The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-02-05
/ CAUSE OF CRIME
Prof. McKeever Has Some Opin-
ions on Question.
Criminal Is Nearly Always a
Spendthrift.
FORM HABITS EARLY.
Young People Should Be Taught
Thrift.
Should Be Part of the School
Work.
FORM HABITS EARLY.

Manhattan, Kan, Feb. 5.-'The
criminal is nearly always a spend
thrift
This declaration made by William
A. McKeever, professor of philosophy
in the Kansas State Agricultural col
lege, is one of the strong reasons he
puts forth why boys should be taught
to save money.
There is no good reason" said Prof
McKeever, why any ordinary boy
should not be taught to work and so
save and finally have a small bank
account of his own, provided. he be
given reasonable instructions in re-
gard to the matter. Moreover, this in
struction will prove in the end to be
as profitable in every sense as that
given on any other conceivable sub
ject, for it will become a great moral
force
Prof. McKeever's remarks are made
IN IN an address in pamphlet form.
reaching the Boy to Save He
treats the matter in most interesting
fashion and bases his statements upon
close personal observations made in all
parts of the United States.
Criminals Are Spendthrifts.
'"The criminal says the professor,
sis nearly always a spendthrift, and
necessarily true, there is something in
the very nature of the reckless money
habit that tends to drag one down to-
ward wrong doing. The published rec
ords of courts and prisons show that
the majority Of the men and boys
found guilty of crimes and INSIDE
meanors have gone astray as the re-
suit of an effort to obtain money or
its direct equivalent by some unlawful
means. Theft, forgery, robbery, and
f1a fo in,
the catalogue of crime. The present
day records of the juvenile court indi-
cate that the boys tried there most
commonly lack what might be called
money sense They show little evil
dence of having been taught how to
earn money honestly, and less evidence
of having ever known from expert
ence anything about saving.
1.-THE whole fabric of our moral life
is thoroughly inwoven with our
ideas about money and its purposes
and uses; and yet we are doing little
or nothing of a systematic character,
either in school or out, to instruct
growing children in reference to this
mon thing in cities and villages to see
boys ranging in age from five to thir-
teen making a bee line for the con-
fectionery store with {. nickel or dime
inst begged from parent. This care
1essness is allowed to go on till about
the ado1escent period is reached, when
suddenly the parent becomes imbued
with the idea that it is time to have
the lad earn some money OF his own.
In the typical case an effort is made
to force the latter to such a conclusion,
but the easy-going, free-spending
habit is now very persistent, and in a
short time the father may be seen re-
spending to the boys financial needs
in the same old way.
Something for Nothing.
1.-the habit of getting something for
nothing, so thoroughly formed in
early life,' says the head of a great
mercantile establishment, IS RESPONSE
BILE for the speculative tendency so
common among young men today.
They want to obtain high living with
the least effort. This city is swarming
with finely dressed young men who
do not own the clothes they are wear
ing. I know many of them personally.
In employing help always give the
preference to those who have already
saved something. for they are more
willing to earn what they receive
cit is otter the case, especially