Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1924-05-29
EDITORIAL COMMENT

cally. Both were young men of some
what better than average intelligence.
Their student records were excellent.
They were reared in good homes.
There was no reason except one why
either should have died under the cir
cumstances. That one reason was
Disrespect for Law Which is being
taught our young people in practically
every community today. One died
after a moonshine spree. 1t was good
joke until he died There is not a
community in our state where young
man INDUCING in this "jpke' will not
find a group of men willing to help
along his good time by laughter Or
the approval implied by bitter denun-
citation OF laws designed to prevent
such things and extolling of those who
study how to make the laws inopera-
tive. Mingiing with such men, whom
one finds in every community, young
man or woman CANNOT learn respect
4 for law even though his home be clean
and decent. Fort be it not forgotten,
i Americans. that while mothers and
fathers seek to make decent homes,
the home environment has small
chance against the environments we
1 permit our children to have on our
/ streets and our public places where
the major portion of young Americas
lime is spentand which we ought to.
make safe for our youth. Hayward
4 youth does not get it's start in the
average American Home. It gets its
start on the average American Street
and the average American Public
Il Place. That is where this student was
led to, was sold what he thought lie
wanted, enjoyed a good time and the
plaudits of his friends" and then Died
He died because he had imbibed the
American lesson of Disrespect for Law
taught everywhere in America by men
who have abdicated their right to in
fluence our youth and who neglect
their dirty to make the cOmmunity's
streets ami parks and public places as
safe as they make their own homes.
j Why should not a boy or girl be as
carefully guarded on our streets as in
the home or the church? Why should
4 crime be prohibited? in the home but
allowed to stalk on our streets? The
4 why or why not answer to this Ques-
! tion mot the problem of the average
home) will furnish the solution Of our
hayward youth problem. The, other
] student did not die of moonshine; not
directly. He was brought up in a de-
cent home His father and mother
were good people. But their sovereign
/ ty was limited to the home. 1t did not
permeate, as every citizens sOvereigni
ty should, the streets and public
] places III their community. Here he
absorbed the Community Attitude to-
ward the law of the land. A communi-
ty attitude reflected in the action of
its public officials when, few days
ago, they granted new licenses to men
whose places of business had been
raided for Illicit liquor. Yet, these off
Gals probably mourned with the par
ents over the loss of their son and at
tended the funeral. They were sorry
for the Home that had been bereaved
But they were, not sorry about their
streets and public places where this
boy got his start in the big lesson of
disrespect for law. They put the
stamp of theirofficial approval upon
the law violators Did it openly; wrote
it all into the public records. Told the
world how well they thought of such
men! They would not sit down in
their own homes and write such mes
sage to their own sons and daughters
But as for their community, it's streets
and public places, that was different
i They are doubIe-standard men-one
1 ideal for their home, their own chill
dren but no ideal at all for their
community's streets and gathering
places. And their Community Attitude,
/ if it should be honored by such name
is to be found in practically every
community in our country When will
Brillion's tragedy occur? Which moon
sinners liquor will cause it? Which
bootlegger's purse will be fattened by
it? And whose son-or daughter-will
be the victim Brillion News.