The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-09-19

all the facts and circumstances
involved whether the act Of tioni.
eide was q lawful and necessary
exercise Of the police power by the
officer and therefore justified or
whether It was reckless or wan.
ton abuse Of that power.D
I'm addition to the general
classification" said the Judge,
the Legislature has from time to
time passed certain laws which
the Court is required to incorpor-
ate In the general charge to the
grand Jury. The first OF these
laws are the statutes relative to
elections. All the laws on this
subject ara compiled in a very com
prehensive statute providing the
manner Of holding and conducting
elections and prescribing drastic
penalties for failure on the part OF
election officials to faithfully dis.
charge their respective duties,
and also prescribing severe pen.
alties for any persons who are
guilty Of any corrupt practices in
connection with the election. to
the end that the ballot may be en-
tirely free from corruption, faint
or fraud, and that upon any issue
to be determined by the votes Of
the people. the result shall regis.
ter the voice Of the people unin-
luenced by any improper methods
or practices. These prohibitiye
statutes apply as we'll to the con-
Quoting of primary election as
TO general election, and 1t is the
duty Of all citizens to aequaint
themselves with all the provisions
OF these statutes. and to obey
them literally.
Relative to Child Labor
Another subject to be specIally
given in charge are those legisla-
tive regulations concerning labor
and the employment OF persons in
certain hazardous industries, and
the Legislature has been specially
careful TO safeguard the employ
ment Of the youth and OF W men
In industry. A child under four
teen must not he permitted 10
work at any occupation except
agriculture or domestic service
and no child under sixteen NAV
work In any mine, quarry or ex.
cayatIon, or any occupation that
is dangerous or Injurious to health
OF morals; and for the protection
of those who work underground
and In proximity to dangerous
machinery. such safeguards must
be afforded as reasonable dill.
gence and modern science can
provide.
AS To Prohibition
Our people are gradually COM
ing to realization that the pro-
hfbit!on law Is not dead letter.
that 1t was placed on the statute
books by the legislative depart
ment of the government by the
REPRESENTATIVES Of the people duly
elected and with authority to pass
such law, and that this law is no
more to be ignored than any
other, and that the officers are
just as vigilant in It's Enforce.
ment as any other. You will prob.
ably have a few cases to consider
OF violations of the prohibition
law. but not many, because in
this country our people have come
to understand that when these
cases como up TO tha court they
are treated Just the same as
others. aud lately for the most
part, fines and Imprisonment I'M
posed by the Justices of ths
Peace have been accepted as final
with tho result that your docket
will not be crowded with these
cases at this term.
From my experience connected
with the administration OF Grim
inal law, am convinced that for
the future welfare OF the state and
OF society. II Is more important to
prevent crime than to pun sh
criminals. and in addition to our
liberal system OF public education.
which is so che erfully supported
by our people, the Legislature ha.
in recent years enacted special
legislation called the Juvenile acts
designed to protect children from
the evils that prevade our social
order. and the Judge who presides
over the juvenile court has been
vested with an arbitrary discretion
and power that Is very broao.
Truant officers and probation Of
ficers have been created to have
an oversight over the youth OF the
community. and where there Ia
any indication OF delinquency
they may be summarily hailed in
to juvenile court, and corrected,
counseied, punished. placed in
more suitable homes or corrective
institutions, or released on parole
In the custody Of their parents. as
to the judge seems proper in the
particular case. The juvenile
court Of this county is open al
most every day Of the year and
hundreds OF these cases l may say
are heard each month. In some re-.
cords are made which are re-
corded In the juvenile docket, in
others It is not deemed necessary
t make records. The pubic hears
f.Ay little OF these casest the
law does not permit newspaper &C.
counts Of such hearings to be pub
lished, but | regard the work done
in this branch OF the court as Of
vastly more Importance. 10 the
community and more far reaching
In its effect than all the other
work OF the criminal court. And
under this statute the. Judge not
only has jurisdiction Of the child,
but also OF the parent, the guar
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