SOME FRUITS OF THE GODLESS POOR SCHOOLS AND FLASH LITERATURE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XI, Issue 46, 14 March 1884, Page 5

SOME FRUITS OF THE GODLESS POOR SCHOOLS AND FLASH LITERATURE.

(Brooklyn Catholic Review.') We have been struck, in glancing over the news column of a recent number oE the New York Tribune, with the number of notices of crimes committed by boys and young men as the result of defective moial training and especially the reading of dime novels, " boys" papers." and the flash literature which so mnch abounds in these unhappy days. First is an article headed " Boy Incsndiaries in Milwaukee. Sons of respectable pirents corrupted by dim.2 novels." It ssems that a few months ago a number of bays, sotno of them belonging to respectable families^ incited by dime navol3 and stories in •' boys papers," organised themselves as a gang of freebooters. They secured a limited outfit and prepared to start for the West, where they intended to emulate the deeds of the Cow-boys and Buffalo Bill. Fortunately, .or perhaps, we had rather said, unfortunately, for it proved very unfortunate for the city in the end, their plana were frustrated. Bat their hearts had been fired with the noble ambition inspired by the choice literature in which they bad indulged to deeds of noble daring, and if that ambition could not be gratified by going West, they determined to make the city itaelf the scene of their exploits. Suddenly the city became infested by " fire bugs," and after a number of extensive fires had occurred and an immense amount of damage done, it was discovered that the " bugs " were none other than these young aspirants for •' Neroic" fame, none of whom are more than fifteen years old. •' The boys," it is said. •' had regular meetings, most of wnich were held at the Public Library, where they carried on whispered consultations, and where the leader, 'Chief Knight,' laid the plans which the others executed. Tneir plans were copied after the formulas obtained from flashy literature, and were in inaged with much secrecy and shrewdness," It is added, " the boys do not bear the appearance of being specially malicious. But they are thoroughly imbued with the spirit of jurrent literature for boys and are conversant with cow-boys' vernacular and thieves' slang"; and we are not surprised when it is a lied, "Their arrest and confession are a terrible blow to their families and a gre.it surprise to the community." It may well be bjth ; but will the .families and the community learn the practical lesson which this moat significant fact teaches ? The next incident occurred in Cleveland, and the account is copied from ths Cleveland Leader under the. heading, " A very sharp boy." The story is that a twelve-year-old boy, " son of asaloonist, a bright, cuuniug, red-headed little scamp," i-stiblished himself in the old iron buiness, and it is remarked. " the way in which he has conducted it since would be a profitable study for some older members in the • profession." He established his headquarters in his father's yard, provided himself with scales to weigh tne iron, and employed seven little boys, ranging from seven to fourteen years of age, to bring him the iron wbich they pillaged, principally from heaps of scrap in thj yards of two or thr^e railroads running into the city. The iron was purchased for almost nothing, payment often being made in candy and fruit. The mother of one of the youngsters discovered the '• enterprise " aad reported it to the police. The embryo merchant was taken before the Police Court and his seven companions called as witnesses. The boys told a straightforward story aud the reporter remarks, " The fact that they were not ashamed and did not seem to know that they had committed a crimj speak volumes for their education and the manner in which they are being reared." And the little culprit at the bar " listened to the proceedings with open eyes and mouth, and, though looking anxious did uot seem to be overcast with the enormity of his offence. " How could you expect these poor children to have conscientious ecraples when they are, undoubtedly, the legitimate product of the godless public schools ? The next incident is a practical illustration of the fact that neither respectability of position in society nor a college education is a guarantee against crime. An organised band of thieve 9 was recently discovered m a Western college composed of the students, who were from respectable fain lies. They stole not only from the students, their companions, but trom the stores in the town, and their depredations had been carried on for some time j and they had accumulated a considerable amount of plunder before they were discovered. No wonder the affair " caused consternation in the community." Finally, we have the startling beading, " JMoisy worshippers arrested. Ten members of the Salvation Army and two divinity siudents.' Tuis occurred in Chat important ceutre of light and progress, New Haven, Connecticut, the land of" steady uubit, and the two diviaity students who were arrested and pat iti " durance vile " for disturbing the peace by noisy aud boisterous demoiiai.ra-iona in the name of religion belonged to the Yale Dtviuity Schoul. it is not necessary to preach a sermon iv older to point the mural suggested by these incidents. It lies upon the surface, and it would seem that the rapid multiplication of such startliag incident i ought to rouse the most stolid and indifferent to the danger that ttuo-itens the safety, the peace, and good order of society f iom education without morals and religion, and from a corrupt popular literature.