The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-01-27
DELINQUENT BOY AND GIRL
NEED NORMAL ENVIRONMENT
az Jessie M. PARTON

y
I'D ignored, is slowly coming to
considered human being with
gifts and privileges of its own.
But the progress made is so in
Intestinal that every inch gained
= made q matter of self-gratulation.
Most of the states have been
'sarsh and unfeeling stepmothers
20 their little wards. 1t is as though
the unloved child, mute and help
less, chung to the skirts of the
state, which turns wholly away or
gives but grudging recognition to
the appeal in those uplifted eyes.
Men can see money in a great
ship that will break all records in
crossing the Atlantic, or new ma
chine to take the place of 80 or 800
workers. They are comparatively
blind to dividends on a child saved
from the slums and prison.
It's poor economy to neglect the
child. Prisons, refornatories, aims
houses and the various state insti-
tutions cost money which might
better have been invested in the
child, it's education and surround
ings.
Chicago places its delinquent
children under the same manage
ment as its bridewell. The John
Worthy school is situated within
10 feet of the house of correction
for adults, where the riff-raff of
the streets is sequestered. Juvenile
Judge Mack, of Chicago, once said
about the OHM Worthy school: "If
the boys don't know the school is
under the same management as the
bridewell before they go in, they
learn to understand that fact be-
fore they come out"
In New York city delinquent
children are scattered among vari-
Gus charitable and religious institu.
tions, and this rule is followed in
most cities.
The children's court of New York
deals annually with more cases
than any similar court in the world.
One grave defect is that children
are allowed to hear charges OF
drunkenness and immortality made
against their mothers Nothing that
breaks down the child's respect for
its parents can possibly work to its
own good.
The Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Children in New York,
familiarly known as the Gerry"
society, has authority over every
child arrested in New York or held
for improper guardianship, or
homeless. cannot believe a state
Or municipality is doing its full
duty by it's citizens when it allows
private organization to assume
police duties or powers. The
work must be done, but why should
1t be done as a private charity?
There are agents of this society
who seem to entertain all abiding
faith in the wickedness of the av-
erage New York child. One boy,
aged about eight, in whom | was
deeply interested, was snatched
away from the bar in the cbildrens
court so quickly | had not time to
catch the judges swiftly mumbled
words.
What is the boy charged with"
! asked the ever-present Gerry"
officer. "Oh, he's an oldtimer,' he
replied. BY tracing the child back
to the station house | found he was
homeless. and both his parents
were dead An older boy found
him crying on the street, and
brought him in. So far as | could
discover he had never been in
court before.
Is this the proper spirit in which
to deal with children who, by the
tention of the police, require spe-
cial care?
Instead of being housed up in
charitable institutions, the delin-
quent boy and girl need contact
with the earth; normal environ
ment must take the place of abnor-
NAL surroundings that made them
different from the boy and girl in
happy homes.
The excellent work Judge Lind
sey has done in Denver is being
followed to limited extent through
out the country.
Judge Lindsey has been a tower
of strength and hope for the child
criminal" He has done more
perhaps than anyone else to point
the way to honest and Christian
treatment of children who break
the law. 1t seems absurd that a
municipality should exist in this
nation and age which has failed to
put Judge Lindsey's juvenile court
idea into practical operation.
This is worse than ingorance-it
is stupid and criminal Indifference.
The way has been open, through
the judges revelations, for at least
seven years.
In Cleveland, o., they have what
every city ought to have had long
ago, municipal farm for delin-
Quent boys.
II is called 'the city farm
school" There on a farm of 2S5
acres the bad boy of the city is
LEADING the normal baa1tby lifo