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Show ' SAVE THE BOYS! . Some days ago, The Tribune made a plea for the boys of thin city, many of whom are drifting Insensibly Into crime-.' The ocpasloh of our plea was the arrest of a number of lads for petty thievery, and tho certainty that other lads are following them in the pathway of misdemeanor mis-demeanor and crime. Tho boys who thus land In the criminal crim-inal dock are not naturally vicious; they become so through a long courso of parental neglect, and continued running the streets In company with other boys who are likewise neglected, and the "gangs" become notorious for their pranks, their Impudence, tholr disregard disre-gard for personal and property rights, and finally they fall under the oye of the police. At first, tho effort of tho guardians of tho publto peace and order ig"To restrain tho boys, to give them good advice, and help them to retrace their downward steps. Grievous to say, theso efforts for their reclamation are generally fiouted by the objects of It, and tho downward career Is pursued until the police court ppur to the better class of the boys, and they stop their wayward careers. The boys demand too many privileges, and too much opportunity Is afforded them in this city to pursue wild ways. Vicious shows arc open to them, they sneak Into saloons and are not expelled, getting Into back rooms or at back entrances, en-trances, and accomplices older In years got them bcor or spirits. They think it flno to nmokc cigarettes, ruining thereby, there-by, combined with the drink, both their physical and moral natures. The examinations made by the U. S, naval ofllcers of offered recruits fully prove tho fact of the physical breakdown break-down in the startling proportion of tho total who apply, who arc rejected for "tobacco heart" and defective vitality; while common experience, together with tho shameful record of desertions of those accepted, provo tho moral breakdown. break-down. ' What remedy shall be proposed for this shocking break-down In tho moral and physical stamina of bo many of the boys? Obviously, a careful, strict dlscl-pllno dlscl-pllno at their homes must be the first stop. This should bo supplemented by the organization of helpful societies, and a united 'effort of them toward the suppression sup-pression of the freedom of boys toward evil ways. The saloons should be absolutely closed against them, and in this tho co-operation of tho saloon-keepers themselves ought to be enlisted. They should not have opportunities to get cigarettes, and In this the dealers and all other right-minded citizens should be Invited earnestly to co-operate. They should be kept off the street as much as poeslble, after night; nothing Is more utterly demoralizing tb a boy than unrestrained un-restrained night-prowling. These and other helpful agencies should be employed, so that the deterioration deteri-oration In the physical and moral characters char-acters of the boys may be stopped, and tho development turn toward tho ascending as-cending Bcale. There is work here for good, active, well-disposed people to do. The question is, Will they do it? If so, they cannot set about It any too soon. |