The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-11-11
BY G. ELLIOT FLINT.

Within recent weeks newspapers all
over this country have devoted col
umns to the reports of murder trials
during which first offense' defend
ants who had hitherto enjoyed good
regulations, were found guilty of en-
cheering crimes of unusual ferocity
or cold-bloodedness Much astonish-
ment was expressed at the idea of a
young man of apparent normal traits
suddenly revealing the instincts of a
murderer and committing a carefully
planned crime.
1t so happened that all such crimes
by murderers of previous good char
acter are never conceived by natures
which have suddenly grown suddenly
criminal. Medical scientists now know
that before any man can cold-blood-
eddy kill fellow being he must have
perpetrated many lesser crimes which
perhaps have not been discovered, but
which have had none the less their
cumulative effect of metamorphosing
Tie huluSISI III DOIShJldl lllJO JuS
active slayer.
A boy begins by torturing helpless
animals, besides bullying and brow
beating his companions. For these
pranks he may escape immediate, but
he surely will not escape ultimate
punishment. Every right or wrong
act inevitably records it's impression
upon character, and as character is
modified by the impressions it re-
ceives, so must these govern our fu-
ture conduct.
AS the lad we are considering grows
older, his bullying tendencies are, UNI
less restrained, apt to develop into
murderous impulses. Give child or
a youth free rein at home and he will
expect it abroad, and if it is not given
he will take it-sometimes with the
most disastrous consequences.
We are all born with certain natural
characteristics, some good and some
bad. 1t rests with our parents, rela-
tives, associates and teachers, who
constitute our environment, and with
ourselves, which tendencies shall pre-
dominate at maturity, when our char
acter is said to be formed,
But let no one delude himself with
the common idea that he can by any
possibility escape the consequence of
the slightest wrong action on his part,
for his character, which is wholly re-
sponsible for his conduct, is but COM
plexus of all his past actions good
bad or Indifferent.
A noted jurist lately delivered the
opinion that our youth are degenerat-
ing; that many of our worst crimes
are committed by young men, If this
is so our boys are not being properly
trained, vicious and depraved tenden-
cies are not sufficiently curbed, and the
nobler instincts are not cultivated. In
fact, very many of our boys receive
no moral training whatsoever-they
just grow,
But did they know, could they be
thoroughly convinced that their char,
acter cannot remain fixed, that it is
bound either to deteriorate or to i'm.
prove, that, unless they try steadily to
grow better they will inevitably be
come worse, that the wages of sin is
truly and literally death and often a
very early one-if only they could
know that these statements are
truths, they might be saved.
Moving pictures Depicting bold and
dramatic hold-ups brigands, and other
crimes have a very bad effect on the
youthful mind, The youths brain is
fired by these exciting exploits, and
by allowing his thoughts to dwell up
on them the desire is created to act
the thoughts out.
While heredtism traces many
criminal tendencies of children bacl
through a line of parents and grand
parents, it is nevertheless a fact tina
the thief is not born a thief He il
made a thief, and in this way:
There must be a first theft. An eX
trsmely favorable opportunity to stea
presents itself to the boy or man wht
has never yet stolen. He is sure tina
no suspicion will attach itself to hin
if he purloins a certain article o
value. He takes it, he is not founr
out and he congratulates himself vi
on having secured the article, and a
the same time wholly escaped punish
ment. His success emboldens hiI
and he steals again, this time ais
without detection. Easy graft" h
now murmurs to himself, and
launches upon a career of crime.
What is the end. His boldness pr,
gressively increases, until he take
too great a chance. He is detecte,
arrested, tried, convicted, disgrace
and ruined.