Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-08-08
FUNCTIONS OF
JUVENILE COURTS
------
Address by Rev. Albert Buxton
Delivered Last Night in
Barratt Hall.
FIRST OF SERIES OF TALKS.
Design of Court Officials To Awaken
Interest Among Public Relative
TO Care of the Young.

i'dSt NN'illllb NJ IodlIull Hdlls KEY.
Albert Buxton of the Central Christian
church, delivered lecture oH the
functions of Juvenile courts. 1t was
the first of a series of talks designed
by Officials of the organization to
awaken interest among the public rel
ative to juvenile Jurisprudence. de-
tention homes and general care of the
young. The meeting was presided
over BY Judge f. C. Gowann The
following is brief synopsis of pr
BuxtOn's address:
Our theme tonight is the latest in
vention in the worlds wonderful pro-
gress. The new possibilities of social
triumph in the perfection of the iuv-
emile court are - genuine discovery
as the finding of an unknown contin-
cnt by Columbus or the capture of
heavens light through the silken cord
of Franklin. Its organization and OPP
Grafton are an invention as revolution
airy as the wireless telegraph or the
dirigible alrship. Like all inventions.
Il is mans discovery of one of Gods
hitherto unused laws, and the elabor-
alton of appropriate devices to har-
ness IL to mans use.
Society is the chief phenomenon on
carth--more striking than the musical
wind or the discordant tempest and
the evolution of social organizations is
Al greater world-conquest than the
transformation of the bark canoe into
the steel-clad battleship.
This organization of social factors
and functions has always had divers
purposes; a constructive betterment
as in building of bridges. highways,
postoffices, schools and hospitals--and
Il defensive protection against its de-
structive foes--thosc harmful forces
that waste It's wealth or corrupt its
virtue.
When this constructive betterment
or this defensive protection becomes
so vital to the social welfare that rec
ognition is demanded from each indi-
Nidual. this demand becomes law for
universal obedience and the organiza-
ton that enforceS TINS demand is
termed government.
This organization for effective bet
torment of the social welfare has fol-
lowed the same law of evolution that
has made and is now making the arid
desert into a garden of fruits ana
flowers. Mans laws We're first crude,
and often unjust, injurious. or inef-
ficient. Through frequent FAILURE,
legislation has risen to be, not the
oppression of captious lawmakers, but
the wholesome and normal rule that
follows natures resistless laws More
and more mans statutes become the
expression of heavens laws.
The juvenile court is highly spe-
cialized application of social expert
ence with peculiar class of Offend
ers--the children. To understand and
appreciate its scope and value. we
must find its place in general juris-
prudence dealing with offenders in
general. What is a court? What is
an offender? What was early society's
h.
When we understand these, we may
then value the modern legislation that
gives to the weakest special care,
We may then ask: What is juvenile
court?
GUARDIAN OF THREE CLASSES.
Society. for its own welfare as well
as for the best good of its wards, is
guardian of three classes of individ-
uals, often called the three DIS.
/. The dependents, who, through
infirmity or misfortune, cannot live
without social aid. The poor" says
the Master. we have always with
YOU"
2. The detectives, whose sad estate
may be cared for and sometimes rem
edied more successfully in public in
stitutions than in their own homes.
These are the blind, the dear, the
feeble minded, the epileptic, the IN
ebriates. the insane.
s. The delinquents, who prey upon
the property, or the happiness OF the
lives of society
our theme chiefly concerns the last
of these classes, and leaving the de-
pendents and detectives, deals with
the delinauents-th offenders. against
whose threatening oifense. society
raises It's legal defense through the
machinery of police and courts ana
iails.
/ have already said that the methods
and devices of society have constantly
improved until today their elaboration
is the chief triumph of our renned
civilization.
Early society met its foes In yenge-
full mood, with crude, brutal, though
often futile weapons. Because OF SOME
harmless hallucination, the defense
less witch was drowned The epilep-
tic. already suffering untold torture,
must be burned TO eXpel the demons
that ragged Tho famished girl that
took small loaf 10 keep from star
walton was hanged on the roadside
gallows.
Society of today feeds both with
brcnd and with love the body and
heart hunger of that starving girl.
and leads her weak, though maybe
wayward. feet into safe paths. III
softens the pain of the irresponsible
opileptlc, ana quiets his quiverng NJ
In hospitals built only for him and
his unfortunate brothers. II cares FOR
the irresponsible insane and often
heals their disordored brains II no
longer fears wltchcraft--for II no
longer charms Churn, or casts an
evil eye on the frightened child. The
worst witchery of today Is that which
works It's wlles through mischievous
eyes half hidden beneath the am
bush of merry widow hat.
SHOULD BE SAVED.
This transformation Is the evolu~
ton OF the ages. wrought through the
luhors of those like John Howard, who
distinguished the grades. and who
taught that underneath the offense we
punish man of kindred flesh to ours.
II was the novelist Charles Reade
in His Place" brought us back TO the
common humanity OF that Master.
who linked all mankind, whatever
their fault. in His final test, Let him
that is without SIN cast tho first stone
We have learned that the anti-soclal
offender IS sim Il member OF society
and should be saved, and that society
finds its highest salvation aud It's best
protection in saving and protecting
tho hayward. No longer does the
state avenge. vengeance is mine, and
| VIII repay says lie that shall judge
some time the Judge and the Jury as
well as the prisoner at bar. The firm
hand of the law still grips the felon
for lis own protection, wkile II guides
hls hayward feet into paths safe for
himself as well as society The grim
prison has become the soul-hospital
To reform and restore oven while II