Omaha daily bee., 1919-06-01
Reform and Not
Punishment

say a few words in regard to the
moral conditions as they exist in
Omaha at the present time? 1t
seems to one who looks on from the
outside that not only IN Omaha. but
all cities of any size, the real culprits
are shielded, while the poor deluded
wrecks, who are in many cases
hlameless, are the ones to receive
the punishment. 1t has been found
that a great majority of the young
at least, who are classed among the
criminals, are irresponsible. weak
willed, feeble minded, or physically
incompetent. You can not blame the
narcotic or alcoholic habituate for
resorting to any means in their
power to get the drug that is
necessary ingredient to their physi-
cal being. To remove these drugs
from them at once-makes living a
perfect hell to them. Don't blame
them II they commit some overt act
while in this condition, but put the
blame where it rightly belongs-on
the state or nation. Such laws
should not be passed unless some
means are provided to take care of
these unfortunates. They are sick
and need medical treatment. Some
of them can be cured and made self
supporting, while others need instl-
tutional care all their lives. The state
or institution who takes these cases
under control cannot hope to effect
a cure in a day, month or even year
The patient must be treated as sick
and kept under care in hospital
fnr fhiQ until ofyrnH
incurable, handled in the same way
as are the insane.
AS long as our government will
permit undesirable physical and
mental incompetents to marry and
bring detectives into the world just
so long will our police courts be
crowded with criminal and nom
criminal defendants Let us have
more common sense and less law
and we will go far towards reclaim
ing practically every bad boy" AS
an instance of this you are referred
to the acts of the Pittsburgh moral
court. The magistrate, Tancard de
Wolf, is not a lawyer, and some of
his acts, while based on common
sense, would be exactly contrary to
the legal view. Much of the legal
red tape has been discarded and old
ideas Of punishment have been set
aside, with apparently ideal effect.
Punishment, as we all know,
many of us from experience, en-
bitters, but does not amend the boy,
man, woman or girl. The aim of
this Pittsburgh morals court is to
make it physically impossible for the
boy to commit an offense a second
time. This end is attained by chang
ing the entire environment of the
boy or girl and placing them in an
that is wholesome, so
that their viewpoint Of life may be
broadened and clarified, rather than
the environment incident to the jail
or reform school. The Judge makes
it plain to the boy or girl what the F,
of continued wrong
doing will be, and points out how
much more pleasure and self-bene-
fit will come to him if he acts upon |
the square. For instance, when |
breaks out in any sec
ton, he takes 1t as indicative that |
a recreation center is badly needed |
there and his recommendation to
the city for such a place is promptly |!
surplus energies of youth must be !
if lawlessness is to cease. |
He is assisted by a volunteer or
ganization Of regular fellows" rep
resented in the court room by two !
men,, one representing the Catholic !
the other the Protestant.
When a boy is brought into the |
court the judge and his two as
sistants question him, without for |
mality, without legal phraseology, in
fact, it is simply a home council, the |
boy taking an active part in the |
council. He is made to think that |
he is among friends who will pro-
tect and not punish him. He is !
then turned over to these two men |
and inside of "a hours responsible |
business man Zone who is not afraid
to take him into his home for fear
Of contamination) calls on the boy |
and assumes responsibility for
out the youngsters
life. He finds job for the the boy,
keeps in close touch with his fam
lily, and works to correct any con-
ditions in his home or elsewhere
that may be unwholesome.
Girls are handled the same way,
only it seems harder to get those
women who are so loud in their pro-
testations against the social evils, to
act out their preachment. They are
afraid that their person might be
if they act only
affair off through a monocle. The re-
suits in Pittsburgh have exceeded
he expectations of its founder and
sponsor. Only subnormal lads ap-
pear second time in the court, as
general rule, and these should be
placed under institutional care, ac-