The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-01-24
\ VISIT TO ~F'Rl.EVlLLE..

N WISH ~ ltb.f.N llJI.F..
While this editorial concerns The
odore Euose,elt it is not political in
the sense of advocating his nolnina-
ton for IN" presidency. Last week
as contributing editor of the OUT
look he discussed the George Junior
Republic at i'reeville. New York.
which is the place where boys n
girls work out their own reformation
as citizens of = real republic con-
,iuc;c,l entirely by Themselves. Geo
graphically tho republic consists of
IL large tarm with appropriate build
ings and chaperoncd by adults. COL
ono! iRooseyelt's article is 50 human,
so tersc and So graphic that q review
is made Of ii in extenso-
The JUNO" Republic is what
Thomas Mott t'<hornc. president of
its court of appeals. has called it,.
saws Colonel I:ooseYelt-a laboratory
experiment in Democracy. Incl
dentaily. it is lin ;he real and deep
sense Of III" word a rcforn,atory.
THE only ,oys and girls barred out
are "thos" who go wrong through
intirnli1y ur feehleness ur will" Civ
en- native strength of character to
build ON. MIR. Georg, is confident thai
the Junior Republic will build good
citizens. ~ boy who has gone
wrong because he has too much
steam iii his boiler, 50 tn speak. is
admitted on a full equality with the
boy who has never gone wrong at all.
and the most extraordinary thing is
that he is about as apt u turn out
81 tirst-class citizen"
The day the colonel was there. the
Junior Republic had one hundred
and seventy citizcns-one hundred
boys. seventy girls. He found them
housed in clearly. we'll rarcd-for cot
tages. and cared for as TO their meals.
by judicious house-mothers. but GOV
erning themselves. They are all vot-
ers. They make the laws. They en-
force the laws through officers chosen
by themselves out of their own num-
her. Back of these officers is, of
course a healthy vigorous public
opinion. Boy and girl judges sit ON
the bench. hear the testimony and
pass sentence on the convicted law
breaker; Colonel Roosevelt saw the
court i'll session, Hnd was much inn
pressed. THE punishments are Very
real and Very severe he tells us. I'm
the prison The cells are iron cages. the
work is hard, the supervision is SCI
We're and continuous. and the guards
have no sentimental hesitation in
chastising recalcitrant prisoners. Only
the boys are kept in this prison; the
girls. who of course are more easily
handled. have a prison of their own
The sentenc" ono" worked out the
slate is wiped off: the Young citizen
makes II fresh start and has the good
will Of all. The offense for which he
has atoned is a closed chapter.
All The citizens are expected Ia
work. but not forced to. The boz
who refuses to work does not get any
thing To eat. He soon rrconsiders the
matter. Tho work is real and hard,
and is paid for in proportion To its
value, each worker standing on his
individual merits as shown by his
skill and industry; the boys thcm-
selves insist on Il course which de-
velops and rewards individual eff.
cheney. The education is of the most
practical kind for boys and girls
alike; each. when he or she leaves
the Republic. can begin a wagc-earn.
ing career without the sn,allcs,
break"
IN 'Flii' ' ptiilLiil IolllltIiIlS VIC
had not Yet soaked into their systems
tn" spirit of the Junior Republic got
possession of tho offices hy means OF
Il snap election. Mr.. George and the
other s~rown-ups refused to interfere;
they told the distressed and indignant
victims of the trick That they mus,
fcnd for themselves: and they did.
they rose NJ against the tricksters.
ousted thenl-a bit DISQUALIFICATION
the offices, and jailed them: subse-
Nuently they brought them to trial
and exemplary punishmcnts were in
flicted. THE three leaders in this
counter-revolution for Righteousness
says Colonel Roosevelt. were among
the half-dozen citizens of whom | saw
most during my visit to the Republic,
n | can only say Of those half
dozen citizens hat l can imagine no
work. in war or peace, in which
would not count myself fortunate if l
had them under mo or associated
with me-"
He came away from Freeville con-
WINGED that Mr.. George has done a
vsry big thing there and deserves very
great credit for 1t. That the Junior
Republics methods would work out
rs remarkable and. Immensely val.
uable' results everywhere. without
81 MIR. George in the background, the
colonel is not prepared to assert. But
time spent in studying them will
nerer. he thinks. be tfnoe uas+od