Grand Forks daily herald., 1915-12-23
CHILDREN SELDOM Inherently BAD
IS OPINION EXPRESSED BY RYAN
Most of BAD Children Bad Because They are Never
Taught the Difference Between Good and
Bad Says Justice.

900 - - y, sEfG- !: az
the child by 6ns on both" of the. par
ents. The parenta wtlfully neglects the
child or is ignorant, Indifferent, care
less over-indulgent or weak in disci-
pine. OF course in a few cases both
they cannot provide for the child;
these are clear subjects for state
guardianship or aid and are with
drawn from the general classification.
Drink Is at the bottom of a great
many cases of neglect which are
brought into court under tho general
head Of improper guardianship.
These are instances in which the par
ents so pitifully neglect the children
that state Interference becomes neces-
sary. The child 10 not q delinquent in
committed and il in court not for
punishment but for protection. 1t is
a striking instance of the devious
working of the law that we must
bring in a child for the first fault Of
the parent.
The drinking mother brings about
the most unwholesome home life and
yet there the court can do no more
than with the father. The result is
gained through that love for the
child which even the most sodden
woman seldom loses; the love is pres-
ent although drink may have destroy
ed its every evidence.
The causes are all very sad and ono
differs only in degree from the others
"A foul. dirty home. the clothing sold
or pawned. food money dissipated in
the rum shop. and the children left
to live or die as God will. Women
come before me in whom the last
vesttge. Of that which we rever as
m n 30
their children have lived on neighbor-
hood bounty or on lucky finds amid
the garbage. And yet the mere inter-
vention Of the court often brings
about change.
The scottish mother and the tattered,
unkempt children are brought before
me. 4 remand the children to the
care Of 4 society for week. The
mother pleads and begs to keep them
probably it is the first time that she
has even been separated from them.
tween the children and drink-that
the children may be hers il she de-
serves them. 1 tell her that the
agents of the court will visit her
home, will inquire in the neighbor-
hood and that II at the end Of the
week we find that she has stopped
drinking, that the home II clean and
she shows herself able and willing. to
give the proper care, then the chill
dren will be restored.
Usually the woman comes back
sober and the agent reports that the
home has been put in order. Then I
give her the children for q month on
parole under supervision with the
strict instruction that the house and
they children must be kept clean, and
they must have the best food she can
provide, that they must 90 to school
and the older children to Sunday
school-and above all that she must
stay away from liquor. The agent
keeps in touch with the home ct the
end Of the month, II the, report is
favorable. the children are parolSd for
q longer period. We sometimes keep
up the parole for several years.
In the great majority Of cases the
treatment works out well ana many q
home Ii reformed. When the habit OF
drink 10 too strong and the mother
lapses we commit the children to an
institution for an indefinite term, al
ways holding out to the mother that
she may have them back when her
Even after commitment the mother
often reforms and the home IL recon-
structed. 81 81. d 4 q ~
The drinking father liz not 10 amen.
able to the discipline OF the court:
It must be remembered that the only
weapon OF the court u the threat Ia
take away the children. The father.
if he comes to court, viii usually
proniss 70 reform, but more frc-
Qusntiy than not he WIN break MI
+promass. Ths mother tjsn can cAiy
- ADVISED 70 bring him blkoss ano4h-
es,,;,cu g Scot ). ~ non aypclt; 2 fgstha