The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-01-26
THE CHILD
IN THE SOUTH
An Interesting Paper By the
Noted Judge Lindsey of
/. the Juvenile Court of Den
yer, on What Is Being
Done in the South to
Avoid Making Criminals
of Boys Who Misbehave.
c~6y-iSsS 1907, by Charities


and tho Commons. New York
Judge Lindsey has been granted
six-months leave OF absence from his
court In order that he may I'LL few
of the pressing lecture engagements
which have come to him from commit
tees, universities, private individuals
and organizations of many kinds from
all parts of the country. His first trip
was through the south, where he found
a quickening public conscience in re-
gard to the treatment of the child, as
set forth in these notes. During ms
absence from Denver, Judge w. q.
Alexander, a country judge IN neigh
boring town, will have charge of the
Denver Juvenile court.)
When the National Conference OF
Charities and Correction met in At
lanta, in 1908, the jail conditions for
youth and the amazing number or
children apprehended by the police
within a year in Atlanta and other
southern cities, was brought home
sartlingly to the people of the south.
They began to appreciate, as others
had in the north. the significance of
facts which before they had but
vaguely understood, and almost imme-
diately steps were taken in different
parts of the country which have re-
suited in much progress in applying
the puvenile court idea
The Juvenile Court.
The juvenileScourt, as at present
understood, is only seven or eight
years old, and within the four years
since the Atlanta conference, juven-
ile courts in some form or other have
been inaugurated in number OF
southern cities Laws have been pass
ed which emphasize the interest and
method of the south in this movement
for the correction and protection of
childhood. Most significant of all,
southern women have become widely
interested, and are pushing it to frui-
ton, before state legislatures, in the
newspapers, at the women's clubs. and
in all the various ways which organ
,ize public opinion behind a new move
ment When the writer, as president
of the international Juvenile Court
Society, recently visited the south, he
met large and inspiring audiences at
vicksburg and Jackson, Miss. Mo-
bile and Birmingham, Ala, New Or
leans, La, Oklahoma City and Guthrie,
okla
The Present Need.
The organized and lively interest of
the people of the south in their duty
to the children is unQuestionable. In
deed, it needs only to be crystallized
and brought effectively to bear upon
legislators and officials to enact the
laws and establish the work which
win solve its problems.
At the national conference of the
Kings Daughters at Vicksburg, no
subjects were given more attention
{v.o x-nIfaro ~
the children of the south-everything
pertaining to child labor and child
crime, so called. Some of the ablest
women of the south were in attend
Rnce / was told there had been d
kind OF tradition in the south which
did not permit women to speak In
public, and that it was a fine fruit of
the chivalry and deferential respect of
southern Zen for womenkind. But
the women of the south, like the wo-
men of the north, are making the real
fight for childhood. In making this
fight they are going to be heard. and
they will break down any barriers that
may stand in the way, however well
mentioned. 4
Sophie 3. Wright.
Some of the most eloquent and yet
simple and convincing addresses
have ever heard were by southern
women. There is, for instance, Miss
Sophie B. Wright, of New Orleans.
Her self-sacrifieing life as a teacher
since she was a mere child of four
teen. her work as organizer of night
schools and leader of other great phil
anthropies for. children, have endeared
her to her entire state. Miss Sophie
Wright and that powerful new senti
! ment Of the south that is SO cOncen.