The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1911-06-22

spite of all precedent those thoughts
ran in a new channel. The boy who
had never owned q dog had been
cheated out Of something that was
coming to him. Luck didn't play fair
with that boy; every boy ought to
have a boys chance in boys world.
Allowances should be made. 1t was a
novelty for this stern old senator to
make allowances, to apologize for an
incorrigible criminal who had stolen
coal from railroads, who had stolen
brass and sold it to junksops, who had
climbed over transom, opened the
door and let gang of burglars into
jewelers. shop. But he found mitigat-
ing. circumstances for that boy who
had never owned a dog. If this boy
were not sent to the penitentiary what
could be done with him? He must be
punished. That law said so. The
law was right. The penitentiary was
the legal place provided where such
boys might be restrained for the sake
of society-the boy to whom society
had given nothing, not even dog.
The senator snatched up his pen and
signed that petition, then carried 1t
straight to the governor.
Progressive America is now leading
the world with a clear conception Of
the obligations that organized society
owed to children. Mississippi is moi
in the front of this procession; neither
is Mississippi in the rear, nor in the
middle.
Mississippi Not In II.
Mississippi is simply not in it. Thi
is no joke, It is humiliation. AS
matter of state pride we will skip owe
our own meager provisions for tn
betterment Of childhood. But wha
do you think of this for an instance
A baby girl was being reared in re
sort that left no hopes for her future
Some benevolent persons applied 70
letters of guardianship and placed tn
infant in an orphanage until a goo
home could be found. The person
from whom she was taken throug
their attorney made the point that a
the little girl had no estate, the char
Gerry court was powerless to appoint
guardian. Fearing that this confer
ton might be sustained, a gentlema
who was interested proposed to d.
: post one dollar in a savings bank
the credit of the child. That dolls
would create an estate: the none
would necessitate guardianship. an
give the chancery court unchallenge
jurisdiction. But what Of a conditio
= that will designate a custodian for or
solitary dollar, and leave it doubtf
as to whether a guardian might be a
pointed for an immortal soul?
The Modern Theory.
rela ion TO children shall be protecti'
: and corrective. The child has prob
u bl Ar"ome delinquent, even crimins
TO lack OF proper training in HON
church, school and daily associatio
The boys error is partly the fault
u the state. The state, and society
: large, should supply those gentle inf
u ences which will lead him back in
paths of self-respect and usefulnes
These shall be kindly hands and II
, suade and lead, not whips or shack
II to drive and drag. The child must
u taught that this Intangible thing =
% call the law" is not a com plicate
e mysterious and corrupt machir e to {
II plot and terrorize him; but 2 bene
C cent and affectionate shield lift
, above his weakness.
Juvenile Courts.
Juvenile courts now exist IN near
:, every state and practically all of t
:. big cities Of America. They strike
~ the conditions which produce del
" quency and crime among ch1ldre
~ those are the enemies to strike
:. for the boy, they put their arms arou
= him. always and evermore bearing
~ mind the fundamentals of boy natu
10 Boys are boys. The boy in the pc
" Tertiary does not differ from the 7
outside They are all the same, j
common wooden-headed, adyen~u
l. loving American BOYS; boys with
germ of empire and the seed Of "a
n possibilities within them. Except
"a degenerates, who are to be pities
infirmities. and who need physiC