Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1911-06-01

well born, well cared for, trained
morally, physically and mentally; but
this is not the lot of a great many
Parents do not realize their RESPONSE
bility nor the fundamental rights of
children, hence the sometimes need
of the state interfering and accept
ing this duty for them. Parents are
the natural guardians of the little
souls confded to their care and
keeping, but when they are not capa-
BILE of raising them to be a credit to
society and to be self-respecting, hon
orable citizens Of any community, it
is the duty of the juvenile courts to
step in and provide them with good
homes and proper care. Whole fami-
lies are thus often placed away from
their natural guardians. Some par
ents are directly responsible for the
delinquency of their children.
Fathers do no realize and accept
their share of the task Of bringing up
their families. They are too busy
making the living and too full OF out
side affairs, leaving the care of the
family entirely to the mother, never
knowing that a fathers interest and
companionship is what an active,
strong-willed boy is needing. Then he
is surprised to discover that his boy
has transgressed the law and must
be held accountable for his misbe-
havior What parents have to do is
to guard their children not from
their viciousness but from their i'm
pulsiveness and desire to see what is
in the world; they not being aware
really that they are transgressing
against law and order The father Of
youth sent to the reform school not
long ago came to visit his son and
made the remark that his boy should
never have been placed here when he
had such good home and excellent
surroundings, the influence of good
mother and grandmother. The ques-
tion was put to him. Were the boys
who were with your son and sent
with him to the school the children
Of neighbors?" and his answer was:
Il do not know. You see I leave
home so early in the morning and am
away all day till late in the evening,
so l do not know my neighbors.'
Yet he thought his son was protected.
If his children were i'll he would
quickly have seen that they had every
care and attention; but he is derelict
in his thought for their immortal
souls and their future welfare as citi-
zens of the world. A father should
be the nearest friend and advisor of
his son and they should be chums.
Every boy likes to copy his father in
his ways.
1t has been said, to our disgrace,
that this is the age Of obedient par
ents" and this is too often true. In
many schools, while the parents do
not exact obedience and courtesy at
home, they object to the teacher de-
manding and receiving proper atten-
ton and respect at school. Teachers
are forbidden to keep pupils in at re-
cess or to give them bodily punish
ment and there is being reared a
class of children who have no respect
for law as law; who are not taught
politeness and veneration to their
elders, for fear they will become SER
vile in their ways. Who never say,
Yes sir" If they can avoid it, This
encourages a child to disobey the pre-
oeptor as we'll as parent, and causes
them to grow up undisciplined.
The boys of many such fathers and
mothers are among those who throng
the juvenile courts. These children
are bright and active, intent on max
ing discoveries and are restless, slim
ping away from parental authority
and influence, reading trashy books
and playing truant from school. It
is said mo prophet has ever lived
who can tell what a boy will do
next" Children should have love
and sympathy in all their plans and
plays, but should be taught to respect
authority. They should be impressed
with the fact that we all have to be
subject to law; that their home is a
little kingdom and that the wishes of
their father and mother who are the
loving rulers of the kingdom, should
be the law governing them. They
should be impressed that they must
obey their teachers at school and
thus discipline themselves for useful
ness when they are grown "He that
governeth himself Is greater than he
that taketh city" He who cannot !
govern himself cannot control others,
and everywhere in this world we
must recognize and accept authority.
Too many boys are we'll fed and
clothed at home, but the parents feel
that there their care ceases, forget
ting to give their children the inter-
est in their everyday lives, Leaving
this to the teacher. Our children are
an interesting study and their dispo-
sitlons and different views and bents
OF mind should be ever before us.
Many poor lawyer would have made
fine carpenter If he had had the
opportunity in his youth. If fathers
would only look back to their own
childhood and remember the i'm
pulses that came to them in their
boyhood, to the many times they felt
they were not understood and appre-
ciated at home and the thoughts that
used to come to them, in fact re-live
their own lives in their sons. they
would sympathize with his impulse to !
run away and see the world for him
self. This comes over almost all |
boys at some period in their lives,
notably when they are about Is or 16 |
years of age, and the boy has conf
dence that he can make his way and
care for himself A mother told me
not long since that she was confident
her husband had never felt the re-
sponsibility of his son but since he
had been sent to the school his whole |
thought was how he could make up |
to his boy for the lack of care and |
companionship he had given him, and |