The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1910-01-01
MORALS OF OUR CITY YOUNG.

When Mr.. Nephi Morris in the tabernacle a
few Sundays back ended the reading of the charge
brought against the Y. NJ. @. A. by The Intermoun-
tain Catholic there was a noticeable stirring OF
the feathers among many of the Gentiles present
To some among the non Mormons the revelations
uncovering the impurity and blackguardism Of
many of the young boys and girls of our city were
rue and NORWOOD, but to others it old story
with only the novelty of telling aloud
The "hoodlum" element in Salt Lake City is a
menace to the safety of the community. 1t has
been allowed to grow until it is prolific of
crime and it is not now easy to control it. drous
remedies have been made and suggestions volun-
teered, and they all good in their way. One
man says: "There is too much tenderness false
charity and mercy in the present moral administra
ton of justice and government of society" If he
means, as he doubtless does that parents and all
others who have the care of children, too often
hibt the spirit of easy good nature, rather than
wholesome frmness, he is, beyond contradiction,
right. Children should be compelled to learn what
is their duty and that that duty must be done
with an accent on the "must."
Another declares that public schools ought
to teach fewer branches, and pay more heed to in
culcating good morals and manners, and many will
agree heartily with him. "The school curriculum
of today" writes this observer stakes no serious
interest either in code of morals, in its inevi-
table accompaniment a code of courtesy and good
manners; indeed, education in any proper sense of
the term has been eliminated from every depart
ment of school and university life and we have
instead system of secular instruction, devoid alike
of religion and reverence, but fruitful in rowdyism
and vulgarity."
Another writer urges that the prevalent evil is
due largely to the fact that children and slips of
lasa aaa sixls axe permitted the Freedom of the
streets and suggestive places at all times and
allowed to ramble freely after dark He is certainly
right in saying, keep them at home" And so we
have a sheaf of suggestions for the parents, the
police, the legislature and the city council all of
which seems to us like throwing feathers against
the wind. The thrower is good the feathers are
good but the wind is too strong.
Back of all and more important than all these
specific remedies must be public opinion. Public
opinion will not make bad child good, nor sup
press the nclinations to evil, but it can compel
the parents of the bad child to keep it at home o.
nights and make it behave itself abroad.
At present many of the very people, whose chill
selves think the matter one of serious Importance
Perhaps they used to have the run of the streets
when they we're young and escaped harm, or do not
understand the harm they received. Perhaps they
would prefer that their children behaved better,
but know that their own neglect long ago caused
them to lose all control over their boys and girls
The number of parents is sadly large who have
learned what it is to be openly and impudenty de-
fed by their own offspring. In any case we all need
to wake up to the fact that the uncared for chill
dren are, will the boys and girls be- and as are
the boys and girls, so will be the men and women
of the future. It is rather dark outlook at the
best. These youths have no religion or they will
not have when they grow up, and the worst kind
of religion is religion at all.
HERE'S TO YOU!