The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1913-07-31

1 X.
In our larger cities, where chill
dren are thrown together on the
streets and in the schools, the prob
lem of proper care and training
necessary for their welfare becomes
more complicated. Every allure
ment to vice is thrown in their
way, and it is, indeed, the fttest
who survive. In fact, conditions
are such that in many cases the
family cannot cope with the situa-
ton and it becomes necessary for the
protection of society and the pre-
servation of the individual that the
state must step in and take hand
in the rearing of delinquent child
rem.
Another important case of delin-
queney is evil association. Not 80
much association with undesirable
children but association with the
vicious adult male and female.
Boys are led into drink; they are
taught to steal by men who take
advantage of their tender years and
their own selfish ends. With the
girl it is much the same. She, how
ever, is subjected to a much harder
temptation, if allowed to go un-
restrained. She cannot walk the
streets alone without being prey to
the licentious eyes of every teacher
GUS libertine hanging on the corner.
Our streets are lined with vultures
who watch with vigilant eye for
the least sign or movement. The
mother is her natural guardian and
woe be to her if this God given
angel is not with her to counsel
and protect her.
Then we are brought face to
face with this proposition that these
conditions do exist; that there are
children in our midst who have no
home life, or home life that is
inadequate for their welfare and
that from any angle from which we
view this question, it is the duty of
the state to care for and protect
them.
Here is the condition. What
can we do with it? Legislatures
have passed good laws providing
for the appointment of probation
officers who shall have charge of
juvenile offenders. Our county
and district courts have been given
almost unlimited power in the mat
ter Of jurisdiction IN these cases,
and ample provisions have been
made for the suspension of sentence
and the parole of convicted child
rem.
Our statues have clearly and
wisely defined the delinquent and
dependent so that officers under
the clear and unquestioned interpre-
tation of the law, may take these
children in charge and remove them
from their evil association and en-
vironment. Under the provision of
the law we can 60 into the unde-
sirable home and remove the un-
fortunate child for the protection of
society and for the salvation of that
child.
Yet that wise and benefcent law,
not withstanding all these salutary
provisions, falls so far short of
providing remedy as to be almost
wholly void. Why is this? Be-
cause no provision was made for
the juvenile after the officer takes
him in charge. Under the present
law the only place of detention for
any offender is the Jail, the refor-
matory or the penitentiary. 1t is
true that the law provides for the
segregation of juveniles in jails, but
this is often impracticable, and in
many cases impossible.
! AS an example we will take the
conditions in the Tarrant county
Jail in Fort Worth. | use this as
an example because l am familiar
with the conditions there. Juve-
niles are lncarcerated in the hospi-
tai ward of that Jail, that being the
only place possible to seperate
them from other criminals. But in
that ward l have noticed boys from
niue to seventeen years of age all
thrown together with men suffer-
ing from the vilest and most loath-
some diseases.
Such situation does not solve
the problem. This is what we
need in the state of Texas. Suit.
lol Al