Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-08-27
PREVENTION OR REFORM.

The man whose business carries him
all over town was talking. He said
there are very many very naughty
young girls in the town. l see them
and hear them every day" The man
who works nights made a stronger as
sitting in Stairways and strolling home
in the we sma' hours. His conclusion
is that these girls are naughty" as
the other man expressed it. And when
the expression is considered carefully
it is fairly fitting; for these girls are
not bad and utterly lost but naughty
needless, uncared for and uncontrolled.
They lack watchfulness and restraint.
Most of them
The present effort Of the Iowa We'll
fare League to extend the Juvenile
every county of the state fits this con-
dition as a glove fits the hand. 1t is
pointed out that under he provision Of
the law as it stands probation officers
receive only in counties of $4,000 or
over in population. Only six counties
in the state meet this population re-
quirement and this fact practically
nullities the operation of the law in
the other ninety three count les. But
the conditions that the law is in
tended to cover and correct exist in
all the counties.
The theory of the Juvenile court law
is that it is better to require parents
to give their children proper care and
to place delinquent children under
proper restraints and thus prevent
them from becoming criminal and i'm
moral than to try. and fail, 20 reform
them after neglect and bad association
have caused their ruin.
The communication issued by the
league says:
Nearly all small towns have in
stances Of girls who are unrestrained
and neglected by their parents and
whose conduct and associations indi-
cate their speedy ruin. Parents must
know the dangers confronting such
girls II they do not know positively of
their immortality. If such parents do
not give their girls proper protection,
there should be a probation officer to
bring both parents and daughters be-
fore the juvenile court who shall re-
quire parents to perform their duty
and such girls to refrain from improper
conduct and immoral associations.
The law of eugenics is ideal but 1t
does not restrain the girl who is in
discreet, check the social evil or pre-
vent illegitimate births. It is esti-
mated that ninety-five percent of the
so-called orphan children adopted by
agents for orphans homes are born out
of wedlock. While eugenics may aid
in selecting a desirable life companion
Of superior type and the opspring of
such union be more favored than the
average child il fails to regulate the
social evil and to benefit the child of
illegitimate birth. Such children are
not protested by health examination of
their parents nor by carefully framed
marriage laws. When parents are in
different to the morals of their daugh-
tiers and give them perfect freedom in
associating with depraved companions.
the Juvenile court and the probation
officer is the best remedy.
Boys. also. who are delinquent and
neglected and who show the evidences
of forming criminal habits should be
put under the same restriction.
The Iowa welfare league is WEI.
within the facts. The conditions exist
Shall the juvenile court law be made
effective in every county of Iowa? The
state and the Legislators who repre-
sent them. What is your individual
conclusion, which will pay best pre-