The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-09-28
Continued from page ~
CAUSES OF DELINQUENCY.


share in starting the young on the
road to moral ruin. / don't know any
person who has given us all the in
formation we should have about homes
of delinquents. Supposlng some one
was delegated to investigate 500 cases
and give us clearly tabulated results
OF this tiresome task, we would not
all agree with him, because every in
vestigator begins his work with pre-
conceived notions which incline him
to hold to former views or make CAPT
tai for a cause that he espouses For
instance, if socialist took up such
work he would give to insufficient
income an undue part in causing de-
/ linquency. A pronounced believer in
total abstinence would likely overes-
innate the part that "intemperance"
plays in wrecking young lives; and
the person who is good patron of
play houses might think that love of
theatre-going had very little TO do with
rendering home unfit to guard Alright
the young.
Two Primary Factors.
don't expect you all to agree with
me, though some of my conclusions
have been reached after considerable
investigation. I, too, started with pro-
nounced personal views and these may
have inclined me to attach overmuch
blame to certain generally recognized
causes of delinquency. I am sure that
we will all agree that there are two
primary causes that stand out above
all others, and are the most dire fac
tors in demoraliZing parents and
blighting the character of children of
Catholic parents. They are neglect
of religious duties and intemperance.
We must treat of these together as
they usually operate at the same time.
| When they are found divorced which
is the more evil force? I have no
hesitation in stating that intemper-
ance brings about the worse conse-
quences and therefore is the greatest
of all real causes of delinquency.
In my efforts to arrive at safe con-
illusions I found, after I had set down
long list of delinquent boys, that it
was difficult to arrive at the percent
age who we're started wrong on &C
count of the lack of religious train
ing. Other contributing causes, that
had to be reckoned with, insisted on
intruding themselves. 1t is most diff
cult to get definite pronouncement on
this most difficult matter, even from
leading Catholic charity workers.
Most of my letters of inquiry on this
point are unanswered and the state
ment here made is not an averaging
up of different figures given by in
formants. I believe that Catholic So
cial workers will everywhere find that
over 80 per cent of our bad boys and
girls are children of fallen-away Cath
olics who have neglected religious
training in their homes. When we
consider the father alone Every often
he has deserted or is in PRISON. we
find in over go per cent of cases
that he has long ago given up the
practice of his religious duties.
Effects of Intemperance.
It is much easier to get the definite
expression of social and court work
ers in regard to the evil effects of
liquor drinking on the children of the
Incorporate. We find, however, a
great difference in the estimates CIV
Ell by different authorities ranging
: from Is to 70 per cent. The most
exact data is found under the heading,
':Intemperance and Dependency" The
, help gotten from printed records in
regard to the relation of "intemper-
ance and delinquency" is not very
great. I have no hesitation in claim
ing that intemperance is responsible
for the delinquency of over so per
: cent of our children who are hailed
, into juvenile court. In this am not
claiming that so per cent of the par
ents are drunkards. l mean the ill
effects of liquor drinking on the young
who are too much inclined to copy
the failings rather than the virtues
of parents. I put among the intern
perate every man who sends his boy
t or girl to the saloon for beer even
though that father would resent very
, much anyone's saying that he ever
F drank to excess. l group among the
, Incorporate every man whose foul
: tongue is loosed by his visit to sa-
loon on his way home from work.
What men call moderate amount of
t LIQUOR in some cases poisons the hus-
Y bands mind against his virtuous wife.
f Under the debasing spell of few
! glasses he becomes impatient, critical
, and later on abusive and when his
: brain is muddled he loses his love for
: wife, forgets his responsibility to his
: children, accuses his faithful partner
i of unbecoming conduct and calls her
3 names that are applied by his saloon
:, associates to women who have fallen
}, to the lowest depths of immortality
e AS a consequence some children hear
' from the lips of their father the most
= obscene language and learn from him
(who can take a glass and leave it
alone!) their first and, alas, too often
, their second lessons about the things
r that ought not to be mentioned among
:, Christians.
e Don't think for moment that it is
s only the liquor imbibed by the sodden
drunkard that drives God from the
home and the children to the streets
Every drink that units man to be
= the provider, protector and exempla1
0 of his children should be condemned
s We have reason to set ourselves
t against liquor drinking for there is
| hot sr,e Tor