Show Arid According to that old code of ethics and maxims known as the Common Law which has come down to us through ages from our a the Anglo-Saxon- s child under five years of age could commit no crime Long ago some of the legislatures of the respective states of the federal union by means of statutory measures raised this age limit to twelve years There was no distinction made between the unlawful acts of a mere child over the age limit and those of an adult Suppose a twelve or fourteen year old youngster or even a little fellow under the statutory age limit committed petty larceny by plundering a neighboring chicken roost At the same time an adult man of twenty-fiv- e years went to another hen house and helped himself" to other people’s belongings In the eyes of the Common Law both offenses were judged by the same standard and the supposed justice meeded out by applying the same penalty However some of us made a fore-fathe- rs Citizenship distinction and no doubt more than one tender hearted police-judg- e of the old school caused his code of laws to be fractured when this youngster was brought before him along side of the grown man with years of experience to answer for the same offense There were some individuals who called the boy’s offense mischief or youthful exuberance and placed as the cause of his deed or rather misdeed the fact that he was ignorant of the property rights of others This was the extent of the diversity of opinion and most of us closed our eyes when we saw this boy cast into prison along side of “weather-beaten- ” criminals hardened men and wicked women with all of the evil associates and surroundings of such a life This was all the judge could do under such laws as have been in power in years past If the boy were guilty he certainly merited punishment In most cases this punishment did more to make him an “arid citizen” then a multiplication of the offense kind-hearte- d |