davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-13

around" the street corners and gradually
gravitate to the saloons az they grow older.
They have vicious association with those older
than themselves, and this forms large part
OF the association OF many thousands Of boys
throughout the United States In the evening
the boys and girls congregate on street corners
OF elsewhere, and this Is the first act in the
drama. IA.
1t has been stated that idleness is the mother
of mischief. It may be added that the absence
OF right amusement IS the mother of crime. Do
not imagine for one moment that tho thousands
OF women on the streets in all large cities are
bred in the large cities, or that those of either
sex who fill our prisons, asylums and reforma
tories are all city bred.
II were given an exceedingly large sum OF
money and told to spend it to the best OF my
judgment for the uplift of mankind would
spend every cent of 1t, In the cause of
humanity and It's eternal salvation. through pro.
viding entertainment and amusement, and by
these means make vigorous bodies and healthy
minds. You have got to accept certain features
of the child's equipment as 1t is. Force
pressure. punishment and pleading. all useful
measures when rightly applied, have proved
failures. They do not cover the field. The
church and the school, each doing most ad.
mirable work in Its own way. are not sufficient,
and in saying this we judge simply by the re-
suits.
II, in all the years these measures for the
benefit OF humanity have been in operation.
they had been successful, this paper and many
others on similar topics would not be neces.
Bary. The best means of approaching the child
Is through his demand for amusement, which Ia
demand for almost incessant occupation when
awake. Amusement and entertainment may be
made just as educational we like; in fact
play Of the right kind is always educational
Children must be busy and what is there to do
in city street or In country village that will
make boy or girl think and best bring out
that which is In him or her?
was born and reared In the country but
have spent one-half OF my life In large city.
Actual amusements arranged for me In my
early experience were few. and stand out promi.
nently In my recollection as great events.
There was the sunday-school picnic. Ii 1t did
not rain on the day appointed there. was the
church fair; circus every two or three years;
a county fair held in neghboring village
These comprise the sum total OF the country
boys amusements, excepting those that he
makes himself, and my lot was not better or
worse than every boy knew. In the city there
are the streets dangerous and dirty, back
yards and parks overcrowded and at con.
siderable distance. To-day there are few play.
grounds established through the efforts S.of
private associations.
If there are the right kind of parents in the
home. all may be we'll If not, the boy or girl
in the city. village or open country drifts and
often in the way OF least resistance. through
the current Of amusement
There should be In every city and village. at
Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-13
The Filthy Streets Their Playground.

in the palace and one in the poorest tenement,
we're exchanged on the day of birth. each
his environment. The child Of the tenement
would grow up to the palace and the offspring
of the palace would remain on the level of
the tenement environment
| refer now to the great majority OF
humanity. I realize that there are brilliant
exceptions to my theory. but they are 80 ex-
ceptional that they stand out the more promi-
f. nently. Other States and lately New York
State have passed laws authorizing the steril-
ization OF criminals and degenerates. with the
hope Of lessening the progeny of the undesir
Its attendant good effect, should be carried
out. not only because OF Inheritance. which
plays but small part, but because fewer help
less mites of humanity will be thrown in the
environment OF their progenitors and grow like
them We forget, In blaming crime. degen-
eracy and alcoholism on heredity. that the
chilu lived and grew and got his impressions
from that vicious association The sterl-
ization of criminals and degenerates will not
appreciably lessen crime. except in the sense
that very few children will be born. We make
no bid for large birth rate. When children
are all properly cared for. then, and then only.
can the State ask for an increase In the birth
rate. In the human not only do physical
qualities In limited sense admit Of in
heritance, but also the mentality. as relates to
brain capacity, provided the environment is
such as to bring out what Is best In the in.
diyidual Undesirable environment In the
clever subject makes our most dangerous
criminals. e-aA
Character indicates the individual. Heredity
has but little influence In detcrming char
acter. Character. above all things else. is the
product OF environment.
Degeneracy and crime among the people
are. in large degree, the fault OF the State.
because those responsible neglect the young.
and the State and Its representatives attri.
butte crime to inheritance of this oppressed
foreign-born individual. and thus shirk the
responsibility.
man was recently murdered in the most
prominent part OF the principal street of
great city. The perpetrators. the trainers of
the crime, were not the offspring of criminals.
They are the logical product of our handicraft
In the management OF the young.
No less authority than William Allen
Pinkerton in recent article entitled. SIS
There Criminal Glass 2" states that there Is
no criminal class, and that society has begun
10 learn that one way Of preventing boys and
girls from becoming criminals is to give them
proper care and attention when young. Tho
childrens courts that have been established
IT. several cities he believes to be in the ex-
perimental stage. but thinks they have already
demonstrated their usefulness as means OF
diverting youthful offenders from the down.
ward path.
Children's courts are necessary, and It is sad
that this is true. When the child is brought
Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-13

least for certain number of inhabitants, .
non-sectarian clubhouse 'and playground. and
benefit to humanity, as the school or the church.
Here. among Others illustrative lectures
demonstrating how to live would be given. and
There would be boys and girls clubs for
different ages Of children. There would be pool
and billiards, and cards and dominoes. a library,
under the management OF the right man, and
this would be the opposition OF the gin mill.
In order to keep the young from he saloon
something must be supplied that Is more at,
tractive and which Is not hedged In by sec
taranism. The clubhouse, when possible should
have spacious grounds for out,of,door sports.
under the direction OF play instructors and
amusement directors. and these Institutions
must be maintained by the State and be
maintain 1ails, retormatorIss, sanatoriu irss
asylums and alcohol farms, and they are
operative every day in the year. They do not
the week. Instead Of telling a boy that he
must not play ball on Sundays, develop him 30
that he will not want to play ball on Sundays
by giving him something better (provided, OF
course. that he should not play bali on Sun.
days).
It is not. necessary that entertainment be all
absolute play. Various forms Of work for both
boys and girls may be made most entertaining,
and this comes under the heading of "Occu-
pational amusement" There are 16s hours In
have remaining ninety-eight hours Allow three
hours week for church and Sunday-schooI
service and thirty-fve hours for school work.
and we have sixty hours week unoccupied
and 1t is these unoccupied hours that must be
supervised and provided for nine months In tho
year, During the three months vacation prao-
tically the entire time is In the chlds hands,
TO follow his own inclinations. and here lies the
greatest necessity for supervision.
We maintain, at great expense, commissions
and committees for railroads. for labor, for
charities. for the insane, for the river and the
harbor. for trust Investigations and SO on in
definitely De- . A commission that we need most OF
all is child protective commission" The
commission, through its subordinates. would be
required to know and to have authority over
every child in the State. - f' 70
It is only by such means that We will ever
solve many OF the urgent problems before us.
Reform amounts to little. Prophylaxis IN
medicine has for many years been ardently
adv coated. -
Prophylactic measures against crime. de-
generacy and general worthlessness are the
means In the hands OF the public for the signal
betterment of the race. =
close association and observation of many
thousand children from the various walks Of life
covering many years tells me that In each
little human soul there is spark of the divine
Wn,cn may be sustained. nurtured by kindness.
and famed by love into responsible man ar
womanhood. i>- -
Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-13
How Dead Phrases Like String of Stale Fish, Impede Human Pron

can move men In war except this animal pleas.
ure in its cruelty.
read on in my Pacinst paper and / find
some such phrase as encouraging race-ha.
Ted This may have had some meaning in
some cases. such extreme cases as white men
and black men; for some white men, otherwise
honest and humane, do affirm that thew feel
the physical division. But who can take such
thing seriously touching a war between the
intensive and entangled tribes of Europe? The
town OF Dunkrk, think. has been taken over
or occupied by the French, by the Spaniards.
by the English, by the French again and most
probably by the Felnings or the Dutch
In the chances of war even to-day 1t might
ne occupied by Bavarians or Australians Does
any one really believe that the people of Dun.
kirk felt 8 physical loathing Of all these vary.
ing Europeans, in the sense In which men
speak of physical loathing of the negro?
Wnen they brought the good news from Client
10 AK. does any one really believe that the
messenger from Gand was struck all of a heap
oy the evident chronological superiority of the
Inhabitants of Aachen?
There cannot be any such thing as race.
hatred in europe. But In the case of black
red or yellow men. the color prejudice may
possibly be real nervous trouble. In the case
of white men 1t is not nervous trouble: It Is
q coWardly trick
IL IS cold humbug for any people Of the Eu
ropean race to pretend that they recognize
the Ieuton race or the Celtic race, and are
oenghted with the one or disgusted with the
other. II there be such almost bodily aver
sions-which !. thank God. have never found
They are certainly not to be found within
the small. domestic, disputed square which we
call Europe.
It. is family down to the fullest details OF
battlefield above battlefield, but also with
treaty above treaty. 1t Is an alternate and
eternal trystiHg-place of friends and foes And
Ii those who have met each other thus cease.
Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-13

propriate words, rhythm that was almost
lullaby. What Is the blood-ust? Have you
and l any blood-lust? Do we know anybody
who has any? Most Of us by this time have
kindred and close friends whom have
known all lives and whom little
while ago. perhaps for the last time. Had they
any bloodlust? Did they look as if they hadf
Do we, who for one accident another can
only serve with the pen, demand red ink and
wish that it was German blood?
If our cause Is wrong 1t is wrong because OF
the vanties, self-deceptions, and jealousies Of
civilized human beings and doubtless the Ger.
man honestly accuses us, as we accuse him, OF
disproportionate selfimportance. But dis.
proportionate self-importance is not a thirst for
The simple truth is that, somewhere in the
mid-Victorian time, philosophers talked about
war and tried to explain 1t away. hoping soon
to sweep 1t away.
1t was the fashion Just then to find all human
history In the Geological Gardens They had
heard something about the tiger tasting blood,
80 they said that such things as the Crusades
and the French Revolution happened because
we had not quite sufficiently "let the ape and
tiger de-" We still had stripe of the tiger
about us somewhere; and that made us die for
our country like Kosciusko, or be burned for
our faith like Joan OF Arc. Whether tigers do
die for their country, or consent to be burned
for their opinions, ON not naturalist enough
to say; but the naturalists seem to think it
was all right. So they started this fashion
gestion that General Joffre wants to bite Prus.
SLAMS and General French to follow him on
hands and knees licking UP the blood. In
truth. Of course. almost every other bad motive
Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-13

It Is merciless, 1t is mechanical; It uses or
destroys man and nature for It's own purpose.
It Is anti-domestic like a pressgang, and often
secretive like q conspiracy, It makes things
depend on small rings OF statesmen and diplo-
matists, often corrupt and always cynical. 1t
nas aspects nobody can be proud Of such as
the institution or spies. 1t necessarily inter-
feres with that fundamental carelessness which
Is akin to kindness and is the wisest OF the Gus
toms of mankind
1t gives the mere scientific expert a more
dangerous power than he has in any other
department even of the modern world. Also IL
kills people. Every one OF these objections ls
real objection, great or SMALL but we, object
ing to these things as much as other men born
of women, repeat that In a certain clear case
and just cause we think 1t right to endure them.
We are naturally interested in what dis
sentent fellow-citizens have to say about ii,
and we look at Pacifist pamphlets or papers for
re-emphasis of the evils which we have adj
mitted. We find practically nothing of the sort.
We find string Of dead phrases like string
Of stale fish. Phrases which fall to pieces one
after another II you take hold of them one after
another; phrases which have obviously never
been exposed to the climate Of criticism. Z
open highly superior Peace paper. and find
first the phrase that it is always easy to arouse
the blood-lust. Now. II the man had said that
It Is always easy. In the metaphorical sense.
to make bad blood-to blacken regulations. to
revive grudges, to play on particular vanities
or inflame particular hopes-he would have
been saying what is true. even IL 1t is not new.
AS twas, he was saying something simply
because 1t was old--familiar to him, the ap.
Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-13

lessiy, century after century, go punctual,v IN
the same confined space. 30 frequently in IN.
same amending quarrel--if these do not know
each other, no men will ever know each othsr
I'LL the end Of the world - -.
l have taken these two examnIea &C avs
costing sort of dead language which encun.
oers all our present controversy There are a
great many bad things In war; II NAV ba thar
there are great many bad motives for It But
the deslre to Stay simply Is not there, and the
h haoiai repugnance simply is not there. To
n Yea some OF such talk one would suppose that
Etngifshmen and foreigners had never met be.
Tore. In old battle or In modern business
IL is ridiculous when the German peuera
TAX as If the German soldier would burst upon
EURO europe as Superman. obviously different
Waterloo--and at Jena. But It is equally Iridtc.
ulons when English papers talk as if the Brit
lsh soldler burst upon France as a man more
magnificent than that nation of warriors had
ever seen. Both seem to forget that all three.
nave very often met before The field ovar
which the war is moving Is g mosaic no, onIv
OF French but Of English defeats and Victories.
~ ~ Is no more OF novelty for us to be- fight
ing across the Channel than It is for the Gar.
mans or the French 70 be 6rhtins, a &C.,, ~
Rhine. ' 1SAoos u sns
The truth is that Western Eurona had !,
knock on its head some centuries ago. and It's
memory is only slowly coming back Bnf rua
can at least be done with the dreams and half,
aeelusions that haunted it's slow recovery: tha
. ... explanations hf the past. the crazy pic.
Let the Pacihsts tell us about footing ana
spying and spelling the d cad, for these ara
the horrors of war. But let them never tell M
any more about blood-lust and race.hatrsd.
ABOUT man being half tiger or the European
o oe nan a capntbal For these are the hor-
nave come to. US while we slept: and In this
nour we are awakened *
Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-13
By G.. X. cHEsTERToN,
The Distinguished English Essayls..

The Distinguished English Essayist.
TN one OF those small and terrible touches In
which the private letters of private sol
diers abound, there was phrase about
small side street being so choked with German
dead that some of them had not even had room
to fall, but remained in various standing or
leaning pastures. looking as IL they were alive.
To me there is something beyond the most
fendish fancy in that scene in broad daylight
that lifeless mob. that voiceless struggle. that
waxwork erectness, that waxwork immobiiity.
The soldier, however only mentioned 1t as ex.
planning the practical difficulties of penetrating
town; and in this aspect also the incident
s not devoid OF imagination or even Of allegory.
Just as that modern military progress was
choked with dead men, 80 our modern mental
progress is choked with dead words. do not
mean phrases think false, as one thinks OF a
false religion or political remedy; Imean dead
lin the sense that they have no life in them,
even In the minds Of those who use them. They
are the trophies of talking nonsense for thirty
OF forty years; they are stereotypes set up In
times of security and thoughtlessness; they
dow easily from the pen. and they have no
reference to anything good. bad or Indifferent.
The Pacifsts In particular find their path
impeded by old catchwords which they have
become quite used to repeating. but which
obviously do not allude. however distantly, 20
anything in the world. For instance, there Is
really great deal to be said against war. es.
pecially modern war, with it's huge scientific
engines and huge conscript armies
Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-13

dren in various walks Of life from In.
fancy to adolescence has necessarily
had definite Impressions made upon him In
relation to the development Of children. My
subject, "The Conservation OF the Child" al.
lows me latitude extending from prenatal
life to adolescence. Obviously, in a twenty.
minute paper, but few essential principles OF
80 broad subject may be considered. | will
take up those features OF child's manage
ment which appeal to me those most
neglected. at the present time
All children, regardless OF their social status,
are very much alike at birth. All children
are born Notwithstanding. They do not
actually become adults before the seventeenth
eighteenth year of life. There is thus at
least si1teen years OF growth and development.
with all that development entails. In the lower
animals the reverse Is the case. Adolescence
is reached much earlier. and the period OF
: dependency OF the young upon the parent lasts
but very short time, q few months In some
Instances and year or g. little longer in
others.
AS consequence of this order OF things the
matter OF heredity in the lower animal IL
much greater factor than In man. In the
human, because Of immaturity, dependency,
and prolonged development environment is OF
much greater import than heredity Because
VI lue iHaualuElIy ana the long plastic I'm.
questionable period OF sixteen years, we may
mold child largely we will, and the fash.
toning and molding. whether 1t be done we'll.
!ndifferenty, or badly, depends more upon the
imolder and the child's associations than upon
tho material worked upon.
have. duripg my entire professional life
OF twenty-five years, been resident attend
Ing physician at chldren's institutions, from
which many hundreds OF children have been
adopted or otherwise sent out into the world.
have cared for these children from the lower
walks OF life, the illegitimate. the offspring of
crime. depravity and poverty in large nun.
hers. have seen children from such origin
well cared for in institutional life, kindly
treated, and we'll started physically, and when
adopted otherwise placed In good homes
they have IN every way taken and maintained
their place with those who had the advantage
OF everything that is desirable, both as regards
birth and environment
Had these children grown up In the more or
less careless. If not vicious environment OF
their birth, a certain number Of the boys
would have been members OF the various pre-
datOry gangs, Of which there many In all
large cities and which schools Of crime
and preparatory schools for reformatories and
prisons. certain proportion of the girls
would have been numbered among the criminal
and depraved In the school, in college, and
In the world, the unfortunate born, If given a
fair opportunity, may take as high a position
as the better born citizen.
If we reflect moment, observations such
these tell us that make In large degree
our criminals and the otherwise undesirable
OF both sexes. And repeat that by associa.
tion children are fashioned we'll. indifferenty
and badly.
If two infants of equal vitality. one born
Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-13
Dr.. Charles Gilmore Kerley,
the Distinguished Baby
Specialist, Shows How
His Wide Experience Has
Taught Him That 1t Is
the Child's Surroundings
and Not Its Inherited
Qualities That Really
Make the Future Man.

From DR.. Kerleys Address Before the
Recent international Congress of Hy-
giene and 0emography, as Printed in
the Transactions of the Congress.
Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1914-04-09
FREE SONG BOOK

Are you interested in music?
II you are. and will send US the
names and addresses of ten mu-
steal friends, we will mail to you
postpaid a copy of SONGS OF
THE PEOPLE,, a song book suit
able for all occasions, containing
National, State and good old
home songs. The book has 4S
pages and is well bound in Mani.
la covers. Please mention paper
in which you saw this advertise
ment. Address
THE RUEBUsH. KIEFFER Co.
ADV. Dayton. Virginia.
Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1914-04-09
LONDON
Especial Correspondence

Some rainy weather we are
having. Looks like real April
weather.
Miss Minta Avery is visiting
relatives in London.
Roy Dennis and wife visited
John Ripe IS Sunday.
G. A. Chapman visited Jesse
Matlock's Sunday.
Myrtle and Ruth Newton Wis.
tied Ollie Latimer Sunday.
Jesse Matlock and wife are
the proud parents of a baby boy.
Cecil Rice visited Hobart Lati
mer Sunday.
Easter will soon be here, and
guess every one will enjoy an
egg feast.
Hazel | hope you and Sukey
have good success in finding
turkeys nests. Glad | don't
have to hunt after them.
Well, as news is scarce. will
ring off and come some other
time.
KATHERINE
Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1914-04-09
Straight at 1t

There is no use of our beat.
ing around the bush" We might
as well ont with it first as last.
We want you to try Chamber
lain's Cough Remedy the next
time you have a cough or cold.
There is no reason so far as we
can see why you should not do
so. This preparation by it's re.
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for sale by all dealers. ADV.