March 1926
THE UNITED AMERICAN
Page Thirteen
And They, Too, Will be the American Citizens of Tomorrow
CONTRIBUTOR, J. L. S., in the Pa
A
cific Woodman, tells a little story
that has a punch in it and should cause
some hardened soul, groping in the dark
ness of selfish pursuits, to stop and ana
lyse the futility of that individualism that
leads to indifference to all else but self.
There is no individual or national se
curity in such living. It invites the
wrongful conclusion of life objectives; it
justifies the contention that might is
right. America will flounder if that
doctrine is permitted to expand. The
caloused youth, today, that is running a
race ■with the law will be the seasoned
criminal of tomorrow. The laxity of the
present day elders is the cause of this
inglorious outlook. What some people
consider to be “pranks” of the youngsters,
is in reality nothing but acts of banditry
and constitute the early mile posts in
the development of a criminal talent.
There are considerable manifestations of
the fan-spirit that lauds crime, when
commited according to the modern code
of ethics. In this story, J. L. S. contri
butes an illustration that has its counter
part in every neighborhood and every
community and in its moral is writte’i
an earnest appeal for greater attention
to the Americanization program.
*
*
*
Big tears gushed from his eyes, ran
in tiny streams over his cheeks and
were lost in the folds of his faded and
worn sweater. Half seated against a
window’s ledge on a side street near the
business center of the city, a boy, eight
years old, was sobbing and quivering. He
was not trying to attract attention. Many
people passing hastily with eyes and
thoughts fixed on the bright lights a
few blocks away did not even notice
him. My errand on this particular eve
ning was not a hasty one. A sob prompt
ed investigation. Big brown eyes, ruddy
cheeks, sweet mouth, promising nose and
classic chin, and over all the salty evi
dence of his grief. Well worn sweater
much too large, light cotton pants, knit
cap, an old pair of rubber boots — though
the streets were dry — no stockings, con
stituted his apparent covering. It was
chilly weather.
“Well, partner, what’s the matter
here?” He trembled, stifled a hiccough
and forced an answer between sobs
through his chattering teeth. “They —
stoled my money.” It is not unusual to
find a newsboy, especially a little fellow,
who is made a beggar through the
practice of provoking sympathy, and
they sometimes become able to tell an
imaginary tale of misfortune in a most
convincing and appealing way. A second
look and some questions removed all
doubt of this little fellow’s sincerity.
Those were genuine tears and from all
indications they had flowed for quite a
spell. At first he seemed unfilling to
tell his troubles to me. The story came
out in fragments.
He had sold his evening papers and
started to walk home from the center
of the city about 6:30 o’clock, with
thirty-four cents in his pocket. Two
other newsboys, larger and older than
he, who evidently had followed him,
pushed him into an alley, and one of
them held his arms and covered his
mouth while the other took the money
out of his pocket. A sound thrashing
was awaiting him at home, first for
losing his money and next for being late;
it was nearly 8 o’clock. . The finance
committee convened immediately and re
moved the first fear, hoping it might
thus somewhat allay the second.
Perhaps you will say there was noth
ing in such a personal experience to
warrant telling it to others. If you think
so you will be obliged to change your
mind upon more careful analysis.
Those two youngsters who took 34
cents from the little fellow by force are
potential robbers, bandits or possibly
murderers. They will be young men
in a few years and ■will have to be taken
into account as units of society. It is
a short step from the act they committed
to that of pressing a gun against the
ribs of a victim and taking his wallet.
They have found a way to get money
without honestly earning it, — have
stumbled into the most alluring and
treacherous path of life. It may be
that no one has taken the time to warn
them of the danger.
“Do you know the boys who took your
money?” “No” the lad answered, “they
had their caps pulled over their faces.
It was dark in the alley.” Those boys
have a good long start on the road to
the penitentiary today, just entering
their ’teens. Can’t they be reclaimed?
We spend too much of our public
energies, — our private ones too, — on
effects, and too little on causes. We
wonder why the prisoners’ box is filled
with young men in their late ’teens or
early twenties. The answer is not diffi
cult. Too many people have been too
•busy in business and social pursuits, too
much of the time, to give proper atten
tion to making good citizens. We have
all been too busy trying to reform older
folks instead of moulding younger
folks. Most reform agencies have dulled
their chisels on cement after it has be
come “set,” instead of forming the wet
mass with a trowel before it dries and
hardens. Reclamation of youth should
be the greatest movement in the nation
today, in every state, city, town and
community, — not the petting, pamper
ing and idolizing of youth, but the recla
mation of youth. It is a thousand fold
more important than the reclamation of
forests, lands, harbors, etc. It must be
done.
Boy Scouts, and many other similar
organizations are teaching the principles
of good conduct and doing wonderful
work among boys. As a local example,
George Olinger, founder of Olinger’s
Highlanders, has rendered a greater
service in building the future citizen
ship of Denver than can ever be com
puted by comparisons. Some day Denver
should see a monument erected bearing
his name to remind citizens that he was
one who recognized the marvelous pos
sibilities of service in this field and
acted upon his convictions.
In nine cases out of ten man or
woman is never changed much in habit
or character after the age of twenty,
possibly younger. Why hammer away
at rock when the plastic putty of child
hood and youth await the moulders.
Proper and adequate facilities in all
communities for the right kind of recrea
tion is the root of the problem and the
means of the moulding process.
Of course, example is of the utmost
importance, and the home is, or should
be, the greatest moulder of character,
but unfortunately more “homes” than
ever before are finding it altogether in
convenient to find time and patience to
unterstand children.
A lot of learned folks greet the ques
tion with arguments pro and con on
heredity vs. environment, and few other
comparisons are as interesting from a
talking or debating standpoint. The best
solution ever offered upon a discussion
of the relative influence of heredity and
environment came from an old bench-
whittler in a small town, when those tak
ing part in the argument asked him for
his views on the subject. “Well,” he
said “as to which is most important,—
well, it all depends.” And he went on
whittling and chewing and thinking.
The problems of youth are practical,
not academic. The tears of the little
fellow, which caused this effusion, were
real. The two. potential bandits who
held him and took his 34 cents did not
do it as a joke and ten years hence
society will have to figure them some
way in its account.
A COLORED MAN’S DEFINITION OF
ORATORY
“Judge” tells the story of a negro who
met an acquaintance one day and was
surprised to see that his friend had on
a new suit, new hat, new shoes and other
evidences of prosperity.
“Hey, boy,” he said, “how come you
dressed up this way? Is you got a job?”
“I’se got somethin’ bettern’ any job,”
replied the other. “I’se got a profes
sion.”
“What is it?”
“I’se a orator.”
“What’s a orator?”
“Don’t you know?” replied the re
splendent one in surprise, “Well, I’ll tell
you what a orator is. If you was to
walk up to an ordinary nigger and ask
him how much was two and two, he’d
say ‘four,’ but if you was to ask one of
us orators how much was two and two
he’d say. ‘When, in de cou’se of human
events it becomes necessary to take de
numeral of de second denomination and
add it to de figger two, I says unto you
and I says it without fear of suc
cessful contradiction, dat de result will
invai’bly be four.’ Dat’s a orator.”
Every minute fire destroys more than
one thousand dollars’ worth of property
in the United States.