The Washington herald., 1909-02-24

Every member Of this republic must be
seif-supportlng. The law is that he who
eats must earn his food. he who would
have clothes must earn the money 70
buy them. So there are farmers, black
smiths, carpenters, painters, cooks, laun-
dry workers. hostlers. dairymen. road
makers. and dozens OF other professions
or trades in the National Junior Repub-
lie. Each worker earns a stated wage a
Jay, which is paid 10 him in the coin
OF his realm-aluminum money. that is
exchangeable at the end OF his stay for
good American money. There can be no
losfers OF idlers. because there IS a law
against vagrancy. The idler is promptly
arrested, tried. and put 70 work at ditch
digging and given the plainest food. Work
is offered him. and he may choose the
kind he likes, but he must not idle away
his time. Education is compulsory and
attendance for half OF every school day
is required. For attending school each
citizen Is paid wages just as Il he were
working al some trade. This institution
ike the other four OF its kind. is sup
ported by private philanthropy. though
more than once the matter has been
brought to the attention Of Congress.
asking that an appropriation be made for
It's support. 1t is big prevention against
crime. mendicancy. and incompetency.
There Is no corporal punishment by the
officials OF the republics. The citizens
make the laws, and their representatives
enforce them. Smoking. desertion. fight
ing, disorderly conduct and vagrancy are
the leading offenses. Boy police arrest
tbs offenders. a boy judge tries them be-
fore boy jury, and II they are convict
ed and condemned TO pay the penalty
their offense, boy officers see that thy
are put into convict clothes OF striped
bed ticking and put to work under boy
guards at hard labor
The first president OF the National Jun
for Republic was the ex-leader OF a tough
Bovery gang. but the very gifts Of lead
ership ana energy that made him q hero
there were diverted into new lines. with
betters ideals. and he made a great sue
cess OF his high position. Even the
president IN these republics IS not i'm
mune from arrest This same first presi-
dent was once seen to throw an empty
cigarette box into the grass. Just after he
had signed the law that made cigarette
smoking an offense. An esgle-eyed off,
Ger secured the box, summoned others.
and they caught the suspected president
and shifted his breath 70 determine IL he
had been smoking The evidence so
cleaned seemed TO indicate that he had.
and he was tried. Here comes the clev-
erness Of the little fellows. One found
out through d lawyer that according 10
the Maryland law the smelling Of the
breath cannot be accepted as evidence
The boy offered this IN his clients favor
and the president was cleared. be sobbed
aloud with relief. did this young prssi-
dent, eTstwhile oUtcast and street gamin
from the BOwery. and became then and
there 4 proud. loyal citizen He has been
through college since then. snd IS now
making his own way in the world.
These republics arouse IN their young
citizens certain characteristics that were
never accredited 10 them before. But
who had ever told them that a boy should
know The laws OF his State2 Who ever
told them that they could interpret these
laws or model ike laws for their own
government Who had ever told than
that they could he self-respecting and
self-suppOrting? Who had ever riy.an
them positions Of trust. or had ever zp-
pealed 70 the spirit Of nobility that is
dormant in every human being2 The re-
publics were the first to DO IL and when
ever they haye-placed confidence in these