The Washington herald., 1911-07-23

CRepEinted from the August number Of shs Verffas
MasaHne)
Home is the dearest place in all the
| world TO most Of US, and this unit Of
| civilization, of all the forces in the
| world, has the greatest influence on the
life Of the child. Right homes make
right men and women, and my twenty
years experience with the poor and
wretched of our great cities has con-
| vinced me that the right kind Of home
| building is the most important work Of
the state.
We can none Of US live to ourselves,
and the vision Of brotherhood Of man is
one that is gradually widening into q
deeper care of little children-one that
sisters of the youth Of to-day to make
them the strong men and women OF to-
morrow
The home is the unit Of the nation, and
the home is the best training school for
the nations future citizens. No institu-
ton, no matter how admirably construct
ed and purposeful, can measure UP to a
good home. Hence, in our treatment of
the wayward child in the Juvenile courts
Of the country, we have struggled to up
build his home into the right kind Of q
home, so he may be blessed by and In
his home.
Probation was introduced because II
was felt that by the necessary operation
Of the laws too many children were be
ing taken from these best training
schools-from these homes-and a method
needed to be devised by which the chill
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their parents could be segregated and yet
placed under probationary oversight.
which is a custodial care under the i'm.
mediate supervision Of the court.
The many cases that are the result Of
parental neglect or unntness should not
hurry US into the error that the state
may invade, without warrant, parental
rights. We in this country hold that the
state has been organized to secure our
inalienable rights. We In this land have
seen the formation Of government. We
believe not that the people exists for the
state, but, on the contrary. We hold that
the state exists for the people and exer-
cises its power for tho people and by the
people. Hence 1t ID false to say that the
state is the ultimate parent Of US all.
since 1t would make the creature the
father Of it's creator. But the state
formed to conserve our rights may and
should interfere to secure the rights Of
neglected children when their parents
fail to perform their duties to them OF
support, protection. and education.
The character Of children is not set.
but is in process of development Their
status before the law Is abnormal mas
much as they have not their own custody
and determination. but are In the Gus
tody of their parents. in order that the
parents may perform toward them their
duties of support, protection. and educa-
ton For instance. they can make no
valid contract. except for necessartes, in
certain contingencies. These considera-
tions have led to the conviction that
children under seventeen who commit
crime are not as responsible really as the
adult criminal, and that the children re-
quire correction rather than punishment.
The Juvenile Court has become the
center of child-helping agencies and Of
the social efforts made In the commu-
nifty to remedy detective homes. to safe
guard the health and morals Of the
young, and to insure the children an at
mosphere favorable to the Development
Of the highest citisenship.
The home u the natural place for the
child. The home VIII have . dominant
influence upon the character Of the child
Only ~ hours euS' e ~ Sso hours -