Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-03

wise be entitled to consideration at
this time. The necessity of such law
Is constantly emphasized to the people
who are acting along the lines of child
saving.
The Juvenile Court
"Here we find the child already in
the hands of the state. Charged with
crime as delinquent cless or we have
here the dependent class who are sure
to become criminal unless cared for by
the state in some manner. This is
neither the time nor the place to dis
cuss the question of detail in the law,
but there is back of the Juvenile law
principle, not new one but an awak-
ening of an old one. Christ said of
children, he that causes one of these
little ones to offend it were better for
him that millstone be hanged about
his neck and that he be cast into the
depths of the sea. And yet, we have
been taking young children convicted
with crime and placing them in jails in
which adult criminals were confined,
putting them under the worst possible
tutelage. Children in their humility.
candor, faith, their responses to good
and natural abhorrence of evil, were
selected by Christ as the type of the
very angels of God, for he said of them
of such is the kingdom of heaven.
Again he said except ye become as
one of these little ones ye can in no.
wise enter the kingdom of heaven.
The New Plan
1.-THE new plan of the juvenile court
involves the consideration of each
child as a separate and independent
problem, as a problem to be solved for
the benefit of the child and of the
state. The problem is to reform the
oh ind or a G
the problem of doing justice, and yet,
it seems to me that that is not quite
the question. The question is whether
we shall have a good citizen or a bad
citizen. If the child believes that he
is being abused, he will learn to hate
the step, but if he receives from the
officers of the state with whom he
comes in contact kind treatment and
gentle guiding he will learn to respect
the state as a friend and instead of an
anarchist at heart we will have good
citizen. A citizen, perhaps, who will
do evil, who will come under the ban
of the law, but there will be in his
heart a constant striving for that
which is better and right, instead of a
constant desire to do the worst possi-
BILE to the state and the people of the
state.
Evidently the first effort must be to
discover the cause of the child's de-
linquency or dependency. This opens
a wide field of inquiry and. this prob
lem, itself. the diagnosis of the case
may not be settled for some time.
When the case of the child is proper
ly diagnosed, the treatment sometimes
follows as matter of course.
The Method
I'VE are fortunate in Los Angeles in
having truant schools, a parental
school and now a George Junior Re-
public. We are fortunate in having
many persons who are actively inter-
ested in promoting the welfare of the
child. Through the means of these
homes for boys and homes for girls
and institutions for their training. we
are enabled by selecting the right en-
vironment in many cases to correct
the condition of the child. Sometimes
the parents need help, almost invaria-
bly, they do, If the child Is fortunate
enough to have parents. There should
be a juvenile court in every county in
order that there might be cooperation
in every county A child wandering
from home should not be sent by an
ignorant or an inexperienced judge or
justice to Jail, penitentiary, or even
to reformatory without notifying the
parents. No child under ii years of
age should ever be confined in a state
penitentiary; girls as well as boys
should be amenable to the juve-
nile court until they have attained the
age of 21 years. Much additional legis-
lation will be needed but the general
result to be sought is the betterment of
the child and consequently the better
ment of the state"
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