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Show I JUVENILE COURT. An appeal was made by the juvenile court commission com-mission composed of his excellency the governor of the state, the attorney general and the superin- j tendent of public instruction, calling attention to the provisions of the law passed by an act of the state legislature in the March session of this year. The appeal states local abuses and suggests remedies reme-dies that will in a measure remedy the deficiency of the law in covering peculiar local conditions. The paper is worthy of attention and the suggestions sugges-tions contained are based on a good common sense view of the question. The commission is correct in several of its statements, and the reflections are worthy of careful consideration by the general pub- lie. It is true that every one in a community should give a helping hand to the obliteration of sources of temptation to children. It is as much the duty of every citizen to do these things as it would be his or her duty to protect a child from an impending physical danger and even more. There is between these two instances as much difference dif-ference as exists between the individual and restricted re-stricted harm to physical accidents and the elas tic communicating contagious nature of moral evils. It is true also that men who are granted licenses to pursue certain traffic by the community should govern their desire for greed and exhibit strength of character enough to refuse to offer children the opportunities that although not immoral im-moral in themselves, might through looseness lead to immorality. Those people who conduct cheap theatres where pictures are shown and songs rendered ren-dered could as easily introduce healthy amusements and refining spectacles since they know that children chil-dren are their best patrons. Children do not delight de-light in perverse things and an entertainment to be light and even comical need noi be morally harmful. The best method to pursue against those who show no such regard for their little patrons is to boycott them by publishing through the city their harmfulness. There is one feature, however, that no amount of caution will cover and no prevention prevent. All these suggestions are merely external. They correspond to external applications in skin eruptions erup-tions when the blood is in bad condition. Unless a good sound moral internal condition is established in our little patients these are but temporary remedies rem-edies and superficial. The child is not as much protected by the pointing out of moral evils as by the instilling of principles that make him or her appreciate the excellence of virtue. It is better physically for the human system to be prepared to fight and conquer inimical germs than to be taught to be constantly on guard in avoiding them. One is good, it is true, but it is a lesser waste of energy en-ergy and valuable time, if, whether these germs come or not wo have fortified ourselves to combat them. And here is the point for reflection. Howl By good, clean homes with a healthy atmosphere about them. That is one condition. But one of greater importance, and one which this paper recommends, rec-ommends, in accordance with all Catholic teaching, teach-ing, is this: Do not for an instant let the grand total of your, instruction be mental development. You cannot educate one side of a boy's or girl's nature and not leave him or her a moral freak. You cannot dissociate moral training from mental discipline. You cannot round them out into beautiful beau-tiful soul form without both. You cannot give them a strong defensive, against evil without instilling in-stilling sound moral principles in youth, and you cannot instil these principles effectively without the teachings of religion. You may boast all you will and pretend to get suspicious when you aro reminded of it and your pride in your present sys- tern will blind you temporarily, but Salt Lake will learn the lesson and tiie nation will also. '.: V ' 1 |
