The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-12-10

and I agree that out of this kind Of
family relation. grows usually the
best citizens. But in the city, it is
different. In the morning, father
takes the dinner pail and repairs to
the shop or factory and mother is ex-
pected to herd the children the live
long day. If perchance father can af-
ford it, he takes his lunch down town.
From z in the morning to in the
evening, father never looks in the face
of his coming generation. Once day,
he looks over the flock at the supper
table, and one hour later mother tucks
them away to bed and early the next
morning father is off again and moth
er herds the children another Gay. 1t
is unfortunate that under our system,
fathers cannot spend more time with
their families. The ideal American
home is incomplete without the hus-
band and father, and every moment
he can spend there is an asset in the
life and future of his children.
Eight Hours and Half Holiday.
hope to see the day when the
working man will be compelled to work
but eight hours with at least half
holiday on Saturdays. 1 would like
to see the time when he can be free
from his employment long enough to
give to his children the personal at
tention and fatherly solicitude to which
they are entitled, that he may be per-
United to spend at least a half work
ing day in their company as we'll as
the whole of the Sabbath. 1 want to
see a like regulation for the widow
who is compelled to labor in the offices,
store rooms and shops, that she may
spend her evenings as we'll as many
other hours in the society of her chill
dren.
The Case of Spoiled Children.
There are too many spoiled children
and too many parents contribute direct
ly to this condition. A case recently
came under my observation where a
father who had successfully command
ed a company of soldiers in the civil
war and q mother who had spent 1s
years in the school room, could not
control a 14-year-old boy. Just why
a captain of a company of soldiers
cannot control boy is not yet clear
to me, but the mother in this case
neglected her own child, kept him out
of school until he was behind his
classes, while she was rearing two in
FAINT orphan children belonging to near
relatives.
In another case, the father and
mother of 9-year-oId wanted the
court to send the child to the reform
school without giving him the usual
chance allowed the delinquent.
Where Neglect Becomes Criminal.
But above all is that other common
crime toward children, the apparent
indifference and neglect of the parent.
1 realize as much as anyone that we
may all differ as to the proper way to
rear children, and there can be nc
fixed rule maintained as a standard
by the Juvenile court, except that
founded in the law of reason, that is
to say. the standard maintained by
parents generally. But we come in
contact with so many cases where the
indifference and neglect Of the parent
is so gross as to be beyond all limit
OF reason, and ought to be regarded as
criminal. This indifference and neg
lect may result in dependency and
some of these conditions can be met
by the supplemental and amendatory
act pertaining to the Juvenile court,
passed u 1907. But this act is a bung-
ling pics of legislation in which theory
again utterly fails in obtaining practi-
cal results. 1 have been called to
pass judgment in more than 70 cases
under this act in which 1 have had
the hearty cooperation of two differ
ent county attorneys, and the percent
age OF good results is so small that
I am about ready to say, this act
standing alone is a failure.
Jail Does Little Good,
But sending a father to jail in any
proceeding under this act does not
place him where he can earn bread for
his children. Giving a bond as is pro-
vided is practically a dead letter. for
who would go on the bond of this kind
of man? Paroling the delinquent
father without bond in its practical
results, is placing him right back