Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-05-10
aetistrllanrpu5 Rradins.
VICTORIES OF DENVER FIGHT.
Judge Lindsay Tells of Fight to Save
Bows,
Author Unknown


Boys.
The real glory of our struggle has
not been its saving of dollars and cents,
but of flesh and blood. When | first
visited the Industrial School at Col
den, l found armed guards in the re-
formatory buildings and some of the
boys shackled with ball and chain on
the grounds: | found the iron boot in
use, the boys being flogged in the pres
ence of their fellows, and many of the
usual prison brutalities practiced on the
miserable and rebelliOus children. To-
day there are no armed guards. no
chains. no prison restraints. Most of
the boys come alone to the school, stay
there of their own will, receive visits
from their parents, accompany them 10
the railroad station unmatched, and re-
turn themselves to their duties; they
learn useful trades and receive the
semi-military training of good board
ing school. with drill and a military
band of their own, and officers promot-
ed for good behavior The whole school,
on a recent gala day in Denver, march
ed in parade and enjoyed the freedom
of the city; and every last boy of the
four hundred at the days end was back
in his dormitory. They are happy;
they are learning to be honest, healthy,
useful citizens, instead of brutaliZed
and rebellious criminals.
When | went on the county bench,
the dive-keepers, gamblers, and saloon
men who debauch boys and girls were
not only protected by the police and
other officials, but by the technicalities
of the law. 1t was impossible TO con-
vict the saloon man or the gambler un-
less we could prove the serving of Iii
quor" to young people or their palti-
cipation in the gambling game: and
this was always difficult. Now we have
"contributory delinquency" laws that
require the keeper of saloon or any
disreputable resort to forbid boys and
girls freQuenting it: and he can be
punished if they are so much as seen
there. We have obtained laws that will
permit our probation officers to arrest
him; and we can ourselves file COM
plant against him if the district attor-
ney refuses to act. The result is that
no man OF NOllldll Ill ltllN el-IlD, HDl
the head of the system and king of the
corporations himself-has political
pull enough to save him from the
punishment of the law if he offends
against the poorest slum- m-child in Den
yer. No one can know how much that
means to the community unless he can
remember the horrible traffic in youn2
virtue that used to make our streets
and alleys i'm the dive district the open
roads a physical and moral hell.
We have obtained an effective regis
tratiOn law that prevents most of the
ballOt-bOX Stufting. We have obtained
Il code of probate laws that is con-
ceded by lawyers to be one of the best
| in America. We nave obtained amend
| ments to the child-labor laws, afford
ing children better protection and add
| ing Jail penalty for violation instead
| of Il light fine: amendments to the
compulsory school law, requiring 9
complete school year for all children
| and providing for the relief of needy
| children; laws fOrbidding the prnSecu-
tion of children for crime and rcquir-
| ing that they be treated. under the
| chancery jurisdiction and the rules OF
| equity. as wards of the state needing
| aid. help, assistance and encourage
| ment." Il provision in tine city charter
ding the placing of children under |.
| years of age in Jail and establishing
a detention home school where they
| may be cared for; Il set of laws en-
| forccable in both chancery and crimi-
nal courts, making parents responsible,
for neglecting their children on Scttinl
| them a bad example: Il law for the
special care of dependent children. pro.
viding for the inspection of all home:
| and institutions, public or private fOl
| the care of dependent children: Il law
| requiring parents. who are able IL pay
to support their children i'm state in,
stitutions: a law guaranteeing orphan
children at least $4,000 from tine eStat,
| of the parents befOr" creditors are
| paid: Il law giving the judge the yigh
| To place orphan children with person.
| processing the same religion as the pa
| rents: law forbidding any court t
| take a child away from parent unit
the parents rights have been carefully
guarded and adjudiCated upon; prOba-
tiun laws for adults: and a dozen Other
| minor laws and amendments of similar
| purpOrtS and effect.
We have helped To obtain nigh
schools in Denver ungraded school:
for backward children. public play.
| grounds. and public baths. We hav,
| failed to obtain trade schools. but ",
| have not ceased our efforts t. obtain
| them We have established summer
| camps for poor children in tn" noun.
| tainS. obtained work for them in tn,
beet fields and f.uit orchards. an,
found employment and assistance fu
| thousands of city children. our Ju'
| venile Improvement association for tn,
bcttcrment ana protection of the ChilC
| has spread over the whole country. Oul
| work for the children has been takcI
up by President Roosevelt i'm Il meSSag,
| to congress. by John Hay, secretary al
state. by Mr.. Herbert Gladstone i'm ;
| recommendation tu the British house al
| commons. by Prof. Preferential. as A.;
| representative of tn" German emperor
! and by officials from countries i'm i'll
| parts of the world OF all the thou.
sands Of children whom we have dealt
with not more than ten per cent hay,
been returned for Il second uffcnSc. anl
| we estimate tnat nincty-fiVc per cent
| have made good" in the end. No 0nt
can know what Il saving of young Citi'
ZcnS this means. Under the old meth
DDS of criminal prosecution ana iai
| sentences, from CD tu - per cent Oi
| the children were returned To the iai
| for Il second term within five years;
ana every term in Jail meant Il tern
| i'm Il public school Of crime that made
| tbn rl,illIru NytISp instead # L,,tt,.r