The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-07-13
HAPeooD ON CRIME
Bringing Up Children Wrong He
Thinks Is the Reason.

Editor of The Banner -Eber Tay-
lor in the last issue of the Journal
struck a subject which should be of
the deepest interest TO all. Never
before in his quite lengthy expert
ence has he known such a manifesto
ton of lawlessness as is now prevail
ent, and my own experience bears
him out in his assertions. And | al
so believe that he has struck the key
note as regards its cause, attributing
1t to the loose manner in which our
children have been brought up,
which loose manner seems to be now
in continuance How seldom de we
notice children who mind when they
are spoken to. It seems to be neces-
sary to coax and teeze them in order
to get them either to do anything or
TO refrain from doing anything
Obedience is the exception rather
than the rule with them. The order
OF things 'in the good old days when
you and were boys" sens to be now
reversed. The parents seem rather
to obey the children rather than the
children the parents or others in au-
thority. Visit your schools, even,
and note the difference there There
Is no "toeing of the mark now.
When they come out to recite. in.
stead OF lining up on the floor, and
giving a graceful bow at the begin.
ming and close OF recitation, they
lean and lop upon seats and give ILL
distinct and neglected. answers, In.
stead Of Eyes Sir" and mo Sir" In
their replies, II is often Yer" and
"Ner". And when during intermis.
sion or the incoming, stranger
drives by instead Of lining up as In
the old times and giving a graceful
bow, that stranger is lucky II he
escapes without being hooted at or
stoned or snow balled.
The crying evil is, indeed, loosens
as brother Taylor declares, and IL is
impossible to emphasize this fact too
strongly, and establish n different or
der OF things too soon. Obedience
strict and firm, must be taught and
insisted upon in our homes, our
schools, our churches and our Sun
day schools. The ten commandments
should be taught.
But how can We expect any differ
ent order of things when our statute
laws are, many OF them, so openly
and with the utmost impunity disre
garded? When those In authority
seem to regard the enforcement Of
our laws with the most patent indif
ference and neglect? When oul
highest state officials, whose chic
duty is to attend TO the enforcement
OF the law get their election by wha
the great mass OF the people believ,
to be direct transgression OF the law
when town and city officials deliber
ately license what the statutes for
bid and, above all, when citizens II
general wait for some one else to &c
and demand law enforcement. eithe
through fear or supineneosg
or course we can hardly expec
any different order OF things whel
our laws are made with such loose
ness, multiplicity and lack OF du
consideration; when our law maker
are elected, as rule. upon tn
turn principle. or rather lack o
principle. previous experience beinI
considered disqualification; ant
when we have Senate whose mem
bers will not even attempt TO give
reason for their acts.
IL can do no harm to be reminds
OF the fact that the beech stick an
the beech seal" were used as col
receive instruments In old time
when other means failed. II col
Germs us far more that we have
remedy OF some sort than what tina
remedy is, whether Il Ia soft or hare
Soft remedies as rule don't las
long and hence don't amount to niue
think that all will admit that an
wiling to encourage to the utmost IN
bringing Of children into existence
but when brought In would respec
fully submit that they must be a
tended to- 80 that they may deyelo
into true men and women.
NJ. ]. Hapgood.
Peru. Vermont. July 10, 1911.