The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1913-05-02

matter of course think it smart to emu
late the example of these disreputables,
they try to swear equally as loud, per-
haps, who knows, they take an occas-
ional drink, furnished of course by
their older companions, and in short
try to follow as near as possible the
example set them by their undesirable
companions, and in the course of time
the youths who are now following the
example of some one who is calculated
to have bad effect upon their young
minds, will in very few years them
selves have become examples for other
youths, and so on ad infinitum.
The following of just such precepts
is filling the reform schools of the
state and eventually will fill the pen
itentiaries. From being students in
the school of crime they become teach
ers in the same school. But recently
complaint was made of the prevalence
of petty thievery in the community,
chicken stealing and other petty crime,
and when the matter was sifted out, it
was discovered that the crimes were
being committed by an organized band
of Young boys, both white ard black,
who when hailed into court for their Of
fenses, with the cunning peculiar to
more hardened criminals, shifted the
responsibility to the shoulders of one
of their number and he was made the
goat or in plain english was made to
suffer for the crime of the entire ag-
gregation, while the remainder of the
gang are doubtless laughing over their
cunning in thus evading the punishment
which they so richly deserved. The
raising of the boys of the community
is something which cannot be handled
by the police, when the police are com
PEELED to step in as usual thing the
youngster is so STEPPED in crime as t.
make his redemption by moral suasiol
out of the question.
The remedy for the evil lies with tn,
parents of the community. We hav,
no curfew law that will enable the DO
lice to compel the small boys to be of
the street at a reasonable hour a
night, nor is such law desirable, thi
is matter which should be governet
by the parents themselves, and whicl
if they would take little more severe
ly in hand would materially reduce tn
number of inccrrigibles.
Mothers where does your boy spen
his evenings, do you know? VIVA
are his environments, who are hi
associates? If you do not know thes
things, it is high time you were finding
them out. Too late when that DO
through your Indifference or neglect
falls into the clutches of the law fo
some of his misdoings, too late whe
some crime of band of young marau
ders, of whom your boy was member
is brought before the county court t
face perhaps term in the school G
reform. Too late then to inquire VIII
are his associates, where he spends hi
spare time, what are his pursuits, an
whether or not he is treading tn
straight and narrow path.
This article is not intended as a lie,
ture on morals, but is prompted by oil
servation of actual conditions prevail
ing in the community, observation
made by very keen observer, or
who has watched the downward cour;
of many wayward youth whose cours
could have been changed very easil,
, but who from neglect or carelessne.
was allowed to follow that path until
was eternally too late.
There are 10 saloons in Lancaste
there are no blind tigers in Lancaste
but do not infer from that that it.
impossible for boy to go astray; tax
: the safe course, watch your boy clos,
ly, see that he is home at reasonab
S hour at night, that the company
o keeps is of the proper kind, in otht
: words, bring him up in the way /
e should go.