THE CURFEW IN AMERICA

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Aug 25, 1898

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 24, No. 33.

THE CURFEW IN AMERICA.

The editor of the New York World sees danger in the curfew ordinances that are being passed by many villages throughout the land. Following are his words:—

The trustees of several villages in this State—Warsaw being the latest example—have passed ordinances forbidding children under fifteen years of age from “being on the streets, alleys, or public places” after the hour of 9 o’clock P.M. from April to October, or after 8 o’clock the other half of the year.

It is made unlawful for parents or guardians to allow or permit children under their care to be on the streets during the prescribed hours “unless there exists a reasonable necessity therefor.” A fine “not exceeding $25” is provided for parents who violate this section.

The police are authorized to arrest and detain children found on the streets at night, but not to imprison them. Their parents are to be notified, and are liable to a fine for not thereafter keeping their children within bounds.

This is coming a good deal nearer State socialism than the “free and independent citizens of these United States” once thought they would ever get. If the authorities of a village can take the place of parental authority in restricting the liberty of children and saying what is good and what is bad for them, there are other logical steps in the same line which the adopters of these curfew ordinances have perhaps not thought of.

Doubtless some streets in some villages are bad places for children at night. But so are some homes. When will the village Solons begin to regulate the homes? Would it not be a more sensible and American idea to make the streets—which are under public control—decent and safe even for children?

There is, without doubt, danger of the government meddling with private affairs in a way it has no business to. And it all comes from the mistaken notion that the State, “if you can keep pure men in office,” can regulate everything to perfection. But if more interest was taken by parents in their children, they would not want to go on the street at night, and thus a temptation and a stumbling-block would be taken away from those who seek to regulate every detail of their neighbors’ private life.

Children should indeed be kept off the streets, but parents are the ones who should attend to this. But what is to be done for the poor children whose parents are far worse than the most degraded beasts? is a question that is not so easily solved. Warm-hearted, devoted Christians, and all real Christians are such, can find a great work to do among and for these unfortunate children, and their parents as well. They need true sympathy and proper Christian teaching more than they need curfew laws. And this teaching, in order to be effective, must be the voluntary personal work of souls whose whole lives are centered in Christ.

“Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.” Matt. 25:40.