Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-02-05
ANNAPOLIS FUNCTIONS
REAL BOYS RE PUBLIC
Interesting Work Being Done for
the Good of the Youth of the
State at the willie Newhold
Farm"
WHAT 1T STANDS FOR.
In the Junior Republic the Boy Exults
in Liberty and Learns to Use it
Wisely.

Wisely
ANY one who has a doubt as to the
ability of the American boy to govern
himself properly or as to his ability to
live up to the responsibilities which
may be placed upon him, need not go
far from Annapolis TO have the doubt
removed. He need only go to the
Willie Newbold Farm" near Annap-
oils Junction, and there he may find
a model republic carried on by boys
between the ages OF fourteen and nine
teen years. A campaign for money
and members has been started.
All the National Junior Republic
that is the official title of this repub-
lie. which is carried on entirely by
boys. under supervision of adults. of
course, one finds an institution en-
bracing the essential principles of the
United States of America. The boys
elect their own president and vice
president The president appoints his
own cabinet. consisting of a secretary
of state, secretary of the treasury. at
torney-general and Judge. Boy police
commissioners appoint the boy police,
while the boy Judge appoints the clerk
Of the court, court crier and other nee
essary clerks.
The National Junior Republic is no
longer an experiment. The boys VINO
have been there for varying lengths OF
time during its existence have proved
their ability to govern themselves, elect
their own officers and do other things
generally required of good citizens.
Since the farm upon which the re-
public is situated was taken over by
the republic a number of buildings
were placed upon it. and the plant, as a
whole, is thought now to be worth APP
proximtely $4,000 In addition 10 this
property the republic owns nearly $11,-
900 in bonds, all of which are interest
bearing
The farm on which the republic is
located comprises more than 140 acres.
1t was donated by Major Charles New
bold. on condition. broadly, that in case
the property should case to be used by
the Junior Republic, il should revert to
the heirs of Major Newbold.
Some of the citizen boys are sent by
parents or guardians, who pay what
they can toward the support of such
boys. while other boys are sent by the
board of children guardians and the
Juvenile Court of Washington. and
equivalent institutions of Baltimore
Wherever a boy is sent by a tribunal
the District of Columbia or the State
of Maryland pays for him approximate
ly SI3 a month Additional sums of
money come from Maryland Baltimore
and by voluntary contributions from
leagues and finance committees Of
Washington and Baltimore.
How the boy learns to become a good
citizen, how he is taught the why
of government; and how he is devel-
oped mentally physically and morally
is told graphically in a booklet sent out
by the Washington finance committee
Here is the story as it is told in the
little book:
"All laws are made in the general
assembly The police force. composed
of boy citizens, sees that the laws are
obeyed All infractions of the law are
punished by fines or by terms of work
without pay, and are imposed in a
court presided over by the boy Judge
Any boy, after a residence of ten or
twelve months, is eligible to office. or
he may taks up the study of law, be-
come an attorney and plead cases at
the bar
This. in brief. is the form of the re-
public; the spirit of it lies in the be-
lief that the American. man or boy-will
usually rise TO the responsibilities
placed on his shoulders The belief
has worked out into fact so many times
at the republic that it is no longer
questioned
"The boy who. in the city, has run
with the gang, has looked on the po-
liceman as his natural enemy. on the
Judge as an unreachable oppressor-and
on the laws as something made by
some mysterious unknown enemy for
his affiction and as something to be
defed and evaded, finds himself trans
ferred to a new atmosphere. and when
he discovers. as he does discover, and
very shortly. that the laws are simple
rules laid down not by some overbear-
ings. but by his fellowboys, that the
Judge. who enforces the law is boy
I elected by the other boys. and that po-
Hcemen are simply boys like himself
protecting the boys law. he gets new
insight into the makeup OF society and
realizing himself as a lawmaker. he
+ gets new respect and regard for
the law.
Then. as he begins TO hold various
offices and raises to the responsible
ties OF the positions, this respect and
regard grow stronger until. when he
finally goes out into the world again
he faces conditions with a very clear
understanding OF the interviewer rela-
tions Of society and OF his responsible
tiles and duties as citizen.
"a boy, upon entering the republic
is given an opportunity 10 become IA
familiar with his surroundings. He is
then assigned TO some position. either
on the farm. with the poultry or stock.
in the shops, in the dining room, in
the kitchen, cleaning the grounds. or in
the dormitory. A boy who proves him
self worthy may later be assigned TO a