af-
fcting the young, should have said In
his m ssage to the Congress in Decem
Der. 1904:
an the vital matter of taking care Of
children, much advantage could be
gained by a careful study of what has
been accomplished in such states as
Illinois amd Colorado by the junevile
courts, The work of the juvenile cour,
is really a work OF character building.
It is now generally recognized that
young boys and young girls who go
wrong should not be treated as crin11-
nails, not even necessarily as needing
but rather as needing to
have .hir characters formed, and for
this end to have them tested and de-
yeloped by system of probation. Much
admirable work has been done in many
Of our commemorative by earnest men
and women who have made a special
study Of the needs of those classes of
children which furnish the greatest
number Of Juvenile offenders and Their
fore the greatest number of adult Of
finders; and by their aid, and by profit
ing by the experience of the different
states and cities in these matters, it
would be easy to provide a good code
for the District OF Columbia.
With these thoughts in mind let US
turn to a consideration of the Iowa
Juvenile court law
While the law should not be consid-
sred as criminal act. or procedure II
foIy o. M yof rH,.nV