Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 3.djvu/453

 THE J I' XI OR REPUBLIC

439

for a like offense. Many boys who had been addicted to the practice have been completely cured, and have become energetic and promising citizens. Any social arrangement which can ihus reach the inmost springs of moral character, where famous reformatories have confessedly failed, certainly contains pow- erful agencies for good.

Of course there are wide differences in the susceptibility and educability of those who come to the Republic. The most hopeless cases are those who come from the orphans' homes. These show tin- me- chanical, unimpressionable limpness of the de-individual- ized, institutional product. They are indeed pitiful, compared with the rushing vigor of the other citizens. The most hope- ful cases are the leaders of the gangs of toughs, the despair of the city police. Their crimes are more often the natural expression in their environment of their love of adventure and excitement, (iiven the avenues and ambitions of the Republic, and they become the ablest chiefs of police, lawyers, students, and workers. Such boys have already taken high rank in schools and business outside the Republic, and several of them are preparing for college eourses.

The legal age of citi/ens is twelve to twenty-one \i .u \

little fellow nine years of age was sent down from Syracuse, through the efforts of the present writer, on parole from a reform school whither he had been scntenrrd on five charges of arson and two of burglary. He was too young for eiti/en- ship. One of the boys had some time before suggested : " 1 tell you wot Mr. George the trouble here is that the boys don't have an\ ting to love and care fur. I link every feller oiiLiht ter IK-

CHARLEY AND HIS GUARDIAN