The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-04-28
OF
WOMENS' CLUB
MET YESTERDAY
HELD FINE MEETING IN Y. M. c. A.
-SECRETARY Sheriff. AND
DIR. HALL WERE SPEAKERS OF
THE AFTERNOON.

present to hear the addresses made by
Secretary Sheriff. on THE Methods
Used by Juvenile Courts in the Care
and Correction of Delinquent Chill
dren," and DR.. Hall. of the Associated
Charities, on The Value Of Industrial
Work"
Both talks were exceedingly inter-
esting and valuable, and were heartily
endorsed not only by the ladies pres
ent, but also by the Rev. Mr.. Gavin.
Rev Mr.. Sibley and Rabbi Swartz, all
of whom took a lively interest in the
proceedings of the afternoon.
A general discussion followed, and
as it was mentioned that Frank L,
Mayes is now in New York, it was
voted to ask him to investigate the
matter of juvenile courts and the va
rious methods employed regarding
them both in Chicago and New York,
and to bring home a full report of the
work.
A committee of three was also ap-
pointed to learn from other fedora
tons of the work which they are doing
and which it is hoped may be accom-
plished in Pensacola, and to secure
the cooperation of the state federation
of Florida, if possible. The value Of
the compulsory education law also
came in for discussion, and it will be
one of the duties of this committee to
place the matter before the local
school board.
Mr.. SherrilIs Speech.
Mr.. Sheriff. spoke as follows:
Some years ago, very clearly in
the recollection of the speaker. a
group of boys became a clan Of Scotch
Highlanders, made a raid on the herds
and the crops of the English across
the border and came triumphantly
home lover the back fence with sew
eral chickens and a few blouse fronts
full of June apples and turnips. The
fire was built, the chickens were being
Darbecued, the apples were roasting
! (turnips being better raw and all
preparations were being made for a
| glorious celebration of the successful
foray when stern reality appeared in
| the person of an outraged neighbor
and a shocked and scandalized father.
That feast never came off, but
! there was celebration of a different
nature and it took several months
savings to pay for the stolen property.
THE law says those boys were Grim
mails. Had the neighbor invoked the
law they must have been arrested,
tried, sentenced and their names writ
| ten down among the criminals of their
city.
whether they were criminals or
not, they were in danger of becoming
such, but fortunately they had good
| homes, rational method of correction
was applied, and none of them have
! yet been arrested.
! THE laws Of Florida, as those of
many other states, make no distinction
! between the boy or girI coming before
the court for the first offense-which
may be no more than the result of a
! childish prank; which can be no more
than the result of wrong environments
and the hardened criminal stupid in
vice and crime.
There is no distinction-both must
be confined in the same Jail, tried in
the same court, by the same law, with
the same sole object of ascertaining II
there has been a violation of the law
and then punishment is measured out
with the one object: retributicn. Some
times a man goes through this and
comes cut a better citizen and less a
criminal. but a child or woman
neveS.
"Ol4r court and police officials recog
lnize the cruel injustice Of such condi
lions and are unwilling to become
lpartfes 70 such bar5arity, but they are
IswCln to enforce our laws.
Our city marshal said when dis
cussing a recent case: What can
do? These boys have violated the law
but they are not real criminals The
need correction and tn" law onl5 pro
vtdes punishment. yet if they are LEFT
alone thev may develop into real Grim
Inals. Now TAat can / dO?'
rTE,rs 8 g.
lFloriGa and in some other states
child once arrested, placed in JAIL con
yicted and punished will more THAI
likely be returned again and acain ans
end IN the penitenuaTy, while the REG
orc@ q t5e Chicago Juvenile court
where enlightened methods have beer
III operation for over seven wears
show tina; SO per cent. Of the boy!
brought before that court have not il
the seven years returned for the sec
end 0flGnse and only with four anG
cRe-haf per cent has it been neces
Sary TO resort 10 term in a penal in
stijUtiCn.
1T viii be interesting to you ladie3
Of the Federation of \NOmen's Clubs 0
Pensacola to know Of the origin of tn,
movement which has spread NOR
rapidly Jlan any other reform in lega
procedure.
In 1895 the Chicago women's cIul
took mp the question Of needed legis
; lation for children, ias you have done
: and carried the question before tn,
= State Federation Of Women's Club
/ (as YOU may do) with the result tina
! The State Bar Association took up tn
= question. As the outcome Of the re
: sulting popular interest came the juve
= nile court act, passed by the Illinoi
: legislature OF 1899
, The spirit Of this new act. modifet
I 10 fiji into existing laws and conditions
? is now in successful operation in man.
5 states and with the backing of thi
f. federation can be placed on the Flor
: ida statutes al the next meeting Of III
= Florida legislature
THE Old law says a statute ha
] been violated: his TarihutiOn must b
eNacted.
The new Ian says. One Of our chi
fdTeu is in danger of becoming a Grim