ALBERT R. MANN 
 LIBRARY 
 
 AT 
 
 CORNELL UNIVERSITY 
 
HV 876.G34A35""'™""""-"'"'^ 
 Fiji's J""iO';,';epublic, its history and idea 
 
 3 1924 013 725 027 
 
Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 The original of this book is in 
 the Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924013725027 
 
WILLIAM R. GEORGE. 
 
ne 
 
 JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 ITS HIS TOR r AND IDEALS 
 
 BY 
 WILLIAM R. GEORGE 
 
 WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY 
 
 THOMAS M. OSBORNE 
 
 ILLUSTRATED 
 
 D. APPLETON AND COMPANY 
 NEW YORK AND LONDON:i9io 
 
Copyright, igog, by 
 LETON j\.ND CQWPANY 
 
 Published December, 1909 
 
TO 
 
 MY WIFE AND MOTHER 
 
 WHOSE AID 
 
 MADE THE EEPUBLIC 
 
 A BEAUTY 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 "If it be true," says Shakespeare's sprightly 
 Rosalind, " that good wine needs no bush, 'tis true 
 that a good play needs no epilogue," and she might 
 have carried her logic a little farther and added, 
 " and 'tis equally true that a good book needs no 
 introduction." 
 
 I have tried to persuade my friend, William R. 
 George, that his book falls in this category, and that 
 in any case I am not the one to write an introduc- 
 tion ; but he refuses to be convinced ; and I, therefore, 
 find myself forced to the unpleasant alternative of 
 certainly offending him, or possibly offending his 
 public. I therefore choose the possible evil rather 
 than the certain one. There is, however, one com- 
 forting thought: no one will feel obliged to read the 
 introduction even if it is written, for the book will 
 doubtless be quite capable of standing by itself. 
 
 The reason why another than myself should be 
 chosen to write the introduction is that I have for 
 many years been so closely interested in the work of 
 Mr. George's Junior Republic at Preeville that I 
 have long since lost the critical attitude toward it. 
 I find myself regarding its existence as I do that of 
 the United States of America, or the North Pole, or 
 
 vii 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 Euclid's Pons Asinorum— that is, as a proposition the 
 truth of which no one now attempts to dispute. One 
 may be called upon to demonstrate it; but he does 
 so knowing that unless he arrives at the recognized 
 conclusion it is his reasoning that is wrong, and not 
 the conclusion. 
 
 My acquaintance with Freeville and " Daddy " 
 George began in the fall of 1896; and in the inter- 
 vening years between that time and the present, I 
 have visited the Junior Republic many times, offi- 
 cially and unofficially; I have worked with its citi- 
 zens ; I have presided over its Supreme Court ; a large 
 number of its graduates have labored and lived in 
 my home-city, some of them in my own home ; many 
 of them have become my dear and intimate friends. 
 I have studied its methods and results carefully; I 
 have thought about it, talked of it and lectured on 
 it ; in short, it has become so bound up with my daily 
 life that it is impossible for me to imagine the world 
 without it. 
 
 Under ordinary circumstances I should have a 
 right to claim pretty complete knowledge about an 
 institution with which I have been so long and so 
 closely connected. Were it a manufactory of anything 
 else I should be sure I knew a great deal ; but it 
 is a manufactory of citizens — men and women — and 
 the result is an infinite variety that produces in the 
 wise observer a very healthy modesty — an uncertainty 
 as to how much he really does know after all; for 
 he finds ever new vistas opening out into broader 
 
 viii 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 fields of vision. I find that even Mr. George is learn- 
 ing new things all the time ; and I am quite sure that 
 the rest of us, as well, are still far from comprehend- 
 ing all that the Junior Republic means — all that it 
 is and can be made. In short, the Junior Republic 
 is human — it is alive — ^it is growing and changing 
 from day to day. 
 
 That is what makes it so absorbingly interesting. 
 
 At first I thought the Junior Republic was a very 
 picturesque and interesting philanthropic experiment, 
 that proceeded along the normal grooves of a child's 
 nature, instead of trying to go across them. 
 
 Then I found that it was no experiment at all; 
 that it was the residuum of a series of experiments — 
 that the existing elements in the system were there 
 for the very reason that experience had proved them 
 successful. 
 
 Then I discovered that the Junior Republic was in 
 its essential features a perfectly natural evolution 
 from a benevolent tyranny, which, seeking to do its 
 highest duty to the human beings under its charge, 
 had unexpectedly blossomed into a self-governing 
 community. 
 
 Then it came to me that what Mr. George had 
 really discovered was a new application of a very old 
 principle — ^nothing less than Democracy itself applied 
 to a very puzzling problem — ^with results that were 
 wonderfully, startlingly successful. 
 
 Then I found that for many of the problems of 
 our great Republic I could gain light by studying the 
 
 ix 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 little Republic; and I called it " a laboratory experi- 
 ment in Democracy." 
 
 Then I asked : Why should training in citizenship, 
 the necessary function for every citizen in a Dem-* 
 ocracy, be confined to the children at the George Jun- 
 ior Republic ? Why is it not desirable in the schools 
 my children attend? 
 
 Then some one suggested to me that our present 
 school system, in not inculcating some sort of social 
 responsibility, was not, in fact, training for citizen- 
 ship; but merely turning out obedient followers for 
 our political bosses. 
 
 Then Mr. George opened my mind to the possi- 
 bility of the same principles being used as a basis 
 for an intelligent and reforming Prison System — a 
 system which should be social sanitary drainage — not 
 merely a moral cesspool. At first I laughed at the 
 idea; then I saw the Truth. 
 
 Now, as I understand it, the Junior Republic is 
 but one brilliant example of the unflinching appU- 
 cation of Democracy — of the Democracy which is a 
 political expression of the Golden Rule. And just as 
 " Daddy " George cleared his vision, found the Rule 
 and applied it, so in many directions outside the 
 Junior Republic must the Rule be applied. 
 
 For we have as yet only begun to develop the pos- 
 sibilities of Democracy; it remains to educate citi- 
 zens by applying the Democratic Principle to our 
 school system (still dominated by aristocratic and 
 paternalistic ideals— the ideals of outworn social 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 systems) ; to apply the Democratic Principle to our 
 factories and solve the labor problem; to apply the 
 Democratic Principle to our prisons and reform our 
 ignorant brethren who have failed to adapt themselves 
 to society. And these divine events are not far off — 
 they are close at hand, if we but will it so. 
 
 Called on to act as Judge of the Junior Republic 
 Supreme Court, in a ease which involved the ques- 
 tion whether a prisoner who was a good football 
 player should be released for the day in order to 
 strengthen the Republic team, I listened to compre- 
 hensive arguments for continuing the temporary in- 
 junction I had granted. At the end of the speech 
 the Boy Judge of the Republic sat down, but almost 
 immediately arose again. " Your Honor," said he, 
 " just one thing more. In most schools and colleges, 
 nowadays, a fellow has to gain a certain standard of 
 scholarship, in order to be a member of any athletic 
 team. Now up here at the Junior Republic, our 
 standard is citizenship; and if a fellow can't keep out 
 of jail he 's no business to play on the football eleven. ' ' 
 
 Those words sent a thrill through me as I sat upon 
 the bench; they thrill me as I repeat them. " Our 
 standard is citizenship." Could there be a finer 
 judgment passed upon Mr. George's work? A more 
 splendid reward for his years of devotion and self- 
 sacrifice ? 
 
 I hope I may live to see the day when in every 
 school and college in the land alongside of the stand- 
 ard of Scholarship may be raised the standard of 
 
 xi 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 Citizenship. And just as in the newer methods of 
 teaching it has been found that in many cases the 
 best way to learn a thing is by doing it, so one can 
 really learn how to be a citizen only by being a citi- 
 zen, can learn to bear responsibility only by bearing 
 responsibility; and social responsibility, which is 
 citizenship, should be a part of every school and col- 
 lege curriculum. 
 
 Gladstone said: " It is liberty alone that fits men 
 for liberty." 
 
 Thomas Mott Osboene. 
 
 Auburn, N. Y., November 1, 1909. 
 
 xn 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 I. The Way it Came About 1 
 
 II. "Nothing Without Labob" .... 19 
 
 III. Teial by Jury 37 
 
 IV. The Unfolding op the Eepublic Idea . 55 
 V. The Beginning op the Junior Repubuc 65 
 
 VI. Practical Experiments and Winter 
 
 Quarters 86 
 
 VII. The Rise and Fall op the "Free Tin 
 
 Party" 105 
 
 VIII. Girls as Citizens 138 
 
 IX. Further Adjustments 155 
 
 X. A Visit to the Republic 178 
 
 XI. The Industries op the Republic . . 208 
 XII. The Republic Homes 238 
 
 XIII. The Citizen Government ..... 248 
 
 XIV. The Visit Concluded 296 
 
 XV. Methods of Starting a Repubuc . . 315 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 PULtrPAGE ILLUSTRATIONS 
 From Photographs by Verne Morton, Groton, N. Y. 
 
 EACING 
 PAGE 
 
 William R. George Frontispiece 
 
 Citizens of the Republic digging a ditch ... 26 
 
 In the carpenter shop . . 74 
 
 A scene in Court 120 
 
 The Junior Republic at Freeville ..... 180 
 
 In the printing office 218 
 
 The court house and jail 250 
 
 Steel cages in the jail 294 
 
 FACSIMILES OP LEGAL PAPERS USED IN THE REPUBLIC 
 
 Check on the Citizens' Bank of the Republic . . 189 
 Form of search warrant used in the Junior Re- 
 public 255 
 
 Bond given for the appearance of a prisoner . . 257 
 
 Warrant of arrest 259 
 
 Summons for a juror 260 
 
 Form used for charge against prisoner . . . 274 
 The indictment 279 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 THE WAY IT CAME ABOUT 
 
 IT all happened something like this: — 
 I had had the good fortune to be born 
 and reared upon a farm. West Dryden, 
 Tompkins County, New York, was the place, 
 I had had no choice in the matter of selection ; 
 but if such had been the case I am quite sure 
 I should have selected that identical spot, and 
 should most certainly have selected the same 
 parents. 
 
 Up to the age of fourteen years, I had a 
 merry time of it, reading books, roaming the 
 fields, and killing imaginary Indians with 
 wooden guns. I devoted more attention to 
 things of this kind than I did to study or work 
 upon the farm. 
 
 When I was fourteen, my parents went to 
 
 2 1 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 New York City and I naturally accompanied 
 them. I can't say that the big city made a fa- 
 vorable impression upon me at the outset. I 
 longed for the freedom of the hills of central 
 New York. However, time plays strange 
 pranks, and it never played a stranger one 
 than when it finally caused me to forget some- 
 what my country home and become absorbed ia 
 the life of the big metropolis. 
 
 I had the opportunity to go to a preparatory 
 school and college, and my mother was heart- 
 broken when I did not accept the chance; but 
 the routine of school work did not appeal to 
 me, and I rebelled. The rush of business life 
 had a much stronger hold upon me and after 
 a brief experience in a publishing house and a 
 wholesale importing establishment, I finally 
 became launched in business for myself. 
 
 There was one instinct that was always very 
 strong within me. This was a great fascina- 
 tion for the life of a soldier. Even after I 
 had engaged iu business, I had a feeling that 
 some day I should like to be in the United 
 States Army. The nearest approach to a sol- 
 dier's li'fe that was available was for me to 
 
 2 
 
THE WAY IT CAME ABOUT 
 
 join a regiment of the National Guard. I cast 
 my lot with Company H of the 22nd Eegiment, 
 N. G-. S. N. Y., and here I found an outlet for 
 my military enthusiasm. I never rose to a 
 very high position, but I enjoyed every moment 
 that I was in the service. I should not men- 
 tion this brief military experience but for the 
 fact that indirectly it has played such an im- 
 portant part in what has become my life work. 
 It was at this period of my existence that I 
 became unusually absorbed in the study of the 
 social conditions of the great city. I spent 
 much time in walking about the slum districts 
 and forming the acquaintanceship of small boys 
 occupied in making bonfires in the streets or 
 vacant lots, playing baseball, "shooting craps" 
 for cigarette pictures, or doing any or all of 
 the many pranks in which the human young 
 male of this class is wont to indulge. This 
 sort of study had a greater fascination for me 
 than business, and as I was my own master 
 and had an able assistant to look after my af- 
 fairs, I was able to follow up this desultory 
 study of social life, although my business suf- 
 fered somewhat as a consequence. 
 
 3 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 It was a little later that, as a result of this 
 experience with young boys, I brought my mil- 
 itary training into play and organized compa- 
 nies of boys in various clubs and mission 
 houses. Interest in athletic sports, also, led to 
 organization of baseball teams, and a law-and- 
 order gang of tough young specimens, which I 
 conducted personally. The story of the career 
 of some of these youths would entertainingly 
 fill a book of itself. Nor was my interest in the 
 young confined exclusively to the boys I met. 
 Incidentally, I became acquainted with their 
 sisters, and I found them quite as deserving 
 of study and my efforts as the brothers. 
 
 One day as I was seated at my desk at my 
 place of business, planning for my summer va- 
 cation, which I always spent in my native town, 
 my eye dropped upon a copy of the Evening 
 World. Just by chance I began to read this 
 little story. 
 
 "It caught his little eye and the dear little 
 boy took great risk to get it. The same warm 
 sun that has for weeks been coaxing the patient 
 life of trees and plants shone yesterday on City 
 Hall Park. The stern white building topped 
 
 4 
 
THE WAY IT CAME ABOUT 
 
 by Justice smiled not in the sunshine, but the 
 grass and the trees, and the 'few bit shrubs' 
 showed plainly the subtle influence. Upon the 
 benches sat a hundred tired men and women, 
 wretched and painful to look upon. They 
 seemed too dispirited to do more than reaHze 
 dumbly that the April sun was warm and com- 
 fortable to their chilled bones. But on the iron 
 chain at one side of the park hung a boy, a 
 human, live, dirty-faced boy, a child of the al- 
 ley. He knew the grass was green and thick 
 as a mat, and he knew that rival sparrows, with 
 drooping wings, were duelling on the walks. It 
 reminded him of a heavenly time when he was 
 a 'kid' and had been sent to a village paradise 
 to enjoy a 'country week.' 
 
 " 'It smells kinder like it, too, 'f there ain't 
 no daisies,' he said, and snuffed there at great 
 snuffs of damp earthiness that surely did smell 
 something like the country. 
 
 "By and by his hard little eyes began to 
 glow. There in the middle of the big handker- 
 chief of green smiled a little yellow spot like a 
 gold sovereign. Round and gleaming and tiny, 
 who but a dear little child of nature would have 
 
 5 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIC 
 
 spied it there? But our boy had seen it and 
 he longed for it, as a miser might have longed 
 had the gold been that of the earth and not of 
 the open air. 
 
 "For an hour he gloated over it, planning its 
 possession. If only the old folk sitting on the 
 benches would promise not to cry 'Hi Hi!' if 
 he should make the daring dash! If only the 
 gray-backed policeman would go and attend to 
 'them fellers playing slap-jack * on Justice 
 front steps. Blessed Luck! He goes at last. 
 He even disappears beneath the green lamps 
 of the police station. Never mind if some old 
 man does cry *Hi!' Now is the appointed 
 time. 
 
 "Over the chain tumbles the dear little fel- 
 low. Eyes ablaze and heart abeating! Over 
 the thick green grass he flies to where the 
 gleaming yellow disk like a smile of the sky has 
 lured him on. Eagerly he swoops upon his 
 treasure, greedy as a thief. Then stays his 
 hand! Slowly he turns and goes away, leav- 
 ing the scrap of yellow still glinting in the sun- 
 shine. Dear little boy, of such is life! The 
 April sun is warm and just It shines alike on 
 
 6 
 
THE WAY IT CAME ABOUT 
 
 spring's flower, and on the bit of orange 
 peel!"* 
 
 I remember that, after reading this, I gave 
 expression to a hearty inward laugh at the ex- 
 pense of that small boy, but suddenly the 
 thought came: "You know a number of fel- 
 lows just like that. Why don't you take a lot 
 of them up to the country with you this sum- 
 mer ? ' ' And on the instant : — ' ' I '11 do that very 
 thing," I cried, to myself. And from that im- 
 pulsive decision started the inception of the 
 idea which was destined to develop into the 
 Junior Eepublic! 
 
 The first essential was to secure transporta- 
 tion. I bethought myself of the Tribune Fresh 
 Air Fund. I grasped my hat and in less than 
 ten minutes after I had made the resolve to 
 take the boys to the country, I was face to face 
 with Mr. Willard Parsons, the manager of that 
 worthy charity, urging him to give me the nec- 
 essary tickets. With his usual kindly but bluff 
 manner he told me he would give me the tickets 
 for all the children I wanted, providing I could 
 find the farmers who would entertain them. I 
 
 * rrom the Evening World, April, 1890. 
 
 7 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 told him that was the easiest part of the matter 
 and declared I would like to take about fifty 
 yoimg people two weeks from that day. Then 
 I went back to my office and worked out the 
 following scheme: — 
 
 I would take about forty boys and ten girls. 
 The boys would be of the particularly "tough" 
 sort who were not usually invited to spend 
 vacations in the country. I would locate these 
 fellows in the families of my country cousins 
 and other friends. Each day I would assem- 
 ble the entire group at one place and we would 
 spend the hours from sunrise to sunset, play- 
 ing baseball, going swimming, digging out 
 woodchucks and visiting the farmers' apple 
 orchards. The people who entertained the 
 girls would be obliged to look out for them. 
 
 Then I made a list of the boys I should like 
 to take, and sent word to them that they were 
 invited to spend two weeks with me in the coun- 
 try, and to be ready to leave New York on the 
 evening train, two weeks from the time the 
 postal card was mailed. 
 
 Incidentally, it occurred to me, although it 
 seemed a mere detail, that it might be a good 
 
 8 
 
THE WAY IT CAME ABOUT 
 
 scheme to tell my country friends what I was 
 planning to do; and I straightway sent out a 
 few letters, announcing what was about to hap- 
 pen and informing them of the part they were 
 to play in the game. 
 
 I had really expected that it would be diffi- 
 cult for these good people to restrain their joy 
 when they learned of my scheme. Two days 
 later, to my great dismay, I received a letter 
 from a very dear cousin, declaring that a bomb- 
 shell exploding in that community could hardly 
 have created greater consternation than had 
 my letter. Instead of being enthusiastic over 
 the project, complete demoralization had seized 
 upon her neighbors. 
 
 It afterwards developed that a group of 
 Fresh Air children had been there the preced- 
 ing year, and while the girls had been very 
 nice and in nearly every instance had received 
 invitations to come again, the boys, on the 
 other hand, had turned out to be "misfits." 
 They had insisted on turning the pigs in the 
 garden, cracking the freshly laid eggs to see 
 what was inside, and committing other depreda- 
 tions not calculated to inspire confidence. 
 
 9 
 
THE JUNIOE REPUBLIC 
 
 These boys had come to the country with a gen- 
 eral reputation of being "good boys" from 
 Mission Sunday Schools. In my letter I had 
 announced that my consignment of boys was 
 to be "bad" boys, and this was sufficient to 
 drive the community frantic. If good little 
 boys had done the sort of things they had ex- 
 perienced the summer before, what would my 
 "bad boys" be capable of doing! My towns- 
 people were willing, however, to give food in 
 abundance; they positively would not take my 
 boys in their homes. Of course, the girls would 
 be welcome. 
 
 It is unnecessary to say that for a brief 
 period diplomatic relations were all off be- 
 tween my country cousins and myself. Eeally, 
 I had no reason to blame them. In all prob- 
 ability it would have been a long time before 
 the proper relations were resumed, had it not 
 been for the fact that I received a letter from 
 another cousin, which contained a proposition 
 that gave me the hope I should not be obliged 
 to abandon my excursion entirely. After he 
 had stated frankly the general feeling of the 
 people of the community, he wanted to know if 
 
 10 
 
THE WAY IT CAME ABOUT 
 
 it would not be possible to place all the boys in 
 one building, where I could take charge of 
 them. He wrote that he thought he had a 
 house that would be just the thing. It was an 
 old building that he had been thinking some 
 what of demolishing and if the boys used it, it 
 was quite possible they might save him the 
 trouble. Would I be willing to accept the of- 
 fer of this "castle"? 
 
 There was no doubt about my being willing 
 to take the responsibility. I was glad now that 
 the people would not receive my charges in 
 their homes. I should have the young rascals 
 with me all the time. This would give me an 
 opportunity of telling ghost stories in the even- 
 ing, after the lights were out. I accepted this 
 offer at once, and a little later, one August day 
 in 1890, the whole Fresh Air party landed at 
 Freeville, New York. 
 
 None of that crowd will ever forget that two 
 weeks' outing, neither, I fear, will the farmers. 
 However, most of the people were very charita- 
 ble, more so in some cases than they were in 
 succeeding years. Every evening, from far and 
 near, they would come to hear my boys sing 
 
 11 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIC 
 
 and see them do "stunts." And inasmuch as 
 my charges had been selected largely for their 
 abilities in the latter qualification, there was am- 
 ple justification for the presence of the curious. 
 
 There was actual regret expressed when the 
 party left for New York at the end of their 
 two weeks' sojourn, loaded to the muzzle with 
 fruits and vegetables, second-hand clothing, 
 cats, dogs, rabbits and what not. 
 
 All the gifts and entertainment that season 
 had been furnished by the people in Freeville, 
 and its immediate vicinity; but the news of 
 my project had spread somewhat beyond these 
 immediate bounds. 
 
 Ithaca was ten miles to the Southwest, Cort- 
 land, a like number of miles to the Northeast. 
 Some friends from these prosperous centers 
 had dropped in on one or two occasions to see 
 my proteges, and had been duly impressed; 
 whereupon they proposed that I bring a still 
 larger number of young people the next year, 
 and they would see to it that the various 
 churches of Ithaca and Cortland took different 
 days to supply food for my Fresh Air Colony. 
 
 This seemed like an opportunity of giving 
 12 
 
THE WAY IT CAME ABOUT 
 
 an outing to many whom I had been obliged 
 to reject when I made up my party in the first 
 instance. I told these kind friends that I 
 would accept their offer. 
 
 The next year, 1891, 1 conducted two parties 
 of about one hundred and twenty-five boys and 
 girls to Freeville for two weeks each. A few 
 friends in the city had given money to purchase 
 a tent and together with two small cottages, 
 we got on after a fashion. 
 
 My consignment this year was generally re- 
 garded, by the oflScials of the road over which 
 they traveled, as the toughest crowd of young- 
 sters with which they had had to deal, and at 
 this I was not surprised owing to the fact it 
 was only that type who got in. Nevertheless, 
 it was this season's record that extended the 
 fame of my little community, and Auburn and 
 Elmira came forward with the offer to add to 
 the company of providers, if I would bring a 
 still larger group the next time. And this I 
 did, almost doubling in 1892 the number of 
 the preceding year. Some friends provided 
 money for an additional supply of tents to meet 
 the larger needs. 
 
 13 
 
THE JUNIOE REPUBLIC 
 
 By this time, some of the churches from 
 Syracuse came into line. These larger places, 
 together with many smaller villages and towns, 
 gave us the opportunity of bringing still more 
 recruits. In point of fact at one time we were 
 drawing provisions from near Lake Ontario 
 down to the Pennsylvania Line, and the Lehigh 
 Valley Eailroad Company was transporting the 
 quantities of food and other things free of 
 charge. 
 
 All these years the newspapers had given 
 lengthy articles descriptive of the good work 
 that was being done at the Freeville Fresh Air 
 Camp. Visitors came by the hundreds to see 
 the young people, and said encouraging things 
 about the great good that was being accom- 
 plished. Yet, just at this stage, when appar- 
 ently all was going so favorably, there came 
 upon the horizon a cloud, for, notwithstanding 
 all the flattering encomiums we were receiving, 
 I, myself, had begun to have grave doubts 
 about the ultimate benefits of the whole plan. 
 
 A great truth had begun to force itself upon 
 my mind. At first I was reluctant to accept it. 
 I spurned the thought as a heresy, but it would 
 
 14 
 
THE WAY IT CAME ABOUT 
 
 not down. Little by little, I came to the con- 
 clusion that the work was doing harm rather 
 than good. I noted, reluctantly, that my young 
 people were started on a false plane, that one 
 and all of them were reckoning their good time 
 according to the amount of clothing and gen- 
 eral produce that they might be able to take 
 back to the city upon their return. I felt cer- 
 tain that they were claiming charity as a right ; 
 that each day that they lived under that sys- 
 tem they were being pauperized. Not a day 
 passed without some one of them coming to me 
 and saying: "Mr. George, are we goin' to get 
 tings wen we go home?" Frequently it was an 
 expression like this: "De lady what we wuz 
 by last year gave us a good many more tings 
 dan youse are givin' us, and we had a good 
 deal gooder time der dan we're havin' here; 
 See! !" 
 
 Expressions of this kind naturally began to 
 confirm my doubts as to the value of the work. 
 Moreover, being acquainted with the families 
 of my young hopefuls, I had an opportunity of 
 studying the question from the city end of the 
 line. 
 
 15 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 After one of these summer trips, I usually 
 paid a visit to the parents. As soon as they 
 found out that I was interested in their off- 
 spring, the father would straightway lose his 
 job, or pretend to have lost it, and then wish 
 to know if it would not be possible for me to 
 get my country friends to supply a few barrels 
 of potatoes and some suits of clothing while 
 he was out of work. In several instances I dis- 
 covered the head of the family had not lost 
 his position at all. It was simply a scheme to 
 _get something for nothing.. 
 
 Another season of this kind in the country 
 in 1893 drove me almost to despair. By this 
 time I was thoroughly convinced that the work 
 was doing harm rather than good. That al- 
 though young people were learning many 
 Christian and patriotic hymns they were less 
 self-respecting on account of the charity that 
 was extended to them. And now sorrowfully 
 I wished I could get the courage to tell the 
 generous givers of central New York my frank 
 opinion as to the failure of our hopes. Then 
 once again, time brought us to the turning of 
 the lane. 
 
 16 
 
THE WAY IT CAME ABOUT 
 
 One day as I was revolving these facts in my 
 mind I was assailed by the usual crowd of 
 ragamuffins, wishing to know if they were "go- 
 in' to get tings" when they went home. Usu- 
 ally this question had brought forth the reply : 
 "Yes; if the people send thing's for you," but 
 at this moment, being in the condition of mind 
 already described, it didn't strike me just right. 
 I turned to the crowd and said with some 
 warmth : 
 
 "Can you tell me any reason in the round 
 world why these people should give you cloth- 
 ing and other things to take home with you? 
 Here you are getting all the food and fun you 
 want, and in addition fresh air and health 
 thrown in. What right have you to expect 
 anything more?" 
 
 Then it was that a little black-eyed Italian 
 girl, her eyes flashing fire, rose to the emer- 
 gency. Looking me straight in the eye she ex- 
 claimed, with all the emphasis she could mus- 
 ter: "Mister George, what do yer tink we're 
 here fer enyway?" 
 
 That settled the question in my mind. It 
 was evidently up to me to inform my kind 
 3 17 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 abettors that I was about to give up the work. 
 I at once made a bee line to write a letter of 
 announcement to the papers, but again I hesi- 
 tated. I said to myself: "This will be a ter- 
 rible shock to the community; moreover, there 
 is a large percentage of these boys and girls 
 who actually need the assistance. 
 
 "Is there not some method by which I can get 
 these things into their possession and not pau- 
 perize them? Perhaps I had better wait and 
 try one more season filled up with radical ex- 
 periments; then if I fail I'll write the letter 
 and give up the whole thing." 
 
CHAPTER II 
 "nothing without labob" 
 
 WHEN the summer of 1894 arrived, I 
 had a few new ideas, more or less 
 well defined, which I determined to 
 put into operation. To be sure they were a bit 
 radical, but such measures would be a relief 
 when compared with the conditions of preced- 
 ing years. 
 
 In the first place I fully determined not to 
 waste a great amount of time in outlining 
 schemes for the amusement of the boys and 
 girls. This particular season they were to 
 amuse me. Accordingly, I shocked a dear 
 friend of mine in New York, who had been ac- 
 customed each year to give me a small appro- 
 priation for croquet sets, by announcing that I 
 didn't care to have any more games; I told 
 him I wished to use his money for another pur- 
 pose, and if he would allow me, I would pur- 
 chase picks and shovels with it. He declared 
 
 19 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 frankly that I must be a little crazy if I ex- 
 pected for a moment that I could amuse chil- 
 dren with picks and shovels ; but if I really de- 
 sired to ruin my popularity by introducing 
 manual labor into a summer outing, he would 
 be willing to help me along by allowing me to 
 use his annual appropriation for the tools. 
 This money was sufficient to purchase one doz- 
 en picks and one dozen shovels. These we had 
 forwarded to Freeville, and when our little col- 
 ony arrived one bright morning in the early 
 part of July, we foimd the tools at the cottage 
 ready for our use. 
 
 That (to me) never to be forgotten morning 
 I stepped out in the large dining tent that 
 seated the entire company of about two hun- 
 dred, and gave them a little speech. I told 
 them that in order to get the most fun out of 
 life we should do some hard work, and, inas- 
 much as I was anxious for them to get the 
 greatest measure of fun, I proposed to have 
 them aid, if they so desired, in the construction 
 of a model piece of roadway in front of our 
 Fresh Air Cottage. Then I gave them a lec- 
 ture on good roads, and what they meant to 
 
 20 
 
"NOTHING WITHOUT LABOR" 
 
 the community. I got them worked up to a fine 
 pitch of excitement along this line, and then 
 I produced my picks and shovels to their as- 
 tonished gaze. 
 
 "How many of you would like to use these 
 tools?" I exclaimed. 
 
 Instantly, all the boys and about half the 
 girls jumped to their feet and in a very 
 "streety" way declared their intention to seize 
 the opportunity. 
 
 Thereupon, I invited them to come forward 
 and begin operations. In a moment a stam- 
 pede for the tools followed and boys were ac- 
 tually fighting to secure picks and shovels. I 
 was obliged to relinquish my occupation as a 
 lecturer and resolve myself into a police force 
 to bring about a degree of order. It was no 
 easy matter, owing to their eagerness, to get 
 order established. Finally, with the aid of a 
 few helpers I formed twelve lines of boys. At 
 the front of each line I placed a pick and 
 shovel ; then the boy at the head would take the 
 tools, use them for five minutes and hand them 
 over to the next fellow in line, after which 
 number one would place himself at the rear to 
 
 21 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIC 
 
 await his next turn about an hour later. Then 
 number two would work for five minutes and as 
 he passed the tools along to the next fellow, 
 he would move to the end of the line, and so 
 on till every boy had had one or two chances 
 to work at the job. By using this method we 
 got on after a fashion. 
 
 I was enthusiastic over the spirit that was 
 shown. I said to my corps of faithful helpers : 
 
 "This is the idea for which we have been 
 looking. The only thing that is needed to make 
 our scheme perfectly successful is to have tools 
 for every fellow, and they shall have them. I 
 will send a telegraph order to New York City 
 for picks and shovels to be sent by express 
 this very day." 
 
 Away I rushed to the telegraph office, but 
 before I had taken many steps I stopped as 
 suddenly as if I had come up to a stone wall. 
 I realized for the first time that it would be 
 expensive to send so many picks and shovels 
 by express. 
 
 Moreover, the hardware firm would prob- 
 ably send them C. O. D. and I had not the 
 wherewithal to pay for them if they came in 
 
 22 
 
"NOTHING WITHOUT LABOR" 
 
 that objectionable manner. I wished at the 
 moment that I had been a millionaire. I con- 
 cluded I had better wait for a day and see how 
 things progressed. It turned out just as well 
 that I waited ; for the next day I had picks and 
 shovels enough, and the third day I had picks 
 and shovels to spare, and the fourth day — ^well, 
 there was no fourth day, for sad to relate not 
 a boy put in an appearance. 
 
 However, I had noted one thing in particu- 
 lar, that the days they had been industrious, 
 every one of them had been happy, and es- 
 pecially had he enjoyed his food. Not a single 
 individual who had worked could be charged 
 with being a grumbler^ while he was occupied, 
 but just as quickly as he ceased working, the 
 same old story began to be heard: "Are 
 wegoin' to get tings when we go home?" 
 All of the conditions of previous years 
 were now in full swing. Grumbling about 
 food, clamors for clothing, and demands to be 
 amused. 
 
 About the fifth day after our arrival, when 
 the period of hard work had passed away, and 
 given place completely to the old condition of 
 
 23 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 discontent, a large dry-goods box appeared upon 
 the scene. I had been notified to look out 
 for it. It came from the city of Cortland and 
 oontained a large quantity of second-hand 
 clothing. For about an hour it stood on the 
 porch of the little cottage, known as the Fresh 
 Air Headquarters. It was the center of at- 
 traction to the young people. How they ever 
 surmised that it was packed with clothing is a 
 mystery to this day. The only way it could 
 have been found out was through that unerring 
 intuition of the New York small boy, who may 
 always be depended upon to detect anything 
 that is to his advantage. 
 
 As we had been at Freeville but a few 
 days the entire company was fairly well 
 clothed. Some, fearing this might handicap 
 them in securing a suit out of the box, 
 straightway proceeded to get in a condition 
 whereby they would be absolutely sure of re- 
 ceiving a suit. 
 
 I stepped out on the porch by the side of the 
 large box. My advent was greeted with 
 cheers ; mingled with these exclamations there 
 were also appeals on the part of a group of 
 
 24 
 
"NOTHING WITHOUT LABOE" 
 
 ragged individuals in the first row to note the 
 condition of their clothing. The situation filled 
 me with a strange mixture of anger and amuse- 
 ment. I took a hammer, knocked off the cover, 
 and there hefore me were some of the finest 
 second-hand suits of clothing I have ever seen, 
 and this means much, for I have seen a great 
 many in my time. For a moment I stood ir- 
 resolute ; then came the quick determination not 
 to give one bit of clothing, but to repack the 
 box and send it back to the givers. But just 
 at that moment, a new thought came like an 
 inspiration, and I fairly laughed aloud in my 
 delight at the idea. 
 
 I turned to the crowd and my eye sought out 
 Mickey Eyan. He was the victim; I motioned 
 for him to step a little closer to the front. He 
 didn't waste an instant in getting there, and 
 his blue eyes flashed gratitude. I picked out a 
 suit that I felt certain would fit Mickey, and he 
 grinned from ear to ear, as I extended it to- 
 ward him. 
 
 The other boys cast envious glances. 
 
 "Tanks, Mister George, tanks," said Mickey, 
 as he reached forth to take the suit. 
 
 25 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIC 
 
 "Hold on, Mickey," I said, cheerfully, "I 
 haven't given you that suit yet, I just want you 
 to look it over and let me know what you think 
 it is worth." 
 
 Mickey looked slightly disappointed, but, 
 after examiuing it critically, he said seriously: 
 
 ''Dat suit is wort five dollars." 
 
 "Aw youse couldn't get dat suit fer five dol- 
 lars," howled the crowd around him. "Dat 
 suit is wort six dollars." 
 
 "Yes, seven." 
 
 "Sure, eight," exclaimed others. 
 
 "Well, it is a pretty good suit," I said, turn- 
 ing it over carefully, and then passing it around 
 to the various boys for inspection, "but we will 
 just suppose, as Mickey says, it's worth five 
 dollars." 
 
 "Won't suppose anything of de kind," said 
 one or two fellows almost in chorus, "'causi* 
 it's wort so much more." 
 
 "Well," I said, "you are probably right, but 
 just to get a proposition before you we will 
 suppose it is worth five dollars." 
 
 Eeluctantly they consented, although there 
 were still mutterings in undertones', that: 
 
 26 
 
Citizens op the Republic Digging a Ditch. 
 
** NOTHING WITHOUT LABOR" 
 
 "youse couldn't buy a suit like- dat in Baxter 
 Street fer less'n six dollars." 
 
 I turned to Mickey and said : 
 
 "Say, young fellow, how much could you 
 earn in a day?" 
 
 He figured a moment, and then said: 
 
 "Sure, youse could get a dollar a day if 
 youse hustled." 
 
 "Aw youse couldn't earn a dollar in a day," 
 came up a chorus of voices.. 
 
 "Unless youse had luck at craps," inter- 
 rupted one young hopeful with a twinkle in his 
 eye. 
 
 "Sure, youse could if youse had 'murder ex- 
 tras'," said Mickey triumphantly. 
 
 To this statement there were grunts of: 
 "Yes, perhaps." "Sure, perhaps, but dey 
 would have to be good ones," and other com- 
 ments of a like nature. 
 
 "Well," I said, "we will suppose then that 
 you had a 'murder extra day.' It would be 
 possible for you to earn a dollar?" 
 
 "Yes, but youse would hev to hustle," said 
 one fellow seriously. 
 
 "Sure, youse 'ud hev to hustle at mos' eny- 
 27 
 
THE JUNIOE REPUBLIC 
 
 ting all day to get a whole dollar," exclaimed 
 Mickey. 
 
 "Good for you, Mickey," said I. "You are 
 right : you would have to hustle to earn a dollar 
 a day. Let us see, here is a problem for you. 
 If a fellow has to work hard to earn a dollar 
 in a day, how many hard days' work will it 
 take him to earn five dollars?" 
 
 "Five days;- can't youse figger?" said one 
 boy with some disgust. 
 
 "That's right, my lad, you have solved the 
 problem. Say, Mickey, you agree this suit 
 is worth five dollars. You come around here 
 to-morrow morning and take a pick and shovel 
 and work hard upon that road' for five days, 
 counting out three hours in the afternoon when 
 it is very hot, and at the end of the fifth day 
 I'll give you that suit, which you say is really 
 worth more money. How ia that for a fine 
 bargain?" 
 
 Up went a perfect howl from the assembled 
 company. 
 
 "What! yergoin' to make us work for dem 
 old rags — not on yer tin-type!" 
 
 These contemptuous cries did not disturb 
 28 
 
"NOTHING WITHOUT LABOE" 
 
 me in the least. It had turned out about as I 
 had expected, and I was prepared for the or- 
 deal. 
 
 I invited the boys to return the suit. Ee- 
 luctantly they turned it over. I began to whis- 
 tle, folded up the suit, and returned it to the 
 box, replaced the cover of the box and began to 
 drive home the nails. Then their stolid atti- 
 tude began to change. They looked at their 
 torn clothing disconsolately and then ^azed at 
 me to see if I were really serious. Finally, one 
 fellow said: 
 
 "Wat yer goin' to do wid dem close. Mister 
 George!" 
 
 "I'm going to send this box of clothing back 
 to the people who sent it to us, or I will put it 
 in the cellar of this building and let it rot. I 
 want to tell you fellows one thing; you are not 
 going to get a stitch out of that box until you 
 work for it. See!" 
 
 And they saw. 
 
 Up to that moment I had prided myself some- 
 what on my popularity with those young peo- 
 ple; but I wasn't doing anything so rash as 
 that on that particular morning, for it would 
 
 29 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIO 
 
 have been nothing short of rashness, judging 
 from the fragments of conversation I overheard 
 as they emanated from the assembly tent, which 
 was located a few rods away. "Wants to make 
 us work for old rags." "Wants to git his old 
 road built fer nuttin." "Let's tell de New 
 York Herald and hev em give him a write-up," 
 these, and other things even less complimen- 
 tary were what I heard muttered. 
 
 This went on for some time; suddenly, I 
 heard what seemed to be a discordant note. 
 Could it be possible that there was a rebel in 
 the group? I listened eagerly. My ears were 
 rewarded with this comment : 
 
 "Jimmy Scully, if youse work fer dem close 
 youse ought ter hev yer nose punched." 
 
 "All right," said Jimmy, "if dat's wat 
 youse tink, youse at liberty to waltz right in; 
 see! ! !" 
 
 That settled the argument, for red-headed 
 Jimmy Scully, an East Side messenger boy, had 
 established a reputation in the fistic. line that 
 caused every one of his companions to under- 
 stand decidedly that the last word had been 
 said. 
 
 30 
 
"NOTHING WITHOUT LABOE" 
 
 A moment later, with flushed face and flash- 
 ing eyes, he strode up to me and exclaimed, 
 half defiantly: 
 
 "Mister George, I'll work fer dem close." 
 
 "Good for you, Jimmy," said I. "You're 
 all right. Come around to-morrow morning 
 and we'll start." 
 
 "Naw," said he straightening up and look- 
 ing still more determined. "I want to begin 
 right now, I might not hev de feelin' ter-mor- 
 row mornin'." 
 
 "Well," said I, "you may begin now, and 
 we will count this a full day." 
 
 So Jimmy corumenced. All alone he worked 
 for five days and performed his work faithfully 
 and at the end of the fifth day I had the pleas- 
 ure of turning over the suit to him. He took 
 it, laid it across his arm, smoothed out the 
 wrinkles, and gave that soft whistle of satis- 
 faction that a boy gives when he comes into 
 possession of something for which he has been 
 working strenuously. 
 
 Jimmy then returned to the tent. All the 
 boys by tacit agreement were inside waiting to 
 receive him. 
 
 31 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 I was anxious to see what sort of a reception 
 lie would get, so I took a circuitous route and 
 located myself behind the tent where I selected 
 a hole or rather one of the holes, through 
 which I could see and not be seen, — a rather 
 difficult problem owing to the size of the 
 holes. 
 
 I had settled myself nicely just as Jimmy en- 
 tered. He walked about exhibiting the suit to 
 each one of the silent company. As he ap- 
 proached them they seemed to have no interest 
 in what he had done. 
 
 However, Jimmy was psychologist enough to 
 know there was a lot of thinking going on in- 
 side. After he had gone about the circle, one 
 fellow bolder than the rest, said : 
 
 ' ' Say, Jimmy Scully, do youse want ter know 
 wat we tink about youse?" 
 
 Jimmy assumed an indifferent air and ex- 
 claimed : 
 
 "Naw, I don't care a whole lot ; taint goin' to 
 keep me awake nights worryin' about what 
 youse tink about me." 
 
 "Well," said the other fellow, "I didn't 
 know but what youse would like ter know and 
 
 32 
 
"NOTHING WITHOUT LABOR" 
 
 I tink I'll tell youse. We all tink yer one big 
 fool." 
 
 I expected to see a figM, but Jimmy bad 
 learned self-control in tbose few days of bard 
 labor. Instead of appearing angry be tbrew 
 back bis bead and laugbed beartily for a few 
 moments, then fairly sbonted: 
 
 "Perbaps I be a 'big fool,' but dere's one 
 ting radder funny, dat amuses me, and dat is, 
 dat I just noticed dat I'm de only feller in de 
 wbole bunch wats got a whole suit of close./'^ 
 Then be paused, looked serious, and said: ^ 
 "Say, youse blokes, I wan ter tell youse one 
 ting. Do youse know, I tink more of dose close 
 because I hustled for dem." 
 
 I noted that short-pointed statement had 
 struck home. I could see it affected the en- 
 tire company. One fellow said: 
 
 "Say, Jimmy, is it very bard work?" 
 
 The ice was beginning to thaw. 
 
 "Naw," said Jimmy, "it comes kinder tough 
 de first two or tree days, but after dat youse 
 get kinder used to it and youse don't mind it 
 a little bit." 
 
 "Say, Fritzie Snyder," piped up another, 
 4 33 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 "if youse '11 come in wid me, I'll work for 
 close." 
 
 "Aw, sure tiag, I'm wid youse, Georgie, if 
 dat's yer game," said Fritzie. 
 
 "Hurrah, fellers," said another, "wats de 
 matter wid de whole bunch go in' to Mister 
 George and sayin' we'll work for de close? 
 Won't it be a big joke on him?" 
 
 "All right dat's wat we'll do," they fairly 
 shouted, and I knew the victory had been 
 won. 
 
 I hurried back to the cottage, and began to 
 •make preparations for the next day's tasks. I 
 said to myself: 
 
 "In all probability, I'll be waited upon by a 
 representative who will announce intention to 
 work for the clothing." 
 
 I heard a step upon the porch and a soft tap 
 at the door. As I opened the door, Jimmy 
 Scully stood solemnly before me with his newly 
 earned suit over his arm. 
 
 "What can I do for you, Jimmy?" I asked. 
 
 "Mister George," said he seriously, "will 
 youse loan me a flat iron?" 
 
 "What do you want with a flat iron, Jimmy?" 
 34 
 
"NOTHING WITHOUT LABOR" 
 
 "I want ter put' some creases in me trous- 
 ers," said Jimmy. 
 
 He got the flat iron. 
 
 What would he have cared about creases if 
 the suit had been given to him? I knew full 
 well the idea, would not have occurred to him. 
 I was certain that if I had given him that suit 
 he would have destroyed it for the sole purpose 
 of getting another at a later date, before the 
 party returned to the city. 
 
 As it turned out, I met Jimmy fully a year 
 after this event on East Fourteenth Street in 
 New York City. After a short chat he said : 
 
 "Mister George, do youse remember dese 
 close, wat I got on?" 
 
 His costume looked very familiar, and I 
 said it struck me that I had seen it before. 
 
 "Well," said he, "I never tho't so much of 
 a suit of close in all me life, as I tink of dese. 
 Dey are beginning to look kinder shiny, but it 
 seems like I can't give dem up. I guess," said 
 he, with a merry twinkle in his eye "dat when 
 I get true wid 'em I'll have to put dem in a 
 glass case." 
 
 I have gone into some detail with this sig- 
 35 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 nificant episode because it was on the principle 
 therein insisted upon that the foundations of 
 the future integrity and stability of the Re- 
 public were securely laid. 
 
CHAPTEE III 
 
 TEIAL BY JXJEY 
 
 THE next morning nearly every boy in 
 the place applied for work, and each 
 one was given a job on the roadway. 
 There was no grumbling and but little loafing. 
 With right good-will each boy stuck to his 
 task and when pay-day came around his labor 
 was rewarded to the extent of its value in 
 clothing. 
 
 Previous to this time, I had made all the 
 rules and regulations for the government of 
 this community. I prided myself that I was a 
 great law-maker, and also noticed, incidentally, 
 that I was obliged to enforce the laws that I 
 made. I was secretly mortified that these most 
 excellent rules were not obeyed with enthusi- 
 asm. Instead, there seemed to be a tacit un- 
 derstanding between the young rascals not to 
 allow an opportunity to pass without breaking 
 some of my pet regulations. 
 
 37 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIC 
 
 About two days after the boys had received 
 their first installment of clothing as payment 
 for their labor, something marvellously funny 
 happened. 
 
 A few of the most industrious fellows dis- 
 covered that some of the smaller articles that 
 they had earned and in which they took a spe- 
 cial pride had mysteriously disappeared. It 
 was evident that there were thieves amongst 
 them. A little later some of the culprits were 
 discovered. In high indignation a group of 
 hard-working citizens came to me, with the sug- 
 gestion that I make some rules, which, they de- 
 clared, would secure the protection of their 
 property. I granted their request and soon 
 discovered that they were far more zealous 
 in the support of the laws that they had recom- 
 mended than in my pet rules. Practically ev- 
 ery one of the rules they suggested were in 
 relation to the protection of property, (in other 
 words, as quickly as they came into possession 
 of property they became interested in laws 
 for the protection of property and in this fun- 
 damental necessity lay the germ of govern- 
 ment. ) 
 
 38 
 
TEIAL BY JURY 
 
 As I look back over those days filled with so 
 many important incidents, this particular event" 
 stands out significantly as marking the tangible 
 beginning of the Junior Republic, At that 
 time, however, I had little opportunity to dwell 
 upon the question. I simply noted it as an in- 
 teresting incident and passed on to other mat- 
 ters that were rapidly crowding upon me, the 
 principal one being the enforcement of law in 
 our little community. 
 
 Now it so happened that the young men and 
 women who were sojourning with me at this 
 time were not particularly strong in respect 
 to the rights of other people. They seemed 
 to believe that the whole creation was theirs. 
 Every day some irate farmer would drive into 
 the Fresh Air Camp, hunt me out, and imply 
 that charity was one thing and stealing apples 
 quite another. I would humbly state in reply 
 that I was very sorry my boys had stolen his 
 apples, and one farmer probably expressed the 
 sentiments of all the others when he said: 
 "Well, your being sorry hain't payin' for my 
 apples." I assured him~»I should endeavor to 
 settle his lo-ss in some more substantial man- 
 
 39 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIO 
 
 ner than by mere regret, to whicli lie replied 
 .that he was willing, and promptly proceeded to 
 place a price upon his fruit which led me to 
 believe that he had gotten his money's worth 
 all right. 
 
 After settling several bills of this kind, I 
 naturally grew weary of the diversion and I 
 called a meeting of the boys and roundly up- 
 braided them for stealing apples. I argued 
 that aside from the moral wrong it was not 
 treating me fairly, after I had been so good 
 as to give them a trip to the country. 
 
 They were duly impressed and the leaders of 
 the gang came forward and declared they would 
 offend no more in this respect. In less than an 
 hour after my eloquent lecture, a big gang of 
 them including the leaders were brought to me, 
 together with several bushels of apples that 
 they had stolen and had concealed in their 
 blouses. 
 
 For many a day thereafter I wondered 
 whether they simply were not duly impressed 
 by my appeal to them or that they had really 
 meant to deceive me. Later, I concluded that 
 they were not unlike that great man who was 
 
 40 
 
TEIAL BY JURY 
 
 very near to the hearts of his countrymen, and 
 who, at a dinner with some bosom friends, sud- 
 denly exclaimed: "I can resist anything but 
 temptation." 
 
 Some punishment had to be administered to 
 stop the thieving. In casting about for a rem- 
 edy I discovered an antidote which, strange to 
 relate, was found on the self-same apple tree. 
 It didn't come in fruit form, however, and for 
 a time I used this remedy lavishly. One morn- 
 ing I thrashed thirty-two boys for stealing 
 apples. 
 
 Every morning we had a whipping bee in 
 the Chapel tent. It was our custom at that 
 hour to settle up all the troubles of the pre- 
 ceding day, and get a fresh and right start. It 
 didn't seem to accomplish much good. We had 
 about the same number of victims each day. 
 Each morning the members of the community 
 not directly interested would come inside to 
 see the operation performed upon the "inter- 
 ested." They evidently got a certain amount 
 of satisfaction out of the exhibition. It was 
 the circus feature of the day. I did not enjoy 
 the affair and I am very certain the victims 
 
 41 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIC 
 
 did not. One morning after flogging about the 
 regulation number I paused to take breath be- 
 fore concluding the morning's work on two 
 remaining subjects, who were, on account of 
 their offense, to play the star part in the final 
 act of the day. I chanced to glance over the 
 company before me and a look of expectancy 
 was plainly written on every face. All that 
 was ludicrous in the whole situation came to 
 me with a rush. I could hardly restrain my 
 laughter. Then some serious features had 
 their innings. I said to myself: 
 
 "This crowd of girls and boys come in here 
 every morning to be entertained. This is their 
 Eoman Holiday. I venture to say that what 
 is just or unjust connected with this punishment 
 does not trouble their thoughts. How can I 
 cause them to feel they have some responsi- 
 bility in this matter?" 
 
 And suddenly the idea flashed into my mind: 
 I will turn the two remaining culprits, "Lanky'-' 
 and "Curly," over to their comrades for trial! 
 
 "Boys and girls," I said, with all the earnest- 
 ness possible, "I have been acting in all thew 
 cases as Judge, Jury and Grand Executioner. 
 
 42 
 
TEIAL BY JURY 
 
 I don't know what you have thought about the 
 matter; I don't know that I have really cared, 
 but this morning I do care. This is going to 
 be your affair. I am going to let Lanky and 
 Curly tell their story to you and then I am 
 going to let you decide whether they shall be 
 punished or go free. It's up to you." 
 
 In an instant there was a change of attitude 
 on the part of every boy and girl present. They 
 straightened up in their seats, nodded approval 
 to one another and likewise to me. There was 
 a new light in the features of each one of the 
 entire company of those young people. This 
 hght pleased me. I felt that justice would be 
 done. 
 
 Lanky and Curly were seated on the front 
 bench with their backs to the company. They 
 did not even turn to see the way that their fel- 
 lows took the proposal. However, I overheard 
 Lanky say to his companion: 
 
 "Hey, Curly, dis is a lead pipe cinch." I 
 said to Lanky: 
 
 "Now, -son, you may get up and tell your 
 fellow-citizens all about the matter." 
 
 Lanky was regarded as something of a wit, 
 43 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIC 
 
 and he had a peculiar drawl in his speech. 
 He arose solemnly, elevated his eyes to the roof 
 of the tent, then gradually turned on a pivot, 
 until he presented a front to the company. AU 
 this time he kept his eyes elevated. 
 
 "Oh, no ! I hain't stole no apples. Oh, no I" 
 he said solemnly. 
 
 This was intended to throw the entire com- 
 pany into convulsions and under ordinary cir- 
 cumstances it would have been a successful 
 effort, but now not an individual even smiled. 
 This had the effect of instantly disconcerting 
 Lanky. His head and eyes dropped suddenly, 
 and for the first time he gazed into the faces 
 of his companions, and Lanky saw the same 
 expression upon their faces that I had seen, 
 but the effect on him was entirely different. 
 
 It was a keen, discriminating jury that he 
 was facing. The idea of their regarding him 
 as a culprit, filled him momentarily with an- 
 ger. The presumption of their daring to de- 
 cide on his case ! That defiance that is seen so 
 often in street boys flatned forth. 
 
 "Aw, every one of youse has stolen ap- 
 ples," he snapped o1it. 
 
 44 
 
TEIAL BY JURY 
 
 No one replied, but steadily they gazed at 
 him as much as to say: "Have you anything 
 else to offer?" 
 
 Then Lanky got rattled. Stage fright with 
 all its horrors suddenly seized upon him. 
 Every trace of defiance vanished on the in- 
 stant, and he stood a pathetic picture before 
 them. What could he do to extricate him- 
 self? 
 
 "Say, fellers," he snivelled, "I didn't steal 
 de apples. Curly here is de bloke wat stole 
 dem." 
 
 It took but an instant for him to see that 
 this was the worst course he could possibly 
 have adopted. Two or three said: "Shame, 
 shame," and altho' it had prejudiced his case, 
 it had served to bring back the defiance in his 
 nature, and he suddenly bawled out : 
 
 "Aw, kill me if youse wan ter," and he sat 
 down. 
 
 I turned to the company and said: 
 
 "Is he guilty or not guilty?" 
 
 There was a momentary pause. One boy in 
 the crowd evidently thinking that they did not 
 know what I meant, shouted out: 
 
 45 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIC 
 
 "He wants to know wedder he done it or 
 wedder he didn't done it." 
 
 Up went a perfect howl: "He done it," and 
 then, if I may be pardoned the ungrammatical 
 expression, "I done it." While I was wearing 
 out the apple switch on Lanky, I was likewise 
 saying to myself: "I wonder if they found him 
 guilty because they wished to see the punish- 
 ment or, on the other hand, was it because they 
 learned from his own evidence and manner that 
 he had violated a law, and the law must pre- 
 vail and the breaker of it must suffer." 
 
 I was, therefore, anxious to se^ what they 
 would do with Curly 's case. I knew there 
 were a few mitigating circumstances connected 
 with his part in the affair. 
 
 By this time, I had concluded with Lanky 
 and he went out of the tent, casting defiant 
 glances at the assembled company, and mutter- 
 ing under his breath that he would lay for a 
 chance "to get even wid every guy in de joint." 
 I said to Curly: 
 
 "Now it is your chance, my boy." 
 
 Curly, the name given him by the boys on 
 account of his light, curly hair, was a bright- 
 
 46 
 
TEIAL BY JURY 
 
 eyed little German fellow, but as full of mis- 
 cHef as an egg is of meat. He was not totally 
 unprepared for the ordeal, through which he 
 was about to pass. He had been taking in the 
 situation out of the corner of his eye, and evi- 
 dently had reached the conclusion that being 
 straightforward and humble was the best policy 
 to pursue. So he arose and said with perfect 
 frankness : 
 
 "Yes, I took de apples, but Lanky didn't 
 play me quite a square deal when he said I 
 took all of dem. I don't know which one of 
 us took de most. I don't tink we counted, but 
 I took me share, and I'm willin' to take me 
 share of de trashing, but I jus want ter tell 
 youse fellers dat I'm goin' to hold up me right 
 hand and promise dat I hope to die if I ever 
 take any more, 'cause I know 'tain't right to 
 steal and me mudder would feel orful bad, if 
 she know'd I hed been crookin', and dat's all 
 I got to say;" and with that neat little speech, 
 he dropped down on the bench, buried his face 
 in his hands and cried as if his heart would 
 break, 
 
 I said: "Is it 'Guilty'?" 
 47 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 No hand was raised. 
 
 "Is it 'Not guilty'?" I queried. 
 
 Not a* hand appeared. Instead a very ani- 
 mated conversation suddenly took place be- 
 tween the assembled company. They were evi- 
 dently discussing all the fine points. A group 
 of older lads at the rear of the tent seemed to 
 be particularly absorbed in the discussion of 
 the case. Finally, one of that group said: 
 
 "Mister George, dere hain't no doubt 'bout 
 it, Curly is guilty, but say, Mister George, 
 won't youse please go light on him?" 
 
 There was a clear "recommendation for 
 mercy" and I proceeded to go light on Cur- 
 ly — flight enough, I may say, to suit the 
 most sentimental critic. I said to the assem- 
 bly: 
 
 "Before we are dismissed I want to tell you 
 that hereafter all discussions of this kind are 
 going to be settled in this tent by you boys and 
 girls." 
 
 This announcement was greeted by a shout 
 of approval and one fellow proposed three 
 cheers for the new court. 
 
 The next morning we had less than half of 
 48 
 
TRIAL BY JURY 
 
 the usual number of offenders, and this state of 
 affairs continued for several days; but human 
 beings can't be good all the time, and one 
 morning we discovered that we had a larger 
 number of prisoners than usual during this 
 new era. 
 
 In the meantime I had been wondering what 
 method of punishment I could use instead of the 
 customary "thrashing," and this morning it 
 came to me. 
 
 They had all been tried and stood waiting 
 for their punishment. I said to the first fel- 
 low: 
 
 "I'm not going to whip you this morning;" 
 — ^he grinned from ear to ear, — "instead, I'm 
 going to sentence you to picking up stones out 
 here in the meadow for six hours." To the 
 next fellow I said: "Your case is not quite as 
 bad. You'll pick up stones for four hours." 
 Then to the third fellow I said: "Your case is 
 particularly bad; you'll pick up stones for 
 eight hours," and thus I went along the line, 
 meting out sentence according to the degree of 
 the offense. 
 
 Then I called up one of my adult helpers 
 5 49 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIC 
 
 and charged him to take the prisoners to the 
 field and see that the order of court was faith- 
 fully executed. 
 
 He did as requested. 
 
 About the middle of the forenoon, I chanced 
 to overhear one of the culprits say: 
 
 "I wish't he'd trashed us instead of havin' 
 us do dis job; it would of stopped hurtin' by 
 dis time." 
 
 The next morning following this incident, I 
 discovered we had made another good move in 
 the line of lessening crime; and for several 
 days thereafter we did not have more than four 
 or five culprits. 
 
 Then we had another "crime wave." It 
 seemed particularly unfortunate that it should 
 have made itself manifest at this time for my 
 adult keeper was sick; and there seemed to be 
 no one to look after the prisoners. I should 
 have enjoyed undertaking the job, but I was 
 so busy with other matters, that it was out of 
 the question. It was an occasion where stria- 
 gent measures were necessary. "What to do 
 was the problem. As I looked hopelessly about 
 for relief from some unexpected source my eye 
 
 50 
 
TEIAL BY JURY 
 
 chanced to fall upon a picturesque figure. It 
 was "Banjo." I don't know what his other 
 name was ; perhaps he didn't know himself. If 
 he did know, he didn't take the trouble to 
 acquaint any one with it. The boys called him 
 Banjo. I never was able to assign the reason. 
 Like other nicknames it probably grew up 
 with him. 
 
 Banjo was a curious chap, tough as they are 
 made, and naturally very proud of this fact. 
 He had served one term in a certain juvenile 
 institution and one in a reform school, which 
 fact added special distinction. He took pride 
 in being one of the star members of the Park 
 Gang. Their "hang out" at that time was at 
 Paradise Park at Old Five Points, New York 
 City. I had made strenuous efforts to gain the 
 good-will of this young worthy, but all without 
 avail. 
 
 He evidently was questioning all my motives 
 and seemed to conclude I had some sort of an 
 axe to grind. 
 
 Strange to relate, during these past weeks 
 he had never been in any difficulty, but sullenly 
 and silently he watched the operations of the 
 
 51 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 others. He was evidently watching for the 
 psychological moment to lead a rebellion; and 
 I have no doubt he would have risen to the 
 emergency had the opportunity presented it- 
 self. I said to myself: 
 
 "I wonder what sort of a keeper Banjo would 
 make? I don't think he'd take the job, but, if 
 he should, what would happen? He might kill 
 them! Well, I'm mighty bard pressed and I 
 don't know whether I care. I'll risk it." 
 Thereupon I called out: 
 
 "Banjo, come here." 
 
 Banjo sullenly arose and came slouching to 
 the front. He evidently thought he was about 
 to be tried for some offense. I hastened to re- 
 assure him. 
 
 "Banjo," I said, "I am going to make you 
 keeper." 
 
 The boy stopped as if he had been struck; 
 straightened up, looked me in the eye, and gave 
 me his first smile; and what brought me still 
 more joy was that I saw the same look in his 
 eye that I had seen in the faces of the large 
 company of boys and girls that morning we 
 had held our first session of the court. 
 
 52 
 
TEIAL BY JURY 
 
 "All right, Mister George," he said, strid- 
 ing forth with a military bearing, "I'll see dat 
 dey hustle." 
 
 Long live Banjo! He was as good as his 
 word. He took them out and they "hustled." 
 It was a tired lot of prisoners that appeared 
 at the dinner hour. They had been able to fool 
 the adult keeper at times, but they couldn't fool 
 Banjo. He knew the tricks. 
 
 Banjo was duly installed in the position of 
 prison-keeper, and we had no more "crime 
 waves." The next day we didn't have a single 
 person to be tried, nor the next, nor, the next, 
 nor the next, and then it was time for the whole 
 summer colony to go back to their homes in 
 New York City. 
 
 When that large company of boys and girls 
 took the train that night it would have been 
 hard to find an equal number any place that 
 were more happy or self-satisfied. Nearly ev- 
 ery one had more or less clothing and pro- 
 visions of some sort ; not only clothing for them- 
 selves but many exhibited with great pride, 
 clothing they had purchased for their parents 
 or younger brothers or sisters at home. Al- 
 
 53 
 
THE JUNIOE REPUBLIC 
 
 though they had quantities of things, I doubt 
 whether they took back more than had been 
 taken on previous years. Perhaps they did 
 not take as much, but the things they held upon 
 this occasion, they had earned with the labor of 
 their hands. Nearly every one of them asked 
 the privilege of returning the next year, and 
 working just the same as they had during the 
 past summer. This idea of returning was 
 without precedent. In former years, they had 
 declared unhesitatingly: "Dey was goin' by 
 de odder lady next time." 
 
CHAPTER IV 
 
 THE TTNPOLDING OP THE BEPUBLIC IDEA 
 
 DUEINGr the several weeks that I had 
 set apart for my own vacation, I could 
 not seem to get pleasure out of any- 
 thing but the reliving of the graphic events 
 that had taken place in the Fresh Air Camp a 
 few weeks previous. I saw before me each day 
 those young people engaged in honest toil. I 
 saw them striving to protect their property; 
 and again and again the pathetic incidents that 
 transpired in the improvised court came be- 
 fore me. I had seen boys and girls in the city 
 doing the same thing after a fashion, but it 
 had all been play; this had been stern reality. 
 I had watched the boys in New York enthusi- 
 astically playing "Cops and Robbers," but here 
 at Freeville it had not been play but the real 
 thing. The whole affair had something sub- 
 stantial about it. I felt that if I stopped right 
 here and did not go any further something val- 
 
 55 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 uable had been discovered ; at least for my uses 
 in the training of boys and girls ; but would it 
 not be possible to go still further? Perhaps, 
 but where should I begin? 
 
 One bright Sunday morning, Oh! if I could 
 only remember the date, but it has gone from 
 me completely; but at any rate it was a Sun- 
 day in the latter part of September or the first 
 part of October, 1894. I was standing in the 
 doorway of a barn at the home of one of my 
 uncles, and was engaged in the usual occupa- 
 tion of turning over in my mind the events 
 already described, when I finally came to the 
 same old climax: that the recent experiment 
 had been successful because it had been real, — 
 because there had been no play about it. Was 
 it possible to carry this plan still farther? I 
 asked myself. How could I make it more real? 
 How well they had worked for their clothing! 
 WHY NOT MAKE THEM WORK FOE 
 THEIR FOOD? Ah! that would be the real 
 thing! A bit radical — perhaps it would not 
 work! But my optimism asserted that it cer- 
 tainly would work. The only thing necessary 
 was to make the requirement. That was all 
 
 56 
 
THE UNFOLDING OF THE IDEA 
 
 I had done with the clothing question, to re- 
 quire labor for the same, and it had worked. 
 Now, these young people could get on without 
 a certain amount of clothing, but they couldn't 
 get on without food, — the only thing necessary 
 was to require them to work for their food — 
 and I cried aloud: "I'll do it." 
 
 This decision at once opened a number of 
 new problems. I realized that I had found 
 right there room for the extension of my idea. 
 Yes; my young people should work for their 
 food! Work? What at? I asked myself. 
 Building roadways, digging ditches, — anything 
 to keep them busy. 
 
 Then there confronted me another question : 
 Should they all receive the same pay? Pay? 
 Pay? What had pay to do with it? Yet, as I 
 thought more of it that became quite an im- 
 portant question; and I had no money. I re- 
 alized that I must have some medium of 
 exchange, a "token money." I should get 
 some little card-board checks, — have a red one 
 represent a dollar, a yellow one for the fifty 
 cents, a green one for the quarter, and some 
 other color for the dime, nickel, and penny, 
 
 57 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIC 
 
 and I'd use that for money. I certainly did 
 not believe in "fiat" money but it seemed true 
 that such little card-board checks would help 
 me out in this case, and I should have my cur- 
 rency to pay my ditch-diggers and road-mak- 
 ers. Pay them all the same price? I asked. 
 Not much ! I knew those boys too well. Sure 
 enough, there were some of those fellows who 
 would do a good piece of work: well, I'd give 
 them good pay. Then there were other fellows 
 who were good at times, who might be called 
 average workers, — they should receive aver- 
 age pay. Then there was another group that 
 was pretty "bum" when it came to doing any- 
 thing that resembled work, — "bum" pay would 
 be their portion. And thus that weighty prob- 
 lem was solved. Then I bethought me of the 
 food proposition. Should I give them all the 
 same kind of food? Yes — ^I might be gener- 
 ous to that extent. But — this was not a ques- 
 tion of generosity — ^this was a question of 
 political economy, and, moreover, it would solve 
 the "pie" problem. Now, by way of paren- 
 theses, let me describe the "pie" problem. 
 It so happened that upon occasions a pie 
 58 
 
THE UNFOLDING OF THE IDEA 
 
 would land in that Fresh Air Camp sent hy 
 some dear, thoughtful soul from one of the 
 adjoining cities. Upon a certain occasion a 
 nice, large, juicy apple pie made its appear- 
 ance. I looked at that pie and then gazed upon 
 my two hundred or more boys and girls. 
 Wasn't that a problem? It certainly was, ow- 
 ing to the fact that they had seen the pie. 
 Had they not seen it, we could have solved 
 the problem with alacrity. But to distribute 
 that pie! I took a knife and said: "This disc 
 represents the face of a clock, — I will space 
 off minutes all the way around it." After a 
 time I had sixty atoms of pie. I called up sixty 
 of the most promising individuals and gave 
 each one a speck of pie. Those who received 
 pie were highly gratified — those who received 
 no pie said: "Dem fellers an' girls wat's get- 
 tin' pie is Mister George's favorits." There- 
 fore, on this beautiful Sunday morning when 
 ideas were coming so thick and fast, I was 
 inspired to say: "This money business will 
 solve the pie problem and we shall carry this 
 pie problem idea into everything within our 
 Fresh Air Camp next summer." 
 
 59 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 Just at this moment I thought of the large 
 quantities of apples and other fruits that the 
 generous-hearted farmers of that section 
 brought in to my boys and girls. It was fre- 
 quently their custom to scatter the apples 
 broad-east upon the ground and then a signal 
 was given and the youngsters would tumble 
 in pell-mell. It was called "scrabbling for 
 apples." Although it afforded great amuse- 
 ment to the on-lookers, I am convinced it had 
 a bad effect. The strongest usually secured 
 the largest portion. What should we do with 
 the fruit question. "Scrabbling for apples" 
 did not fall in with this new scheme. And 
 then I thought of a plan. There were some 
 boys who, while not above ditch-digging and 
 road-making, would do much better as mer- 
 chants. Instead of using these apples for 
 "scrabbling" purposes, I should sell them at 
 wholesale prices to young merchants; they in 
 turn might retail the fruit to their fellows: 
 then all those who had money might purchase 
 apples, and those who had no money might 
 watch those who did have while they bought 
 the fruit. That would be perfectly regular. 
 
 60 
 
THE UNFOLDING OF THE IDEA 
 
 Money seemed to be playing an important 
 part in all this problem. What should we do 
 with all this money? We must have a safe 
 place to keep it in, and what better place than 
 a bank ! That would certainly be useful. Some 
 young fellow might need cash to carry on en- 
 terprises, perhaps. He would be able to bor- 
 row it from the bank providing he could give 
 good security. Moreover, that bank would be 
 good for another purpose. Industrious boys 
 and girls would be able to put their money 
 in the bank and it would be safe from thieves. 
 Thieves!! Thieves!! Why! of course there 
 would be thieves in the crowd! All right: I'd 
 fix those thieves! But why should I fix those 
 thieves? They had not stolen from me. What 
 was the matter with letting the boys settle 
 them ? Sure enough — ^we 'd have a police-force ! 
 I'd get some good man to act as "cop." Man? 
 What use had I for a man when I had Banjo? 
 I'd bring more Banjos next year. We'd have 
 a police force of Banjos and they would arrest 
 the thieves. But where would they put them 
 after they arrested them? We should have to 
 have a jail. But they couldn't put criminals 
 
 61 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPTJBLIO 
 
 in jail without a trial! That seemed true. 
 We must have a court, and a judge, and due 
 process of law. A criminal court would be a 
 valuable adjimct. Yes! moreover, so would a 
 civil court. That would be the place to settle 
 controversies between the individual boys and 
 girls, that were constantly wearing on my 
 nerves! What a fine chance I had to make 
 rules and regulations for this little community! 
 Eules and regulations? Why should I make 
 rules and regulations? Did I not remember 
 the time when they came to me and asked me 
 to make the rules for the protection of their 
 property and when I made them, together with 
 some others they had suggested, how much bet- 
 ter they had worked than the rules I made? 
 Why not leave the rule-making to the wisest 
 among them? Why not have a law-making 
 body ? They knew what they needed, and again 
 I cried: "I'll do it, and I know it will work!" 
 What were all these ideas that were coming 
 in so thick and fast? I asked myself. One by 
 one, they came up ; one by one, they rose logic- 
 ally, and each problem had its solution in some 
 familiar method. Where had I seen these 
 
 62 
 
THE UNFOLDING OF THE IDEA, 
 
 methods before? Surely not to this extent 
 where I had seen boys and girls together. Had 
 it been in the Public Schools, Boarding Schools, 
 Homes that begin with a capital "H," Eeform 
 Institutions, or Boys' Clubs with which I had 
 been acquainted? NO; none of these. I had 
 never seen them tried with youth before, yet 
 I knew they would work. Why did I know 
 they would work? Because there was some- 
 thing strangely familiar about it. What could 
 it be? Ah! I had it! The three powers of 
 government: — the Legislative represented by 
 the law-making body: — the Executive repre- 
 sented by the Heads of the Police Department, 
 Bank, Post-Office, and other departments : — the 
 Judiciary represented by the Judges of the 
 Civil and Criminal Courts. I had the three 
 powers of government just the same as in our 
 great big Republic. That was what had seemed 
 familiar, and what else had I thought out that 
 made it real life? ^hy! underneath the whole 
 plan ran the economic system of the big Ee- 
 public. This idea that had come to me at that 
 moment was just the same idea as the big 
 Eepublic, only with boys and girls as citizens. 
 
 63 
 
THE JUNIOE BEPUBLIO 
 
 Our Glorious Eepublic in miniature — a Junior 
 Republic — and I recall shouting at the top of 
 my voice: "I have it — ^I have it — ^I have it;" 
 and like a school boy I ran as fast as my legs 
 could carry me, and told my mother. I felt it 
 to have been a Grod-given idea. 
 
CHAPTER V 
 
 THE BEGINNING OF THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIC 
 
 WHEN I reached New York after the 
 eventful summer recorded in the pre- 
 ceding chapters, I had a new story to 
 tell my friends. It was a description of my 
 experience during the summer with my boys 
 and girls, and with special references to the 
 way they had secured property by manual la- 
 bor, which resulted in their requests for laws 
 to protect this property from thieves, the part 
 they played subsequently in the courts where 
 the criminals were tried, the punishment of the 
 culprits by their own officers, all of which had 
 resulted not only in a most interesting and 
 successful summer's work, but in a train of 
 ideas that had finally developed into the scheme 
 of establishing a Junior Eepublic modelled ex- 
 actly on the plan of our big Eepublic; or to 
 make it a little more plain, establish a village 
 conducted just exactly the same as a village of 
 « 65 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 grown-ups excepting that it should be "of the 
 youth, for the youth, and by the youth" that 
 sojourned within its boundaries. I further- 
 more told them I intended to put the plan in 
 operation the very next summer. I suppose 
 some of them thought I was crazy. One friend, 
 from whom I expected to receive much conso- 
 lation, declared, after I had told her just how 
 it was to be done, that the idea was much like 
 a machine she had seen in Japan, which was 
 remarkable for its mechanism and design — in 
 point of fact it was so nearly perfect that it 
 had but one defect, "it wouldn't work." A 
 few, however, were more considerate, either 
 for the sake of friendship, pity, or through 
 real faith in the plan. 
 
 That winter I devoted much time to the se- 
 lection of "specimens" for the experiment. I 
 confined my search for subjects to no partic- 
 ular locality. The whole city of New York was 
 my field. By the first of July, I had all my 
 arrangements completed and planned to start 
 from New York City on the evening of July 
 3rd, so that we should be able to start the 
 Junior Republic on the ever-glorious Fourth of 
 
 66 
 
BEGINNING OF THE REPUBLIC 
 
 July, but a shortage of cash and a few hitches 
 in the programme compelled me to defer our 
 start until the night of July 9th, 1895. That 
 evening one hundred and forty-four boys and 
 girls together with a corps of volunteer helpers 
 who hailed from various mission settlements 
 and colleges assembled in a loft over what was 
 at that time a distillery located at 341 East 
 Eleventh Street, New York City. I had estab- 
 lished a boy's club in that loft, and had organ- 
 ized a Law and Order Gang, comprised largely 
 of young fellows who had had difficulties with 
 the police authorities in that portion of the 
 city. I should like to give a description of that 
 Law and Order Gang: perhaps I will some 
 day. A description of it would be out of order 
 in this book which is confined to a history of 
 the Junior Republic. Suffice it to say that 
 some of the members of my Law and Order 
 Gang were to be found amongst the one him- 
 dred and forty-four chosen ones. 
 
 This block, famous for its twisted alleys and 
 irregular buildings filled with equally irregular 
 and twisted individuals, was the Delft Haven of 
 the Junior Republic; and the pilgrims and 
 
 67 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIC 
 
 adult attendants bravely sallied forth from that 
 building that eventful night, filled with high 
 hopes and a determination to make a record 
 for themselves in the little Republic they were 
 to found the following day. 
 
 The whole party arrived in Freeville, New 
 York, without accident on the morning of July 
 10th, 1895, the anniversary of which we now 
 celebrate religiously each year. We had no 
 brass band to meet us, but a lot of boys whis- 
 tling a popular air in march time, served just 
 as well, and the van-guard of about twenty 
 boys under its inspiring strains entered the 
 camp at the head of the bulk of the company. 
 A little later the entire party were within the 
 bounds of the little Republic and ready to be- 
 gin operations. 
 
 It had been my intention to start the Junior 
 Republic, as I stated a few moments ago, just 
 like any other village in the big Republic. If 
 I had done so I should have acted wisely, for 
 experience has revealed that a boy could have 
 acted as President, another as Judge, and still 
 others at the heads of various other depart- 
 ments; but just before I started I yielded to 
 
 68 
 
BEGINNING OF THE REPUBLIC 
 
 the advice of many friends who had taken a 
 special interest in the work, and followed their 
 suggestion of taking the Presidency myself, 
 and appointing adults to hold the positions of 
 Judges, Post Master, Chief of Police, Secretary 
 and a few other important positions. The cit- 
 izens were to hold all the other offices. This 
 method seemed much more conservative, and I 
 realized that it would be better to start with 
 adults in these positions and finally give them 
 to the boys, if they were capable, than it would 
 be to start having boys hold the jobs, and later 
 be compelled to take their positions from them 
 and give them to adults, if it seemed necessary 
 to do so in order to preserve good government. 
 Again instead of using the New York State 
 laws for our government as I had planned I 
 determined as quickly as the citizens elected a 
 legislature, to have this law-making body en- 
 act only such laws as they desired, paying no 
 attention to New York State laws, unless' some 
 question arose for which they had no law of 
 their own. In other words, instead of having 
 the laws of the Junior Eepublic, the laws of 
 New York State plus their own, as is the case 
 
 69 
 
THE JUNIOE REPUBLIC 
 
 in the Junior Eepublio to-day, it was to be 
 governed primarily by their own laws, and the 
 New York State law only, when their law failed 
 to cover the case. Upon, the instant of our 
 arrival, and before the meeting of this legis- 
 lature, I was to set the government going, by 
 using some simple methods in operation in the 
 municipalities of our state. 
 
 The farm that was to be the scene of this 
 experiment comprised forty-eight acres, a small 
 two-story house in a fair state of repair, some 
 tumbled-down barns, and a new shed-like build- 
 ing hastily thrown together to house some of 
 the crude industries. 
 
 As quickly as this group of colonists landed 
 upon the ground they spent some little time 
 walking about the buildings and studying the 
 situation. The old barn interested them par- 
 ticularly. This was to be the Government 
 Building. It had been divided off into large 
 rooms on each side of the floor; one room was 
 labelled Court House ; another Bank, while over 
 a dingy alley leading to the cow stables was 
 that ominous word Jail. In the new building 
 just mentioned Carpentry, Millinery, Dress- 
 
 70 
 
BEGINNING OF THE REPUBLIC 
 
 making and Cooking Establishments were lo- 
 cated. The upper floor was used as a lodging 
 house for the girls. In other places there 
 were pitch-forks, picks, shovels, axes and other 
 farm tools ready for use. 
 
 After the company had examined all these 
 arrangements critically I called them together 
 and told them briefly that we were about to 
 start a government and that they were to be 
 the citizens. That in order to be the right 
 kind of citizens it would be necessary for them 
 to be industrious : — in point of fact unless they 
 lived at public expense, it would be necessary 
 for them to work to secure their food. If they 
 worked properly it would be possible for them 
 in addition to earning their necessary food and 
 lodging, also to save sufficient money to pur- 
 chase articles of clothing and farm produce 
 which they might take back to the city with 
 them on their return. I then stated it would 
 be necessary to have officials. That one of 
 the first things we should need was a police 
 force. There was marked enthusiasm at this 
 statement. To my question as to how many 
 would like to go on the force there was a gen- 
 
 71 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIO 
 
 eral response in the affirmative on the part of 
 all the boys and some of the girls. I assured 
 them that was all right, that each and every 
 one would have a show to get a positioji on 
 the force, but that it would be necessary for 
 them to pass a Civil Service Examination. At 
 this various boys began to bring up their arms 
 and work them back and forth to display their 
 biceps; they evidently concluded a civil service 
 examination was a test of muscle. Undoubt- 
 edly they were over-impressed with one essen- 
 tial qualification of a policeman, namely, physi- 
 cal strength ; but there were other requirements 
 which they were about to discover. 
 
 At this point the Civil Service Commission- 
 ers announced that they were ready for can- 
 didates and there was a stampede for the court 
 room where the examination was to be held. 
 I was too busy to attend. After a few mo- 
 ments I noticed several disconsolate looking 
 boys come out of that examination room : final- 
 ly, one bearing a particularly pathetic manner 
 exclaimed, as he passed me : "I wish me Mud- 
 der 'ud 'a' trashed me and made me go to 
 school den I could 'a' bin a cop up here." An- 
 
 72 
 
BEGINNING OF THE REPUBLIC 
 
 other passed a little later exclaiming: "Youse 
 bet yer sweet life I hain't goin' to play hookey 
 no more; see!!!" 
 
 For the first time in their careers they had 
 discovered what so many others find out when 
 it is too late, — the value of a good public 
 school education. Alas ! the majority of these 
 boys had been addicted to the "hookey" habit 
 and they now realized to their great mortifica- 
 tion that boys who had been "contemptible 
 grinds," were the fellows that donned the 
 brand new imiforms for policemen. Not being 
 able to secure jobs in the public service, the 
 others were obliged to join the ditch diggers' 
 or roadmakers' gang or take up some other 
 occupation that required more muscle than 
 brains. This experience was salutary and it 
 was not an uncommon thing many times dur- 
 ing that summer to see boys with truancy ear- 
 marks wrestling over text-books when other 
 fellows were playing, and to hear them declare 
 confidentially that they were "fittin' for the 
 civil service exam," 
 
 The wheels of commerce and labor had 
 hardly been in operation a half hour when the 
 
 73 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIC 
 
 first arrest was made. Hughie Creighton got 
 in a dispute with a companion over possession 
 of a "Jesse James" story that one of them 
 brought from the city. This led to blows, and 
 Hughie, I am sorry to say, did not place all of 
 his energy in his muscle but used a large 
 amount of the same in certain language that it 
 would not be nice to repeat here. Several 
 friends of the combatants endeavored to restore 
 peace; they succeeded with Hughie 's compan- 
 ion, but Hughie regarded their friendly offices 
 as a personal affront and started in to "clean 
 out the gang." A girl ran for one of the new 
 policemen and he promptly appeared upon the 
 scene. When Hughie saw him his fighting pro- 
 clivities disappeared immediately, and when 
 the officer told him he was under arrest and 
 was to accompany him to the station-house, 
 Hughie marched off as docile as a kitten. I 
 knew then that the Republic was safe. I saw 
 the same respect for the officer of the law 
 manifested in Hughie and the other boys at 
 that moment that I had seen so many times in 
 the big metropolis. 
 When Hughie was taken before the Chief of 
 74 
 
0< 
 
 o 
 
 33 
 
 O 
 
BEGINNING OF THE REPUBLIC 
 
 Police and the double charge of "disorderly 
 conduct and fighting" entered against him, one 
 would have thought that was quite sufficient 
 but at that moment the officer discovered the 
 Jesse James "literature" in his possession. 
 
 "Say," he said, addressing Hughie and the 
 Chief of Police at the same time, "here's some- 
 thin' dat's worse den disorderly conduct or 
 fightin' — ^yer ought ter be held fer readin' 
 dat stuff mor'n fer de odder two tings youse 
 got agin yer, an' I'm goin' to arrest youse on 
 de odder 'charge uv havin' dime novels in yer 
 possession." 
 
 The prisoner was thoroughly frightened by 
 this time and declared he'd "cut out dime nov- 
 els if dey only would let him go that onct." 
 After some discussion they concluded to drop 
 the dime novel charge if he would carry out his 
 promise. Later on the citizens of the Republic 
 actually passedaJawuaaaking-iLa^misdemeanor 
 to read or hold in possession books of the type 
 already~dBscribed. 
 
 The second day after their arrival they held 
 the first election for the legislature and the 
 polls hadn't been opened five minutes before a 
 
 75 
 
THE JUNIOE REPUBLIC 
 
 problem of national importance arose. Several 
 boys had voted when suddenly two girls ap- 
 peared before the ballot box. Their votes were 
 about to be deposited by the guileless election 
 officials when one of the candidates, whom it 
 was afterwards learned had good reason to 
 know the girls were going to vote against him, 
 shouted out: 
 
 "Don't take those votes; don't you know 
 women ain't allowed to vote?" 
 
 A lively argument pro and con ensued on the 
 spot, when one of the girls said: 
 
 "Why, of course, we can vote, — ^the tax col- 
 lector made us pay some of the first money we 
 earned last night to run the government and 
 pay the officers, and if we pay money for the 
 government I guess we're going to have some- 
 thing to say about it." 
 
 A body of excited girls prevailed upon me to 
 come to the seat of trouble to interfere in 
 their behalf. To their evident disgust I told 
 them I could do nothing about it; it was their 
 government; that the only law that they had 
 was the New York State law and that that 
 should be their guide. 
 
 76 
 
BEGINNING OP THE EEPUBLIC 
 
 "Why, then, we are all right," exclaimed the 
 opponents of women's suffrage, "because 
 women don't vote outside." 
 
 "They are right, girls," said a bright, seri- 
 ous-faced boy who was acting as their champion 
 at that moment and who from that instant was 
 a leading citizen in the Junior Republic and at 
 this writing is no mean citizen of the big Ee- 
 public. "I will take your case to the newly- 
 elected legislature and try to get them to pass 
 a bill giving you the right to vote; it is only 
 justice, I think." 
 
 He did take it to the legislature and the meas- 
 ure was defeated, but they kept at their task, 
 aided loyally by some of the boy citizens. The 
 recounting of this story would make an inter- 
 esting and valuable chapter replete with inci- 
 dent "for and against" the suffrage cause, but 
 with this question as with many others along 
 other lines we must be brief; for this history is 
 only to touch lightly on any one particular inci- 
 dent. Suffice it to say that in course of time, 
 the Eepublic girls finally secured the franchise ; 
 through a two-third vote of the male citizens it 
 became a part of their special constitution. 
 
 77 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIO 
 
 I think it was the latter part of the first week 
 that action was taken against the public sup- 
 port of paupers. Certain individuals having 
 no money were fed at public expense. They 
 were as well able to work as the iadustriots, 
 but seemed to be totally devoid of self-respect. 
 Industrious citizens openly ridiculed them, hop- 
 ing thereby to goad them to industry, but with- 
 out avail. Moreover, the prosperous citizens 
 discovered that their taxes were materially in- 
 creased on account of the fact that they were 
 compelled to support the paupers and there 
 began to be open murmurs of discontent. This 
 sentiment finally reached the legislature. One 
 day a legislator arose and exclaimed as he 
 waved a paper before the company: 
 
 "Dis is a bill to stop dis pauper business; 
 it says 'a feller shall not be fed by the govern- 
 ment who is able to work,' but it makes an 
 exception of the pauper feller wat's sick. A 
 feUer ought to save money when he's well and 
 strong and then he'll have some to use when 
 he's sick, but if one of dem pauper fellers get 
 sick, — well, we'll sure have to feed him, dat's 
 all right; but dis bill is pretty strong against 
 
 78 
 
BEGINNING OF THE REPUBLIC 
 
 the feller what can work and won't. It says 
 to the pauper: *If youse can work and won't, 
 youse can starve to death.' Say, what do 
 youse fellers say to dat bill?" 
 
 The applause which followed clearly showed 
 the sentiments of the legislature and it passed 
 with a rush and was soon put in execution, and 
 pauperism became a thing of the past. 
 
 It soon began to be noticed that some. boys 
 and girls were rapidly and honestly accumulat- 
 ing money while others were having great dif- 
 ficulty to get the necessary amount to live even 
 in the cheapest quarters. The majority of 
 them were working at jobs where they received 
 their pay at the end of the week. The dining- 
 rooms and lodging places were generally run 
 on the restaurant and night 's-lodging plan, and 
 the young citizens paid for each meal as they 
 received it and for their night's lodging when 
 they retired. Some, of course, were not accus- 
 tomed to look out for the rainy day. It was 
 not an uncommon thing for boys who received 
 small pay to spend a large part of their earn- 
 ings for a dinner in "Delmonico's" and lodg- 
 ings at the "Waldorf "—the latter, by the way, 
 
 79 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIC 
 
 was the hay-loft over the cow stable. Or, if 
 they didn't indulge in these luxuries, they spent 
 it all too freely for candy and fruit that the 
 young merchants sold in the place. As a re- 
 sult a good many of them were "broken" com- 
 pletely at the end of the week. One enterpris- 
 ing citizen started a "hock-shop," but the chief 
 of police stopped his enterprise by saying: "I 
 won't have anything of that kind around here; 
 we all know enough about those things in New 
 York City." However, a few visitors and some 
 professors of political economy who visited the 
 Eepublic thought the pawn shop might not be 
 a bad thing; that possibly it was an economic 
 necessity; but the boy Chief of Police was 
 obdurate and still declared he would have none 
 of it, and public sentiment seemed to sustain 
 him. 
 
 There were many incidents, many amusing, 
 others pathetic, that brought out the individual 
 characteristics of the young citizens. There 
 was no lack of examples of selfishness and 
 greed, and, on the other hand, there were nu- 
 merous illustrations of self-sacrifice. 
 
 Mamie S. had a lazy brother big enough and 
 80 
 
BEGINNING OF THE REPUBLIC 
 
 strong enough to support them both. "Work he 
 would not. He was continually going to Mamie 
 in a hard-up condition and asking her for cash 
 for his dinner. To meet this extra expense she 
 was obliged to take in washing. Mamie loved 
 her brother and was always speaking of his 
 many virtues; particularly would this be the 
 case when she was working over the wash tub. 
 Never a word was dropped to indicate th^ bur- 
 den she was bearing; but finally it leaked out, — 
 things always do in the Junior Republic. One 
 can rest perfectly sure that what happens there 
 is bound to come out sooner or later; this case 
 is no exception. One day Mamie came to me 
 radiant with smiles: 
 
 "Oh," she said, "Daddy, what do you think I 
 Johnny came to me last night and said: 
 'Mamie, you have been too good to me, I have 
 been working you all these days for money and 
 I feel ashamed of myself ; I ought to be support- 
 ing you, instead of you doing it to me. I have 
 just got a good job and I'm not going to ask 
 you for any more money; instead I am going to 
 pay your board for a week and you've got to 
 take a vacation. Please do it for my sake, 
 7 81 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIC 
 
 for if you don't agree to let me give you that 
 vacation and work for you for that time I'm 
 going to run away.' Wasn't that dear of him, 
 Daddy? I'm so glad that he has come to his 
 senses. I knew he would some day. The only 
 thing I can't understand about it is the reason 
 he says he is going to run away if I don't take 
 the vacation at his expense." 
 
 I told her I was mightily pleased to hear of 
 Johnny's reformation, hut I too wondered what 
 the running away feature had to do with the 
 case. She said she had promised to let him do 
 it if he would only promise not to run away, 
 and then, she said^ he seemed very happy. 
 Johnny commenced work in earnest and was at 
 it early and late. One day I chanced to speak 
 about his reformation to one of the citizens 
 with whom I was extremely confidential. 
 
 "The most remarkable change in Johnny S. 
 I ever saw," said I to this young man. "If 
 there isn't an example of a fellow's conscience 
 getting after him with a vengeance!" 
 
 At this statement the young man burst into 
 roars of laughter. When he became sufficiently 
 calm he said: 
 
 82 
 
BEGINNING OF THE EEPUBLIC 
 
 "I'll tell you another side to the story. You 
 know Tommy D. is dead in love with Mamie. 
 Well, one day he got on to the game that Johnny 
 was working on Mamie and he found out how 
 she was taking in washing to support the loafer, 
 so he got busy, and the afternoon of the evening 
 of Johnny's reformation that you mention. 
 Tommy D. with three other fellows took Johnny 
 down behind the barn, and Tommy said to him : 
 'See here, Johnny S., you low-down mucker, 
 youse know dat I can do youse wid a cinch, 
 and I want ter tell yer right here before dese 
 fellers wat's here, dat if youse don't get busy 
 and pay Mamie all youse owe her and give her 
 a week's vacation, I'll break every bone in yer 
 lazy carcass — ^now get busy and see she gets 
 de vacation, fer if I catch her working agin 
 fer de next week — de coroner's a-goin to have 
 a bang-up job." 
 
 The prospective pommeling in the event of 
 Mamie not taking a vacation clearly accounted 
 for Johnnie's desire to run away. 
 
 Another instance that may be mentioned 
 here is the followiag. 
 
 George C. and his two sisters came from an 
 83 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 unusually improvident home. He was a good 
 worker but he had no sense of the value of 
 money. The last three days of each week 
 always found him down in the mouth and down 
 at the heels. Instead of accepting the condi- 
 tion philosophically he always was inclined to 
 blame somebody else for his hard-up condition. 
 One pay day, after they had been in the Re- 
 public for about a month, I found him seated on 
 the well-curb deep in thought. He was so ab- 
 stracted he hardly noted my approach; it took 
 two "hello's" to rouse him from his reverie. 
 
 "Hello, Daddy," he said in a serious man- 
 ner without changing the fixity of his gaze. 
 
 "What are you day dreaming about?" I 
 asked. 
 
 "Well," said he thoughtfully, "I have been 
 thinking of me troubles the past two or three 
 weeks and I tink I got 'em settled. Youse 
 know dat I've had mighty hard luck gettin' 
 on, and I 'low I've been a kicker, — I've been 
 blaming me troubles on me sisters or me boss 
 or de Republic or de hotel proprietor or de 
 lodgin' house guy and on everybody dat I pos- 
 sibly could lay it on, but to-day I'm just tink- 
 
 84 
 
BEGINNING OF THE EEPUBLIC 
 
 ing dat it is perhaps me own fault. Yer see 
 de odder weeks when I got me money I blowed 
 it all in quick, so to-day when I got me cash, I 
 made seven piles of it and in each I put enough 
 money to carry me tru de day, and den I tied 
 'em up wid a string so dey wouldn't get away 
 and dere dey be," said he, as he jammed his 
 hands down in his pockets and triumphantly 
 brought forth seven bundles of cardboard 
 checks. "Dere, dat's fer Monday, and dat's 
 fer Tuesday and so on true de week ; dat, I tink, 
 will get me out square, and I wuz jus tinking as 
 youse came up how if it did work, we might 
 do de same wid Pop's cash when we go back to 
 de city. You see Pop don't get much money, 
 but what he does get, we use most of it Satur- 
 day night, when we go to de teater and gettin' 
 ice-cream and candy and a lot of odder tings, 
 and before de week is over we get hard up and 
 have to ask de missionary lady or somebody 
 else to help us out ; and I wuz jus tinkin', as how 
 if dis pilin' up an' tiein' up money business 
 worked wid me money here, dat we might work 
 de same scheme wid Pop's when I get back 
 
 to de city." 
 
 85 
 
CHAPTEE VI 
 
 PEACTIOAIi EXPEEIMENTS AND •WINTEB QTJAETEBS 
 
 PEEHAPS at this point it would be well 
 to give a description of the day's work 
 within the Eepublic. The citizens usu- 
 ally arose about six o'clock A. M. with the 
 exception of the farmers and the girls who 
 worked in the kitchen ; they arose earlier. Af- 
 ter breakfast was eaten ia the various res- 
 taurants, where meals were served for all 
 sorts of prices according to the ability of 
 the guest to pay, work commenced about eight 
 A. M. 
 
 The farmer would then take his boys; about 
 twenty-five in number, out to the potato field 
 and garden; the unskilled ones simply picked 
 up the stones and pulled weeds, those with more 
 skill did the hoeing, and the very best workers: 
 used the team of horses which was presented 
 to us and another that had been lent to us for 
 the summer. These boys received eight, ten, 
 
 86 
 
PEACTICAL EXPERIMENTS 
 
 and twelve cents an hour according to the grade 
 of work they performed. 
 
 The carpenter would take his boys to an im- 
 provised shop, which had been supplied with 
 a few simple tools; the more unskilled boys in 
 this class straightened crooked nails that we 
 picked up about the buildings, and drew from 
 old boards; they also squared up old boards 
 that had been removed from buildings and were 
 somewhat broken ; the second grade planed lum- 
 ber and made mortices; the first grade made 
 some simple furniture. The first and second 
 grades of this class had most of them done 
 some manual training work in trades schools 
 in'New York, and discovered that the knowledge 
 they had gained by careful attention to their 
 work in the city had been the direct cause of 
 their earning a higher wage in the Eepublic. 
 The salaries were just the same for the three 
 grades as the corresponding ones upon the 
 farm. 
 
 The landscape gardeners' task was to beau- 
 tify the grounds, and, in charge of a practical 
 man who had some knowledge in this line, they 
 built rpadways, paths, and made flower beds 
 
 87 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIC 
 
 and kept the lawns. The unskilled laborer in 
 this class did the more laborious work of shovel- 
 ling; the second grade fixed the borders and 
 mowed the lawns; the first grade made fancy 
 flower beds. The pay in this department was 
 the same for the three grades as the carpenters 
 and farmers. 
 
 The girls worked at dressmaking, millinery, 
 and cooking. Their work was graded like that 
 of the boys' classes but, since it was so techni- 
 cal, and we are only laymen in that field of 
 work, we shall not attempt to describe what 
 they did in the various grades within these 
 classes, except that in the cooking class the 
 paring of potatoes represented the unskilled 
 work, and there was no promotion for any 
 of these young women if they pared them too 
 thick. 
 
 Besides these regular tasks there were some 
 boys and girls engaged in special work in the 
 hotels, boarding quarters, and restaurants. 
 There were a few merchants, bankers, lawyers, 
 and public oflScials. 
 
 At noon all classes of workers would stop for 
 dinner, and for this, by the way, they were 
 
 88 
 
PEACTICAL EXPEEIMENTS 
 
 always ready, and after dinner they might work 
 if they so desired for the purpose of securing 
 extra money or they could devote the time to 
 recreations of various sorts. As time ad- 
 vanced a surprisingly large number preferred 
 to work for a few hours, as this extra money 
 enabled them to purchase clothing and other 
 articles that were placed in the Republic store. 
 If their forenoon's work was done faithfully, 
 it was enough to pay for their board and lodg- 
 ing, even in the unskilled class. 
 
 Supper was served at 6 P. M., after which 
 there was singing, theatricals, and, on certain 
 evenings, religious services. Then the citizens 
 went to bed, but not always to sleep, as the 
 police blotter shows quite a list of those ar- 
 rested on the charge of "rough-housing" at 
 night. 
 
 The courts and sessions of the legislature 
 were held in the afternoon; the prisoners, 
 dressed in striped bed-ticking, were escorted to 
 a stone pile where with light sledge-hammers 
 they broke stone for the road construction. 
 
 The earning of their living, the running of 
 their government and other activities thrown in 
 
 89 
 
THE JUNIOE REPUBLIC 
 
 filled up the day for my citizens quite com- 
 pletely. Still, outside of the borders of the 
 Republic there was swimming and fishing, 
 tramps in the woods and other things that took 
 a fair share of their attention provided they 
 could get permission to go "out of bounds." 
 It kept one person quite busy extending or re- 
 jecting the privilege of going out of bounds. 
 Usually the requests were rejected because 
 there were many who could not be trusted to 
 roam at large. One did not wish to be arbi- 
 trary in this matter, yet there undoubtedly 
 were obligations on an individual who brought 
 such a company of people to the country; and 
 in one way it worked a hardship upon the good 
 boys and girls who were thoroughly reliable. 
 The problem was how to make discriminations 
 that not only were actually just but plainly 
 appeared to be fair. 
 
 One day one of the young ofl&cials who had 
 come into prominence opened up the question 
 in a most logical manner. He said: 
 
 "Daddy, I can understand your troubles 
 about this going out of bounds business. You 
 are willing that decent boys and girls should 
 
 90 
 
PEACTICAL EXPEEIMENTS 
 
 have the privilege, but you know what will 
 happen if the wrong sort were given too much 
 liberty. I have a scheme that I think will help 
 you out in this matter and at the same time 
 bring in a revenue to the Government. Have 
 you noticed that the reliable citizens here in 
 our little Eepublic are almost without excep- 
 tion the ones who have good bank accounts? 
 That's because they are industrious. Now, you 
 know I am in the legislature and it happens 
 that some of the most reliable citizens are mem- 
 bers this session, and it has occurred to me that 
 I might get them to pass a bill that says that 
 any citizen in good standing may purchase a 
 pass for five dollars that will allow the holder 
 to go outside whenever he desires within cer- 
 tain hours. 
 
 "A fine idea," I said with enthusiasm. 
 
 "All right," said he, "I'll see that it goes 
 through the legislature." 
 
 He turned on his heel and ran back as fast 
 as his legs could carry him to the building 
 where the legislature was in session at that 
 time. I walked on to the village of Freeville 
 to transact some business. When I returned I 
 
 91 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIC 
 
 noted an unusual commotion about the legis- 
 lative hall. Boys who were not members were 
 walMng back and forth outside, talking excit- 
 edly. So excited were they that they hardly 
 noticed my approach until I was right upon 
 them; then they turned upon me in great ex- 
 citement and with a running fire of comments : 
 
 "What do youse tink dem legislator fellers 
 are doin' — ^makin' a bill, — a bill wat says if you 
 pay five dollars you can have a pass to go out 
 of bounds. And whose got five dollars? Why 
 only dam legislator guys wat's in dere passin' 
 de bill." 
 
 Nevertheless, that very session the bill was 
 passed despite its evident unpopularity with 
 the masses. Stump speeches in opposition 
 were the order of the day. Agitators gathered 
 groups about them and raved about the "bunch 
 of guys wat wuz gettin' extra privileges fer 
 money," and at one of these meetings a large 
 petition was started praying the President to 
 veto the measure. One earnest young fellow 
 who favored the pass, arose at one of their 
 meetings and asked the privilege to reply. 
 Amidst cat calls and jeers he told them plainly 
 
 92 
 
PRACTICAL EXPEEIMENTS 
 
 that if they used their brains and muscle as 
 much at honest labor as they did their tongues 
 in agitating trouble they would soon have 
 money enough to buy the coveted pass for 
 themselves, and then with a grand chmax he 
 said: 
 
 "Why, who is it that opposes this five dollar 
 pass ? Nobody but anarchists and paupers. ' ' 
 
 This statement would have brought personal 
 violence had it not been for the fact that the 
 entire police force was on hand to maintain 
 order. "Take away de cops and we'll fix 
 youse," said one wild-eyed individual, as he 
 was hustled off the scene by a zealous police- 
 man. 
 
 Well, the "Five Dollar Pass Bill" was signed 
 and within an hour several industrious citizens 
 were in possession of the coveted certificates. 
 Proudly they exhibited them to the police officer 
 stationed at the gate, and then for about five 
 minutes they paraded up and down the boun- 
 daries outside, plainly exciting the envy of the 
 non-pass-holders inside. Then they disap- 
 ^v.«r^d in various directions, bound for a good 
 time, 
 
 93 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIC 
 
 Much fruit that summer was brought into 
 the Eepublic by farmers and this was taken 
 to a public store and sold to the young mer- 
 chants. This day that the Five Dollar Pass 
 Bill went into effect there chanced to be an 
 unusually large amount of fruit brought into 
 the Republic. Business had just started beau- 
 tifully with the young merchants when sud- 
 denly boys holding Five Dollar Passes be- 
 gan to return from their outing trip. Each 
 of these fellows carried a large bag of apples. 
 No sooner had they entered the bounds than 
 they began to sell fruit at cut-rate prices. In 
 fact, they sold it for less than the wholesale 
 price charged to inside merchants. Of course, 
 the latter were handicapped; they could not 
 sell a penny's worth, and their fruit nearly 
 spoiled upon their hands. One or two tried 
 to even up things by devouring it themselves: 
 it seemed the only thing to do to avoid total 
 loss. Now, the merchant class up to that 
 moment had favored the Five Dollar Pass 
 idea. They saw at the time of its passage 
 that one of these certificates would soon be 
 in their possession; but this day's experience 
 
 94 
 
PRACTICAL EXPERIMENTS 
 
 had made tlie inside merchants "sore" on the 
 Five Dollar Pass holders. On the other 
 hand that no smAll portion of the community 
 who had railed at the Five Dollar Pass be- 
 cause there seemed to be no possibility of their 
 securing one, now looked upon it more kindly 
 because they could get nice apples so much 
 cheaper. At any rate it raised a great pow- 
 wow in the community. Particularly was this 
 the case with the legislature. Something had 
 to be done ; just what, nobody seemed to know, 
 until one future statesman in an argument 
 cleared up the whole controversy in a speech 
 something like the following: 
 
 "Some folks may say apples is apples just 
 the same wherever youse find 'em; but we hev 
 found out dere is a difference between apples 
 wat's outside de boundary line of de Republic 
 an' apples wat's inside, — de only ting what 
 makes de difference is dat Five Dollar Pass. 
 Fellers dat hev de Pass can bring apples in 
 fer nuttin'; while a,pple-sellers inside can't go 
 out and get *em for nuttin' cause dey hain't 
 got no Pass. Dey ought to be jus' de same 
 inside as what dey be outside; and de only 
 
 95 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 ting to do is to do someting right on de line 
 between de inside an' de outside where de 
 trouble begins. Now, I'm fer de Five Dol- 
 lar Pass, and I don't want it cut out, and 
 I'm fer de Government, also, and I'd like to see 
 it get money, so I'm goin' to make a bill dat 
 says: 'If Five Dollar Pass fellers bring in 
 apples or anyting else to sell dey hev got to 
 pay someting to de government right here on 
 de border line, fer bringtn' dem in — and dat, 
 don't youse see, will protect de inside feller 
 from going broke and keep de Five Dollar 
 Pass feller from puttin' dem on de 'bum.' " 
 
 None of these young legislators had the re- 
 motest idea that they were acting on a national 
 question; although conditions were not exactly 
 identical, there were certain elements that were 
 largely the same. 
 
 The whole legislative question was exceed- 
 ingly instructive and it was especially gratify- 
 ing to note how rapidly self-respect grew within 
 individuals as responsibility increased. One 
 boy whose individuality and character of life in 
 the big city indicated clearly that he would in 
 all probability follow his father's footsteps — 
 
 96 
 
PEACTICAL EXPERIMENTS 
 
 the father was not a "ward boss" but was a 
 certain "ward boss's active lieutenant" — one 
 day was heard to make the following exclama- 
 tion to a group of his fellow Eepublie citizens : 
 "Youse bet yer sweet life B — y McQ — ain't 
 goin' to lead me around by de nose as he does 
 me f adder and de rest of de men in de ward; 
 I'll let him know dat I knows someting abouf 
 politics, and de legislature and a few odder 
 tings, wat he tinks he's de main guy in." 
 
 Another pleasing thing was to note the effect 
 not only of the economic problem but the effi- 
 cacy of the prison system upon the prisoners 
 when the boys possessed the responsibility of 
 handling their improvident and vicious peers. 
 The following experience of a boy prisoner in 
 his statement to a friend was the first concrete 
 illustration we had of the kind, and confirmed 
 us in our belief that the Junior Eepublie was 
 destined to "do things." He said: "I've fig- 
 gered it out, and it costs more to be bad dan 
 good. Youse has to work harder an' get no 
 pay, sleep in a cell an' get bread, water and 
 soup, and be followed wid a gun, an' hev 
 all de blokes in de Eepublie down on youse 
 8 97 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 if yer bad. If youse is good, youse only hev 
 to work es hard es in de prison an' git de 
 biggest money in de camp, and wid dat youse 
 ken sleep in de best room in de botel, and eat 
 de finest feed, an' de girls an' fellers don't git 
 down on youse like dey do if youse is a prisoner. 
 I figgered dat all out one night in de cell, an' I 
 made up me mind dat I can't afford to be bad, 
 an' I'm goin' to try now to go to de top." 
 
 He did. From that day there was a marked 
 upward tendency in the boy, and before the 
 camp season closed he was speaker of the 
 House of Representatives. I reasoned after 
 1 this that it was better to give a boy a few 
 ; months in prison at the Junior Republic under 
 I good influences than two or three years of it at 
 ; the expense of the state, and this imprison- 
 ment followed by the natural disgrace of being 
 an ex-convict and criminal. 
 
 But there is too little space for the numerous 
 illustrative stories which might be cited just 
 here. Enough have been given to know how, 
 as the emergency arose, the citizens themselves 
 met it with legislation of their own. In the 
 meanwhile report of us was going abroad. 
 
 98 
 
PEACTICAL EXPEEIMENTS 
 
 Within a few weeks after the Eepublic had 
 started scores of visitors came each day to see 
 the colony in operation. I had no idea at this 
 time of making the work , permanent. My 
 whole plan up to this stage had been simply to 
 use this as a vacation Eepublic in connection 
 with the work of my Law and Order Gang in 
 the city; but the results of these days, I saw 
 were so much mpre far-reaching than any- 
 thing I could do in the city that I felt I 
 must make the work permanent. After strug- 
 gling with the matter for some days, I made 
 the decision. The moment I had settled the 
 question I experienced a great feeling of re- 
 lief, although I had no prospects whatsoever 
 of financial aid. I had been obliged to rent 
 the farm for a year, in order to secure it 
 for the summer, so we were sure of having a 
 roof over our heads. The house was in fairly 
 good condition; moreover we could use the 
 blankets, cooking utensils and all other fur- 
 nishings that rendered service for the summer 
 work. Fortime had smiled on the potato crop 
 that season and I was fond of potatoes, and 
 having these, together with a large quantity 
 
 99 
 
THE JUNIOE REPUBLIC 
 
 of tomatoes and a few other things that we 
 raised, led me to believe that we could live 
 fairly well. No doubt it would be pioneering 
 with a vengeance, but then it would be great 
 fun if I could get the right kind of boys to 
 remain with me. So I set about the task of 
 getting a company of boys who could remain. 
 After pains-taking investigation I found twen- 
 ty-five who said they would stay; those who 
 had parents put in the proviso if their parents 
 were willing. After communicating with the 
 fathers and mothers my party was reduced to 
 about fifteen. In the meantime the dreaded 
 day for the departure of the summer colony 
 arrived, and joyously but not without regrets, 
 they packed up their new possessions that had 
 come to them through the redemption of their 
 surplus money, and started for the train, 
 
 I began to note at this time some uneasiness 
 on the part of the fifteen boys who had agreed 
 to stay. One came up and said that he had 
 an old grandmother that he feared would die 
 while he was up here in the country and he 
 wished to see her; another said he was afraid 
 he would freeze to death; two or three others 
 
 100 
 
PRACTICAL EXPERIMENTS 
 
 concluded scliool facilities in New York City- 
 were better; others brought excuses more or 
 less reasonable, and it began to look as if I 
 should be obliged to abandon the permanent 
 work because I should have no citizens. When 
 the train pulled out for New York only five 
 boys had remained. God bless them! They 
 were to be the Pioneers, Many of those fel- 
 lows who gre"w faint-hearted, to-day wish they 
 had been among that group. A few weeks 
 later I had another addition, one who had been 
 anxious to stay but to whom his parents had 
 positively refused permission. He had run 
 away from home and returned to me. Condi- 
 tions were such that he was not to be blamed 
 for this act. 
 
 It certainly did look lonesome on that hill- 
 top for a few weeks after all the excitement 
 and commotion of the summer. Moreover, the 
 bill of fare was not elaborate. One of the boys, 
 who is now a lawyer in the city of Cleveland, 
 acted as cook. We had tomatoes and potatoes 
 for breakfast, and potatoes and tomatoes for 
 dinner and a hash of the same for supper ; but 
 good-will prevailed. Close to my side, to ren- 
 
 101 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIC 
 
 der valuable advice, with an old head on young 
 shoulders, was the first citizen of the Junior 
 Eepublic, Jacob G. Smith, No colony ever pos- 
 sessed a man more qualified for usefulness than 
 this young man. Many a time when discour- 
 aged I would go to him and get in conversa- 
 tion with him, and the blues would disappear 
 completely. The other boys were all excellent 
 fellows for the work in hand and I find their 
 experiences at that time have resulted in their 
 taking no mean position in the big Mother Ee- 
 public. 
 
 Busy days getting things in order for the 
 winter followed. Two or three weeks later 
 three others were added to the number. Some 
 of these new arrivals were of somewhat dif- 
 ferent type from the majority of my summer 
 colony. The winter commenced early and it 
 came in with a vengeance. Twice the ther- 
 mometer dropped down near the thirty degree 
 point below zero. We had only two stoves in 
 the whole establishment and when the winds on 
 that hilltop got in their fine work, we clung to 
 those stoves like brothers. The boys slept in 
 the attic, and when they awoke in the morn- 
 
 102 
 
PEACTICAL EXPERIMENTS 
 
 ing it was not an uncommon thing to find their 
 beds covered with snow. Above them were 
 simply the rafters and clapboards holding the 
 shingles. Some of the boys declared they had 
 studied astronomy through the holes in the 
 roof. In the morning they frequently found 
 their shoes frozen to the floor. Three of the 
 boys walked two and a-half miles each day to 
 the high school. The other fellows walked over 
 one and a-half miles to the district school — 
 this through all kinds of weather. They froze 
 their ears, noses and fingers; but they stuck 
 to it like heroes. Anyone of them could have 
 given up pioneering any moment he desired 
 and the majority return to comfortable homes, 
 but I never heard one of them hint that he 
 would ever like to desert. Good cheer pre- 
 vailed. 
 
 After we had been started a time a man and 
 his wife were induced to come and live with us 
 and this solved the cooking problem; for the 
 good woman, Mrs. Griswold, or "Mama Gris- 
 wold," as we all called her, had more of the art 
 of making some of the most appetizing dishes 
 out of almost nothing, than anyone I have ever 
 
 103 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIO 
 
 known. Her advent made the whole place more 
 "homey." I think I never appreciated the 
 presence of one of the "fair sex" more than I 
 did that of this dear lady after we had lived 
 for several weeks on potatoes and tomato hash. 
 One thing we sorely missed and that was milk. 
 For several months we did not have so much 
 as a drop. Christmas morning one of the boys 
 rushed in and said there was something the 
 matter in the barn and told us all to hurry 
 out. Out we tumbled, and there we found a 
 cow which gave the best milk I think I ever 
 tasted. This gift came from some young peo- 
 ple in New York City through the solicitation 
 of my friend, E. Montgomery Schell. I be- 
 lieve there never was a gift more truly appre- 
 ciated. Mr. Schell has been closely and ac- 
 tively associated with me in the Eepublic work 
 from the old Fresh Air Days down to the pres- 
 ent. 
 
CHAPTER VII 
 
 THE BISB AND FALL OF THE "fKEE TIN PABTY" 
 
 WITH the small group now constituting 
 the Eepublic, numbering about ten in 
 all, there was very little need for an 
 elaborate system of government. All the boys 
 were on their good behavior, and the jail was 
 absolutely unnecessary at that time. We were 
 just like a big family. A little later we added 
 a few more boys to our small company, giv- 
 ing us a population of about fifteen ; then there 
 began to be indications that we should begin 
 to need public officials. I was still acting as 
 President, and Judge also if the occasion re- 
 quired. When the summer party had left for 
 New York a few months previous, all my adult 
 officials had left with them. I now determined, 
 as I noted the increase in population, to use the 
 boys as the executive officers with the excep- 
 tion of the Presidency which I still proposed 
 holding for the time being. I still felt that I 
 
 105 
 
' THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIC 
 
 had to be a bit conservative to satisfy public 
 opinion. I knew that the boys could rise to 
 the emergency and about December, 1895, 
 young Smith was made Judge. 
 
 The boys performed their public service so 
 well in the leading positions that about a year 
 later, I felt justified in placing the mantle of 
 the Presidency upon younger shoulders. At 
 this time there was much dissent on the part 
 of the near friends of the Republic who feared 
 the responsibilities would be too great for a 
 boy. However, I did relinquish the office, and 
 Judge Smith was elected to that honorable po- 
 sition, and became the first boy President of 
 the Junior Republic. 
 
 Although we were a great big family and 
 stuck together like brothers, I found that we 
 were able to operate our system of govern- 
 ment when necessary without interfering, 
 with the institution of the home and its tra- 
 ditions. 
 
 By springtime — and how glad we were to see 
 it ! — our company had increased to the number 
 of twenty. Choice material was this, and I de- 
 voted my time to molding it into shape to form 
 
 106 
 
THE "FE'.EE TIN PAETY" 
 
 public opinion amongst my summer party that 
 was to arrive sometime in July. 
 
 Perhaps, I should state here that in the fall 
 of the year shortly after the little party of five 
 had taken up their pioneering, the George 
 Junior Eepublic Association was organized in 
 New York City and application made for in- 
 corporation. 
 
 Previous to this there had been no organiza- 
 tion whatsoever. The work had grown from 
 very small beginnings. Food-supplies and 
 gifts of clothing, produce and some money had 
 come from the people of central New York. 
 Other moneys incident to the carrying on of 
 the expenses of the work had been given to 
 me by friends interested in my enterprise. A 
 committee composed of representative people, 
 at my request, had examined into the receipts 
 and expenditures and made a report, each year. 
 It was now time to have the work systemat- 
 ically organized and incorporated, and a group 
 of friends of the Eepublic, somewhat ac- 
 quainted with its principles, accomplished this 
 
 work. 
 
 107 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIC 
 
 Allow me at this point to make a plea of 
 "not guilty" to having my name attached to 
 the "Junior Eepublic." That was suggested 
 and carried through by certain members of the 
 Board. My proposal was the Junior Eepub- 
 lic of America. 
 
 Shortly after the incorporation of the George 
 Junior Republic Association, a friend gave us 
 sufficient cash to purchase the farm which we 
 were occupying as tenants and this gift brought 
 great joy to the young citizens and friends of 
 the Eepublic. About the first of AprU, 1896, we 
 began to alter our barns into buildings for the 
 use of the summer citizens, as we began to call 
 the young people who were to remain only for 
 the summer. The all-year-round lot were known 
 as "residents." When the "summer citi- 
 zens" arrived in July it was depressing to the 
 "residents" to see what a difference in point 
 of view there was between themselves and the 
 new arrivals. Although the "residents" were 
 greatly in the minority, twenty to one hundred 
 and sixty, it was very evident they were the 
 leaders of the best thought during that sum- 
 mer. The brighter and more educated portion 
 
 108 
 
THE "FEEE TIN PAETY" 
 
 of the "summer citizens" Tinited with the "res- 
 idents" and they were able to organize quite a 
 strong political party. They called themselves 
 "The People's Party." About the middle of 
 the season a lively contest over a currency 
 question arose between this party and the op- 
 position known as the ' ' Free Tin Party. ' ' The 
 cardboard checks which were used for money 
 in preceding years had been displaced by tin 
 discs with a stamp upon them "George Junior 
 Eepublic," and the numbers 1, 5, 10, 25, 50, 
 or 100, according to the denomination. The 
 campaign of 1896, in the big Eepublic, was on 
 at that time, in which "Free Silver" was a sort 
 of a slogan. This furnished the cue for a party 
 name to those who opposed "The People's Par- 
 ty." Before I tell the story of the currency 
 controversy between these two parties, I will 
 give a brief explanation of the political and 
 economic conditions in our little Eepublic. 
 When we began the Eepublic our failure, on 
 account of conservativeness, to make the polit- 
 ical and economic conditions just the same as 
 we would in any village of adults, caused lots 
 of trouble, for we were obliged to use artificial 
 
 109 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIO 
 
 methods of our own, wHcli were unwise. The 
 economic feature in particular bothered us, for 
 example — the Junior Eepublic Association re- 
 ceived from contributors food, and various 
 sorts of merchandise to be used for the young 
 citizens. Naturally the Association did not de- 
 sire to appear to the citizens as reaping bene- 
 fits from them, as might appear to be the case 
 if they (the citizens) paid the Association for 
 this self-same food and merchandise. Eegard- 
 less of what the citizens might have thought, it 
 would have been more consistent with condi- 
 tions outside, for the Association to have said 
 to the citizens: "Here is this property. You 
 may have it by paying us for it in the 
 money which you have earned through your 
 labors." 
 
 Instead of so doing, all food and merchan- 
 dise, together with the hotel and boarding- 
 houses, were turned over to the Citizen Gov- 
 ernment. The Government leased these hotels 
 and boarding-houses to contractors, and sold 
 them the food supplies. The merchandise was 
 placed in a government store and the receipts 
 therefrom, together with the moneys received 
 
 110 
 
THE "FREE TIN PARTY" 
 
 from hotel contractors for rental and food sup- 
 plies, went into the Government treasury. Now 
 the money which most of the citizens, aside 
 from a small group who were directly within 
 the Government employ, received for their 
 services, and which thereby gave them the 
 means with which to purchase food, lodging and 
 merchandise, came into their possession as a 
 result of payment for their work in carpen- 
 tering, landscape gardening, cooking, millinery, 
 and farming, and the Government did not pay 
 for these services. The Junior Republic Asso- 
 ciation paid this bill. They were in a sense, 
 under this abnormal condition, "the Mint," 
 and paid for all services rendered, excepting 
 jobs connected with the Citizen Government, or 
 where individual citizens gave employment to 
 some of their fellows in carrying out enter- 
 prises of their own. Thus it will be observed, 
 there was a constant stream of this "tin 
 money" coming from the Mint, or Junior Re- 
 public Association, and entering and circulat- 
 ing in the community, but there was no outlet 
 for it. It would enter the community, circu- 
 late therein until it was paid out for board^ 
 
 111 
 
THE JUNIOE REPUBLIC 
 
 lodging, or clothing, and then it would enter the 
 Government Treasury. 
 
 Of course it will not take any student of 
 finance long to see what would happen. The 
 Government Treasury commenced getting ful- 
 ler and fuller, and not being obliged to pay 
 anything whatsoever for the merchandise that 
 came in from the outside world it got still 
 fuller. Thus it was that the party in power 
 could vote large sums of money to some gov- 
 ernment contractor for doing work for the 
 government, and soon there arose a contro- 
 versy between the two parties. 
 
 The first elections that took place after the 
 arrival of the "summer citizens," placed the 
 majority of officers quite naturally in the hands 
 of the "residents." Owing to their practical 
 and political knowledge, which they had gained 
 during the previous months, they went at the 
 task of enacting and enforcing reform legisla- 
 tion so earnestly, that they were charged by 
 the "east side summer combination" with be- 
 ing somewhat "bumpy." The second election, 
 held a few weeks later, brought political down- 
 fall to most of them and they were succeeded 
 
 112 
 
THE "FEEE TIN PAETY" 
 
 by strong leaders from the "summer citizens." 
 The next election, those who had survived the 
 shock of the preceding election, were ousted 
 completely, and the government was practically 
 in the hands of the "invaders," another name 
 for the "summer citizens." Before the resi- 
 dents, with a few exceptions, were out of polit- 
 ical life entirely, they had discovered the evils 
 of the currency system. One or two of them 
 got at the root of the whole matter, and came 
 to me and urged strongly that the Association 
 cease to give the food and merchandise to the 
 citizens government, and instead enter into ac- 
 tive business relations with the citizens di- 
 rectly. I refrained from acting on their ad- 
 vice, and lively political complications came on 
 the stage of action like a whirlwind, as a re- 
 sult. 
 
 The Government Treasury was filling up 
 daily. The legislature felt it incumbent upon 
 it to use this money. "I move this honora- 
 ble body," said Senator Flannigan one day, as 
 he addressed the assembly, "that a boardwalk 
 be built from the court house to the Eepublic 
 hotel, and I move that the contract be awarded 
 9 113 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 to some good citizen." The bill was passed 
 and the contract put up at auction. Callahan 
 secured it for seventy-five dollars. He was the 
 chief of police and could not look after it per- 
 sonally, so he sub-let it for fifteen dollars to 
 Hermon, who put the board-walk down in half 
 a day and made ten dollars on the deal. This 
 transaction roused the ire of the "residents." 
 They said: "It's a shame." 
 
 The fellows in office said: "Why is it a 
 shame, we've got the money there to spend. 
 Why not spend it?" 
 
 In a short time some of the officials had large 
 sums of money, which they had secured by tak- 
 ing contracts. In return they were doing lit- 
 tle or no work. "How can we get this money 
 out of their hands by honest methods?" said 
 the ' ' residents. ' ' One of them got some United 
 States money from a friend and went to the 
 richest fellow and said: "How much tin 
 money will you give me for one dollar United 
 States money?" 
 
 "I'll give you twenty," said the contractor. 
 
 "I'll take it," said the "resident." "Now 
 that is out of circulation," said he, as he walked 
 
 114 
 
THE ''FREE TIN PAETY" 
 
 away with satisfaction; but it wasn't. The 
 contractor took the dollar, went down to the 
 village of Freeville, and secured over a hun- 
 dred sticks of candy which he brought back and 
 sold for one dollar each in tin money. 
 
 One night two or three of the leading "resi- 
 dents" got together and worked out a scheme 
 to relieve the situation. After they were sat- 
 isfied in their own minds that it would work, 
 they made an appeal to all the citizens and de- 
 clared that they purposed organizing a party, 
 whose avowed policy should be to make the 
 financial situation of the government normal 
 by retiring by law to non-use four out of every 
 five dollars which went into the Grovernment 
 Treasury. They were to call themselves ' ' The 
 People's Party." They stood ready to prove 
 to the citizens that the large sums of surplus 
 money held by the few were accomplishing no 
 more benefit to these same persons than if they 
 held just one-fifth the amount ; that this method 
 would make an honest dollar out of every piece 
 of tin that bore the 100 stamp upon it, instead 
 of having simply the tin can value, which it 
 had in the present instance. Practically all of 
 
 115 
 
THE JUNIOE REPUBLIC 
 
 the thoughtful citizens saw the force of this 
 argument and united with this party. A few 
 other leaders, composed of those who held of- 
 fice, and political contractors, at once organized 
 a party of opposition and called it "The Free 
 Tin Party." They went at once to the citizens 
 who were working as carpenters, farmers, 
 cooks, etc., and were receiving pay from the As- 
 sociation, and said: "You fellers and girls 
 are getting only seventy-five cents a day ; if that 
 money that The People's Party wants to 
 come out of the treasury is not allowed to cir- 
 culate, you fellers will only get about twenty 
 cents a day. Can you stand for that? Of 
 course you can't." 
 
 In the meantime the representatives of The 
 People's Party said to those who were receiv- 
 ing wages from the Association that they had 
 been assured that their wages would not be 
 changed, that as they were not receiving money 
 from the Government but from the Association, 
 they had nothing to fear. But it was of no use, 
 the most of them listened to the specious argu- 
 ments of the politicians and the contractors, 
 and there was the novel sight of the extreme 
 
 116 
 
THE "FREE TIN PAETY" 
 
 poor and the extreme rich uniting to vote out 
 the middle crowd. A most lively and interest- 
 ing political contest at once arose. A few days 
 later the semi-monthly election was to take 
 place, and for that period there was no dearth 
 of political excitement. It increased hour by 
 hour until the day of the election when it 
 reached a grand climax which would have ended 
 in a serious riot had it not been for the courage 
 and level-headedness of the chief of police. But 
 I am getting ahead of my story. 
 
 A few days before the great election which 
 was to decide whether the Free Tin Party or 
 the People's Party was to boss, some lively 
 campaign speeches were in order. 
 
 The Free Tin Party held a rousing rally, 
 when James Dolan, the peer of Irish orators, 
 made an address filled with wit and logic, that 
 so electrified all the hearers that after the close 
 of the meeting quite a batch of the People's 
 Party shouters gave up their cause and went 
 over to the Free Tin Party standards. This 
 would never do and a counter meeting must be 
 held by the People's Party. They held a 
 rally and finally induced Jakie Smith to speak. 
 
 117 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 Now, Jakie was the judge and a very quiet, 
 modest fellow. There was no one who had as 
 much influence with the citizens as he. He was 
 to be the star speaker at the People's Party- 
 rally, and when it took place he fairly outdid 
 himself. He used such powerful arguments 
 and reasoned so fairly that the Free Tin Par- 
 ty was in despair. After that meeting they 
 lost all of the old captures they had made from 
 the People's Party, and in addition a goodly 
 number of those whom they had supposed be- 
 longed to the old guard of the Free Tin Party. 
 
 The Free Tin Party tried to hold another 
 meeting, and got Dolan to answer the argu- 
 ments of Jakie. The meeting, while a large 
 one, was filled by enthusiasts of both parties, 
 but fell short of its purpose. Dolan was ex- 
 tremely witty, gave clog dances and everything 
 else to re-capture the lost votes of the Free 
 Tin Party, but all to no avail. However, the 
 Free Tin Party did not lose heart for they 
 were still sure that they had a large majority 
 of the votes. 
 
 All of these meetings were attended with 
 great excitement and on two or three occasions 
 
 118 
 
THE "FEEE TIN PAETY" 
 
 it did look as thougli there was going to be a 
 "free for all" fight, but everything subsided 
 peacefully until the day of election. This was 
 given over as a holiday to the citizens. The 
 election was to take place at four o'clock in the 
 afternoon and the forenoon was to be given 
 over to campaigning. A lot of the leaders of 
 the Free Tin Party monopolized the "Waldorf 
 Hotel" and held a meeting therein. They got 
 some old clothes, made a scarecrow, hung it 
 by the neck out of a window, and wrote a sign 
 stating that the former People's Party was now 
 dead. They hung this sign on the dummy and 
 it made the People's Party dreadfully mad. 
 They threw stones at it and one leader of the 
 party wanted to fight the biggest fellow of the 
 Free Tin Party, but a temporary truce was 
 patched up. Still the dummy hung in this 
 conspicuous place. 
 
 One of the People's Party leaders owned 
 Delmonico's restaurant, and a lot of the fel- 
 lows that dined in this restaurant were Free 
 Tin Party followers and they got into the habit 
 of sitting at one table by themselves and dis- 
 cussing politics. A great many visitors would 
 
 119 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIC 
 
 pass by and watch the citizens while they were 
 eating. This day as the Free Tin Party were 
 just about to begin their meal, one of them 
 chanced to look up and shouted out: "Say 
 fellers, do you see that sign?" They all looked 
 at the handwriting on the waU and there could 
 not have been a bigger commotion at the famous 
 feast of Balshazzar. The proprietor of the 
 restaurant was a People's Party man, as I have 
 already stated, and had written a large sign, in 
 big letters: "Visitors please do not annoy 
 the animals while feeding. This applies to the 
 members of the Free Tin Party sitting just 
 below." A howl went up from each, and one 
 fellow stepped up to tear down the sign. He 
 had no more than placed his hand upon it when 
 the proprietor of the restaurant jammed him 
 one in the eye and sent him reeling among his 
 companions. Instantly all the members of the 
 Free Tin Party rushed to the assistance of their 
 friend and shouted at the top of their voices: 
 "Do him up." The proprietor gave a shout 
 for help and in no time he had a group of Peo- 
 ple's Party men at his elbow. In an instant a 
 lively fight was in operation. Then Chief Cal- 
 
 120 
 
THE ''FREE TIN PARTY" 
 
 lahan suddenly appeared upon the scene with 
 two policemen. He was a Free Tin man and 
 declared afterward that his first desire was to 
 run the People's Party bunch in jail, but 
 on second thought he said: "I will be square 
 and drive them all out of the restaurant and 
 stop that fight if I can." So he howled to his 
 fellow officers and two or three appeared in the 
 fight. By dint of hard pushing and prodding 
 they got all the Free Tin Party out of one side 
 of the building, and all the People's Party out 
 of the other ; but this did not end the question. 
 The news flew quickly around the Republic 
 and in a short time everybody rallied and the 
 decks began to be cleared for action. Even 
 the helpers got interested and possibly were 
 more excited than the citizens; some taking 
 sides with the Free Tin Party and some with 
 the People's Party. It looked now as though 
 in about five minutes there would be about as 
 pretty a fight as any person would wish to see 
 and that somebody would undoubtedly be hurt. 
 The police force brandished its clubs between 
 the two crowds and thus showed that they could 
 avert the inevitable conflict for a few brief 
 
 121 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 minutes. Chief Callahan was in despair. He 
 hurried to the oflSce where I was located and 
 told me his troubles. Apparently, I paid little 
 attention to him as he recounted the story. 
 
 "But this is mighty serious," said Callahan. 
 
 "Well, suppose it- is," I replied, "aren't you 
 man enough to stop it?" 
 
 "No, I can't. Both sides are awfully ugly 
 and there is going to be something doing mighty 
 soon, if it has not commenced already." 
 
 "What do you wish I should do?" 
 
 "Get outside and tell them to stop." 
 
 "Not much of it," I said emphatically. 
 "This is a republic. You've got to manage 
 that among yourselves." 
 
 Callahan fairly turned white. 
 
 "But what can I do alone," said he, "when 
 my policemen will probably take sides with one 
 or the other party when the scrap begins?" 
 
 I then said : 
 
 "What do you think the Chief of Police in 
 New York City would do on an occasion like 
 this?" 
 
 Callahan paused and then said : 
 
 "He would probably look into the question, 
 X22 
 
THE "FEEE TIN PARTY" 
 
 see what was the cause of the trouble and then 
 have the thing that caused the mess cut out." 
 
 "Well, I guess you have got your cue, Calla- 
 han." 
 
 "Oh," said he, bracing up, "I see. I'll go 
 outside and in the name of the law declare that 
 all transparencies must be taken down. Why 
 it's as clear as day." 
 
 So he went out, mounted a box, and shouted 
 to both sides that all signs should be taken 
 down at once, no matter to what party they be- 
 longed. Then he hurried to the proprietor of 
 the restaurant and asked him if he would take 
 down his sign. The proprietor said: "No." 
 He preferred to have the policeman do it. So 
 the police marched in and tore it down. Of 
 course the People's Party fellows would not 
 dare tackle the policeman. The Free Tin Party 
 crowd gave a howl of delight and shouted out : 
 "Callahan, youse are all right. Youse is a 
 good Free Tin man." 
 
 Callahan shouted back, and at the same time 
 pointed at the effigy made by the Free Tin 
 Party: "Yes, and I'll be a better one if you 
 tear down that scarecrow over there." 
 
 123 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 Then shouted one of the fellows : 
 
 "Youse ain't going to have that down, are 
 you, Callahan? That ain't no transparency." 
 
 ' ' Don 't care if it ain 't, ' ' said Callahan. " It 's 
 causin' trouble, and it's got to move on." 
 
 They uttered indignant protests, but Calla- 
 han sent his police officers up, they cut the rope, 
 and the dummy fell to the ground amid cheers 
 from the People's Party. Up and down the Re- 
 public moved Callahan with his officers, indis- 
 criminately tearing down transparencies and 
 dummies. The air seemed to be perfectly clear 
 but there was more to follow. 
 
 Up in a corner room of the government build- 
 ing was a law office occupied by a prominent 
 citizen of the republic. He was a Free Tin 
 Party man. The People's Party declared that 
 he ought to have been a People's Party man, 
 for by aU conditions, social and otherwise, he 
 should have been with that company, but for 
 some reason he was a Free Tin man. Under 
 his window he had a little sign simply bearing 
 the names of the Free Tin Party candidates, 
 painted in bright colors. Nobody really paid 
 any attention to this sign. The police passed 
 
 124 
 
THE ''FREE TIN PARTY" 
 
 it by and the Free Tin and People's Party 
 passed it also, without even noticing it. Sud- 
 denly one lynx-eyed, zealous People's Party 
 man stopped there, seized the arm of the Chief 
 of Police and pointed to the dgn and said: 
 "Why don't you pull that down?" 
 
 Chief Callahan answered: 
 
 "Why, that ain't no thin' but a list of candi- 
 dates." 
 
 "But it is a political banner all right," said 
 the People's Party man. 
 
 Callahan paused a moment and said : 
 
 "I do not see any objection to that." 
 
 "All right," said the partisan, "you ain't 
 showed no partiality thus far, now I want that 
 cut down and removed just as you did all the 
 others." 
 
 "WeU," said Callahan, "if that sign hurts 
 your feelings, it has got to come down." 
 
 So Callahan shouted to the Senator, (I will 
 call him Senator ; he was one at that time) : 
 
 "Say, Senator, pull down your sign." 
 
 The Senator poked his head out of the win- 
 dow and said somewhat angrily: 
 
 "Why, I ain't goin' to pull that down. That 
 125 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIO 
 
 is just a list of the names of the candidates on 
 a piece of cloth." 
 
 "Well," said Callahan, "this fellow says that 
 I am showing partiality if I do not make you 
 pull it down, and I hain't caria' if you do belong 
 to my party, I am going to take down every- 
 thing that causes trouble." 
 
 At this a crowd of People's Party candidates 
 cheered, and that made the Senator madder, 
 and he shouted back at Callahan : 
 
 "You ain't goin' to pull that sign down, and 
 if you do somebody is goin' to get hurt." 
 
 With that he took up a little Flobert rifle that 
 he had in his room, waved it before the crowd 
 and shouted: 
 
 "I dare anybody to come here and pull this 
 down." 
 
 Now, the Senator was a powerful political 
 factor in the Junior Eepublic. He was about 
 as big a man as there was in the place. He 
 had a pretty level head and he usually did what 
 he said. So when he took this * ' scrappy" posi- 
 tion it made all the fellows shake in their boots. 
 Callahan said: 
 
 "Now, Senator, you don't want to do any- 
 126 
 
THE "FREE TIN PARTY" 
 
 thing rash and I ain't backin' water, even if 
 we are liable to get hurt. It's got to come 
 down and if yon don't put down that gun, you 
 will be arrested for threatening an ofificer." 
 
 "I won't put down the gun," shouted the 
 Senator. "I'll hurt anybody that tries to pull 
 that sign down." 
 
 Callahan said: 
 
 "We'll see about that," and started for my 
 office. When he got inside he showed great ex- 
 citement. He told me that the Senator had a 
 gun and was going to shoot anyone who tried 
 to pull down the sign. 
 
 "Well," said I, "can't you get a gun also?" 
 
 "I hadn't thought of that," said Callahan. 
 "Will youse loan me one?" 
 
 Standing by my desk was a 44 Winchester 
 rifle. I took it up, stepped in a closet, threw 
 it open and saw there were no cartridges in 
 the magazine, and then stepped out and handed 
 the gun to Callahan and said : 
 
 "Just see what that will do." 
 
 Callahan grabbed it eagerly — ^never stopped 
 to see whether it was loaded or not, and went 
 out on the double quick to the place where 
 
 127 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 the fracas was going on. The moment ne ap- 
 peared with the Winchester rifle, all the fel- 
 lows shouted: "Whew! Callahan has got a 
 gun." 
 
 Callahan marched to the foot of the ladder 
 and shouted up: "Say, Senator, other fellers 
 have got guns." 
 
 The Senator again poked his head out of 
 the window, looked at the gun and the grim 
 visage of Callahan and tried to use argument 
 instead of fight as he had just been doing. 
 They all saw he was weakening. It was enough 
 I guess, to make anybody weaken if they had 
 seen Callahan and the Winchester. 
 
 "Get a ladder," he yelled to one of the po- 
 licemen. 
 
 The ladder was placed to the window. 
 OfScer Smith got up to take down the sign. 
 He placed his foot on the ladder and looked 
 up. The Senator was holding the Flobert 
 rifle. 
 
 "Youse afraijJ, Smith," said Callahan. "I'll 
 get up meself." 
 
 He placed his foot on the ladder, and bounded 
 up two or three rounds at a time, right straight 
 
 128 
 
THE "FREE TIN PARTY" 
 
 to the window, grabbed the transparency and 
 tore it down. The Senator never said a word. 
 Then Callahan walked to the front entrance, up- 
 stairs, round to the Senator's room and 
 shouted : 
 
 ' ' Senator, you are under arrest for threaten- 
 ing an officer." 
 
 The Senator said: 
 
 "I won't be arrested; I am a senator." 
 
 "That don't make no difference, I am going 
 to enforce the law, ' ' howled Callahan. " So I 'm 
 bigger than a Senator. Open the door or I'll 
 bust it in." 
 
 The Senator tried to parley, but it was no 
 use. Callahan was awfully mad, and although 
 he saw visions of his political head dropping 
 when the Senator got in action at the next ses- 
 sion of Congress he never faltered. 
 
 "Bring up an axe," he bellowed. 
 
 An officer made a rush for the axe. Still the 
 Senator parleyed but without avail. In the 
 meantime the axe had arrived. The officer was 
 about to smash the door, when the Senator 
 said : 
 
 "Well, I'll give in just for the purpose of 
 10 129 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIC 
 
 making a test ease out of this business." He 
 was promptly arrested, locked up and at the 
 next session of court was fined heavily. 
 
 After all this excitement it was time for 
 election. It took place and the Free Tin Party 
 carried the day. They celebrated a good deal 
 and declared that they would do wonderful 
 things as quickly as they got in session in the 
 legislature, but they did not have a very long 
 time at their job. They only had a chance to 
 hold two meetings before the summer crowd of 
 citizens went home. In the two meetings they 
 did hold they got to quarreling among them- 
 selves and did not do much legislation. They 
 had howled so much about the great things they 
 were going to do that a lot of their party were 
 so disgusted with them they said they wished 
 they had put the People's Party in instead, be- 
 cause they at least had brains and an idea 
 and that was better than a lot of fools with- 
 out brains who spent their time in scrapping. 
 Of course the fellows who were elected on the 
 Free Tin Party ticket did not like this very 
 well and said if they wanted the legislation 
 that the People's Party was going to give them 
 
 130 
 
THE "FEEE TIN PARTY" 
 
 so badly, they might please the citizens by giv- 
 ing them just what the People's Party was 
 going to give them. One or two of their mem- 
 bers, just because they were mad, actually 
 were about to put in a bill to withdraw the 
 money from the treasury and the Free Tin citi- 
 zens who had done all the howling, when they 
 found out what was likely to be done, said: 
 "No, no, do not do that," and with that the 
 idea of doing what the People's Party was go- 
 ing to do if they had been elected was given up 
 and then they went back to quarrelling among 
 themselves again. 
 
 I cannot say how the whole thing would have 
 turned out in the long run, but I rather think 
 that the People's Party would have won in the 
 next election. Something else happened about 
 that time that settled the whole question. The 
 summer season had come to an end, and the 
 summer citizens who were, for the most part. 
 Free Tin people, packed up their belongings 
 and went back to New York City. As quickly 
 as they had gone the People's Party had every- 
 thing their own way, and the very next morn- 
 ing after the summer citizens had left, a body 
 
 131 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIC 
 
 of the representative citizens came to me and 
 asked me if I, in the name of the Association, 
 would not please confiscate all the money in 
 the treasury and take possession of all the 
 shops, industries, etc., and run things in that 
 manner until they could be regulated. (They 
 said they did not want any more government 
 ownership, that the scheme was all bad. j I de- 
 liberated for some time but the pressure was 
 so great, and the plan so reasonable in the light 
 of things as they existed that I finally concluded 
 to do it. I accordingly took all the money 
 from the treasury and told the citizens that the 
 Association was the one who owned all the 
 property and things that came in at the store, 
 but that the Association would lease land, sell 
 things out of the store, and give contracts to 
 hotel proprietors and all that for a little time 
 at least. This new plan was immediately 
 adopted and relief came at once. Of course it 
 stopped a lot of politics, but it made things nor- 
 mal. Wages were fair, they were not too big; 
 neither were they too little, and so the general 
 economic arrangement was natural from that 
 day forth. 
 
 132 
 
THE "FEEE TIN PARTY" 
 
 The citizens could not own real estate for 
 two reasons: First — it would be impossible 
 for them to earn money enough during their 
 stay in the Eepublie to purchase land. Sec- 
 ond — even if they had had enough money to 
 purchase land they could only have received 
 a title for it during their sojourn and that 
 would not have been a real condition, and the 
 Eepublie is nothing if it is not real. In order 
 to secure taxes for the running of their gov- 
 ernment, they assessed the Association for its 
 real estate. This meant that about two-thirds 
 of the taxes were paid by the Association. As 
 they were anxious to get something out of the 
 citizens in the way of taxes and as the citizens 
 did not have anything that was taxable under 
 the law of New York State, the legislature en- 
 acted a special bill which taxed all the personal 
 property of the citizens above a certain amount. 
 The following things were exempt from taxa- 
 tion. For boys, two hats (one of them might 
 be of straw or a cap), two suits of undercloth- 
 ing, a suit of blue jeans, a second best suit, a 
 Sunday suit, one overcoat, six pairs of stock- 
 ings, two pairs of shoes, or one pair of shoes 
 
 133 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 and one pair of boots, one dozen handkerchiefs, 
 one-half dozen collars and cuffs, one pair of mit- 
 tens, and two neckties. For girls, clothing 
 to the amount of three dresses, sufficient un- 
 derwear, stockings, shoes, a coat, and a lim- 
 ited number of ribbons. Any property over 
 and above this was subject to special taxation. 
 A fellow who had a bicycle, a watch or dog, or 
 a girl who had a ring, or extra fine Sunday hat, 
 had to pay extra taxes. They even taxed the 
 citizens who owned extra fine Bibles with flex- 
 ible covers. Of course the tax was not heavy 
 but every little bit helped. It was very amus- 
 ing to see the assessors, one boy and one girl, 
 go poking around the rooms of the citizens to 
 see if they could find personal property that 
 was subject to taxation. 
 
 All this worked very well until one day a fel- 
 low protested his case in court. He took the 
 grounds that the United States Supreme Court 
 declared that the personal property tax was 
 unconstitutional, and as the citizens were under 
 the Constitution of the United States, they 
 could not be legitimately taxed for their per- 
 sonal property. His case prevailed and the 
 
 134 
 
THE "FREE TIN PARTY" 
 
 personal property tax law, which had been de- 
 cidedly objectionable, particularly to those who 
 had the most personal property, was annulled. 
 To make up what they lost in taxes secured by 
 this method they enacted a poll-tax bill, com- 
 pelling every citizen to pay twenty-five cents a 
 month, regardless of the amount of personal 
 property he might possess. The rest of the 
 deficiency was made up by placing a higher tax 
 on the Junior Republic Association. After this 
 I noted that they did not care how big their 
 budgets were. It made little difference to them 
 for they were only obliged to pay twenty-five 
 cents a head whether it was high or low; but 
 while that personal property tax was in opera- 
 tion they certainly did keep a watchful eye on 
 the purse strings of the government. 
 
 For example, we will note an incident that 
 took place while the personal property tax law 
 was in operation. Monty had been arrested 
 time and time again, for petty misdemeanors. 
 He seemed to be totally devoid df pride in the 
 matter. One day the officer arrested him as 
 he had done on many previous occasions for 
 vagrancy. En route for the station-house the 
 
 135 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 oflScer and prisoner encountered a prosperous 
 citizen of the Republic. He cast a disgusted 
 look at Monty, and was about to pass on, but 
 he suddenly stopped, turned to the officer and 
 said: 
 
 "May I speak to that fellow?" 
 
 "Sure," said the officer cheerfully. 
 
 "Say, Monty," said the prosperous citizen, 
 "do you know that you are the most selfish fel- 
 low that I ever saw?" 
 
 This blunt statement seemed to arouse an 
 atom of self-f espect in Monty. 
 
 "Aw, what do you mean by that? How am 
 I selfish? I hain't done nuttin' to youse." 
 
 "You haven't, hey?" said the prosperous cit- 
 izen indignantly, "why you've been arrested." 
 
 "Aw, I guess dat's my own affair," replied 
 Monty. 
 
 "Your own affair," said the prosperous cit- 
 izen getting still more excited, "not much of it, 
 it's a whole lot my affair. Do you know I'm 
 the biggest taxpayer in this place, and every 
 day you serve in jail the state has to pay about 
 seventy-five cents, and I have to pay about five 
 cents of that amount. Don't you think it is 
 
 136 
 
THE "FEEE TIN PAETY" 
 
 some of my business? You're costing me and 
 the other citizens something every time you are 
 arrested. Now, Monty," said he, changing his 
 tone to one of seriousness, "if you don't care 
 anything about yourself, just have a little care 
 for your fellow-citizens." 
 
 At this Monty really looked thoughtful. 
 
 "I hadn't thought about it in that way be- 
 fore," he said to the prosperous citizen, and he 
 really did seem quite cut up about the matter 
 for fully three hours after the conversation 
 took place. 
 
CHAPTER Vm 
 
 GIELS AS CITIZENS 
 
 AS I have stated, the summer citizens had 
 now left us, and the "residents" began 
 reconstructing their government. This 
 was no small task, for the two months sojourn 
 of this disproportionate number of "summer 
 citizens" who had little respect for the tradi- 
 tions of the growing community of "residents" 
 had demoralized this little government quite as 
 much as a serious internal war would have 
 demoralized a big government. Of course it 
 was a good thing for the "Invaders," but the 
 question was: "Could they not go to some 
 other place by themselves for the summer, 
 where they would not disorganize a thriving, 
 permanent enterprise?" Supporters of the 
 work and officials of the Association noted the 
 situation and felt that something must be done ; 
 but their points of view were radically dif- 
 ferent. 
 
 138 
 
GIRLS AS CITIZENS 
 
 One group favored the limitation of the 
 Junior Eepublic work to the summer months. 
 
 A second group favored making the summer 
 work the main feature, and the "all-year- 
 round" feature incidental. 
 
 A third group favored making the "all-year- 
 round" feature the main one and the summer 
 work merely incidental. 
 
 A fourth group favored making the Junior 
 Eepublic permanent, abandoning the summer 
 feature completely. 
 
 The point of view between the first and 
 fourth groups was so extreme that there was 
 little opportunity for a reconciliation. Much 
 discussion of the subject finally caused the sec- 
 ond group to cast in their lot with the first, 
 while the third group united their interests 
 with the fourth. 
 
 The two groups now favoring the summer 
 project seceded from our association and 
 started a work independently which they car- 
 ried on for two or three years but it was finally 
 abandoned. It is too bad that they gave up 
 the work for it furnished tremendous possibili- 
 ties. 
 
 139 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIC 
 
 For my owb part, I was convinced that the 
 permanent feature must prevail. I deter- 
 mined, however, to bring summer citizens one 
 more year, to see if the mistakes of the past 
 summer might be remedied to any extent, and 
 thus make it possible to bring at least a few 
 young people each summer, and to satisfy some 
 of the friends of the third group who had united 
 with the fourth, favoring the permanent work. 
 
 About this time the most important event of 
 my life took place. In November, 1896, I was 
 married. As soon as this happy event took 
 place, girls as resident citizens were admitted. 
 They were housed in the Pioneer Cottage with 
 Mrs. George and myself, while a long barn-like, 
 ramshackle building, erected for the industrial 
 classes, was re-altered for the use of the boys. 
 
 The advent of the girls into the system, per- 
 manently, marked a sort of new chapter in 
 things, and after an experience of twelve years, 
 I believe it was not only an advance step in 
 the right direction, but one of the wisest that 
 was ever taken. Had we not taken the young 
 women, it would not have been a republic. A 
 propos of the advent of the young ladies, a 
 
 140 
 
GIELS AS CITIZENS 
 
 story might not be out of order, which will il- 
 lustrate the way the young citizens of each 
 sex rise to responsibility at the call of duty. 
 There is also a human side to the story, which 
 will probably not be overlooked. 
 
 An institution for girls in a neighboring state 
 through its officers was carrying out religiously 
 all the sacred traditions dear to the heart of 
 every institution enthusiast. Therefore, true 
 to institution ideas, this particular one being 
 for girls, no mention of the sterner sex should 
 be tolerated within easy gunshot, unless per- 
 chance he had the good fortune to be the hus- 
 band of the matron or a wooden-legged garden- 
 er long past three score years and ten. 
 
 Sundays were, however, exceptional occa- 
 sions. At this time the young women were al- 
 lowed the diversion of attending church some 
 blocks away; but they were always ably at- 
 tended. The assistant matron marched at the 
 head of the line, the man of the institution 
 about the middle of the line, and lastly came 
 the matron of the institution holding down the 
 responsibilities of rear guard in a most capable 
 manner. Naturally these young ladies were 
 
 141 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIO 
 
 human, and certain ones did not fail to observe 
 admiring glances cast upon them by various 
 yoimg men who always found occasion to 
 be somewhere in the vicinity of the front door 
 when the procession entered the church. It is 
 surprising how much looks will convey, but 
 whether it was looks alone or some quick word 
 that was passed, at any rate information suf- 
 ficiently accurate was conveyed to certain young 
 women that it would be quite possible if they 
 left the house unobserved at a certain time dur- 
 ing the evening for them to find certain young 
 men outside of their domicile. A first meeting 
 was accomplished, a second and third — ^in fact 
 no one knows just how many, but sooner or 
 later it was found out, for things of that nature 
 always do come to light, and then there was a 
 commotion. 
 
 I have forgotten how many there were in the 
 affair — ^perhaps four or five of the girls; two 
 or three were disciplined and remained in the 
 institution, one was sent to a reform school, 
 and another one, the subject of this sketch, 
 was sent to the George Junior Eepublic by skep- 
 tics who were anxious to test the system. 
 
 142 
 
GIELS AS CITIZENS 
 
 It was a red letter day when she arrived— 
 at least it was for Susie. She had learned en 
 route that there were boys at the Eepublic, and 
 she arrayed herself for the occasion. Such a 
 display of ribbons, feathers, and cheap jewelry 
 it would be hard to rival, and when she flitted 
 upon the scene of action certain citizens were 
 duly impressed. Susie was not slow in dis- 
 covering she had scored a triumph, and pro- 
 ceeded to make her victory more complete — all 
 within the space of a few hours; but this very 
 act caused immediate scrutiny on the part of 
 certain leading citizens. One of them came to 
 me before Susie had been in the place five hours 
 and said: 
 
 "Daddy, I don't like the conduct of that new 
 girl, she has evidently not had good, attention 
 at home." (No one had been told from whence 
 she hailed.) "She seems inclined to be too 
 familiar with the boys." 
 
 I opened my eyes wide and said : 
 
 "Can it be possible?" 
 
 "Yes," replied the young citizen, "it is not 
 only possible that she is doing the things I 
 state but it is also possible she will conduct 
 
 143 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIO 
 
 herself even more disgracefully," and then, in- 
 stead of saying to me, "What are you going 
 to do about it?" as would be the custom in 
 iustitutions or schools in general, he exclaimed: 
 "I think we shall have to keep our eye on her." 
 
 "Do so, by all means," I shouted after him. 
 
 He had barely left me when in rushed a 
 second young man who was not quite so choice 
 in his English, and he shouted all in one 
 breath : 
 
 "Say, Daddy, that new girl is a fly one; she's 
 got all the fellers stuck on her, and I'll bet yer 
 a quarter she's a case for the jail before she's 
 been here many days, fer if I see her gettin' 
 much fresher, I'll land her there, and don't 
 you fergit it." 
 
 Eight well would he perform this trick if she 
 gave him the opportunity ; for he was the Judge. 
 About two hours later the leading girl of the 
 Republic came to me with some excitement and 
 said: 
 
 "Daddy, I wish to see you privately about 
 Susie. She called me into her room a few mo- 
 ments ago and said she thought the girls were 
 very slow up here; she said she had just fin- 
 
 144 
 
GIRLS AS CITIZENS 
 
 ished some letters to some young gentlemen 
 friends of hers living in the town from which 
 she came; she asked me if I would like to see 
 the letters. I told her I didn't care about read- 
 ing her correspondence, but she seemed rather 
 anxious, and I read them. Daddy, they are 
 not fit letters to send. She also showed me a 
 package of letters she had received from boys 
 back at the place where she came from and they 
 were written in the same style. I have been 
 wondering what I could do to get such ideas 
 out of Susie's head. I have concluded the best 
 thing to do would be to invite her to room with 
 me and then I could get the chance to chum 
 with her; in this way I think I may be able 
 to get her mind on something else, and I shall 
 be able to get those letters out of her posses- 
 sion." 
 
 She acted on her suggestion and a few days 
 later all the objectionable letters were turned 
 over to me and promptly disposed of. Susie 
 never seemed to miss them, owing probably to 
 the fact that she had so many new things to 
 absorb her attention. About this time she 
 made a complete conquest of "Kelly, the Cop." 
 11 145 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIG 
 
 Kelly was a most efficient officer and had never 
 been accused up to that date of casting sheep's 
 eyes at any of the fair sex, but he fell com- 
 pletely under the sway of Susie's charms. 
 Through his very efforts to conceal the condi- 
 tion he made himself all the more conspicuous, 
 and was obliged to submit to no end of banter- 
 ing from the other boys. 
 
 One day in court there was an assault case 
 being tried. Jones had thrashed Brown for 
 some reasons of his own and Brown had 
 promptly had Jones arrested for assault. The 
 evidence pro and con was being critically an- 
 alyzed by the attorneys in the case — somehow 
 it leaked out, in a cross-examination of one of 
 the witnesses, that Susie had seen the whole 
 affair and might be able to give valuable evi- 
 dence. All parties in the case concluded it 
 would be a good thing to have her evidence, 
 and the Judge nodded to Officer Kelly and 
 said: 
 
 "Will you go to the hotel kitchen where she 
 is employed and tell her we should like to have 
 her here in court?" Officer Kelly was highly 
 pleased with the suggestion of the Judge and 
 
 146 
 
GIRLS AS CITIZENS 
 
 made unusual haste to perform his duty. 
 Knowing Susie's whims and also realizing that 
 she was new and did not fully comprehend the 
 full power of the court, I concluded she would 
 reason in this wise: "Here are a lot of boys 
 and girls trying to find out something. I know 
 the very thing they would like to know; I'll 
 make them come to me to tell, and I'll keep them 
 guessing a long time as to whether I will say 
 anything at all or not. It will be a grand 
 chance to impress them with my impor- 
 tance." 
 
 Feeling sure this would be the very thing 
 that would happen I made a detour of the build- 
 ing and found an advantageous point where I 
 could see the entire field of operations. Susie 
 was busily engaged at her kitchen work. She 
 was singing a popular air ; this was brought to 
 a sudden termination by Kelly's knock at the 
 door. 
 
 "Come in," she said cheerily. 
 
 The door opened briskly and OflBcer Kelly, 
 radiant with smiles, entered the room. 
 
 "What are you doing here at this time of 
 day, Jimmy Kelly?" she exclaimed with feigned 
 
 147 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIO 
 
 displeasure. "Don't you know I am so busy 
 with my work that I can't see young gentlemen 
 during business hours?" 
 
 Kelly seemed abashed at her manner; evi- 
 dently judged her literally. 
 
 ''Susie," he said in a half embarrassed way 
 after he had recovered somewhat, "I am here 
 on business and it's business for the Judge. 
 He wants you to come to court now and tell 
 what you know about the Jones-Brown case." 
 
 "Does he indeed!" she exclaimed with a 
 snicker. "Well run right back, Jimmy Kelly, 
 and tell the judge if he wishes to see me he can 
 find me here in the kitchen. Give him my re- 
 gards and tell him I think it great impertinence 
 for him to ask ladies to come to him; I must 
 teach him a lesson or two in manners." 
 
 Jimmy looked demoralized as this new form 
 of social etiquette was presented to' him. 
 
 "Bu-bu-bu-but" — ^he stammered apologetic- 
 ally, "You know this is a little different, 
 Susie. You see he's Judge and even women 
 ought to obey the Judge's order, I suppose." 
 
 "Well, Jimmy Kelly," she snapped out pet- 
 tishly, "I'm going to start some new rules in 
 
 148 
 
GIRLS AS CITIZENS 
 
 this place and one is proper respect to ladies, 
 and the Judge might just as well know he's got 
 to be one of the first to submit. Now run right 
 along, Kelly. You are annoying me by hang- 
 ing around here. Don't forget to give my re- 
 gards to the Judge: ta, ta." 
 
 Jimmy started to reply, but, with a haughty 
 wave of the hand, she dismissed him. He 
 walked out of the door scratching his head in a 
 bewildered manner. Slowly he moved toward 
 the Hall of Justice. I hurried back to the 
 court room and was comfortably seated when 
 Jimmy entered. The witness that was on the 
 stand when he left was still giving testimony. 
 When he was finally dismissed the Judge ex- 
 claimed : 
 
 "Now we are ready for our friend, Susie 
 Smith." 
 
 "Miss Smith. Miss Smith. Miss Smith," 
 shouted the clerk of the court. 
 
 No response. Each call of her name ap- 
 peared to be a body blow to Officer Kelly; at 
 each stroke he seemed to sink farther back into 
 the group that was surrounding the Judge's 
 desk. 
 
 149 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIC 
 
 "Officer Kelly," exclaimed the Judge, when 
 there was no response to Susie's name, 
 "where is the witness? I sent you for her, 
 did I not?" 
 
 "Yes, Your Honor," said Kelly, " but—" 
 and then he said in a quiet, confidential manner, 
 "she wouldn't come." 
 
 "What," shrieked the Judge, as he sprang 
 from his seat, "she wouldn't come?" Then 
 resuming his composure he said quietly; "I 
 think I shall fix that." 
 
 Turning to the clerk of the court he said: 
 
 "Hand me a pencil and paper." 
 
 He took them and then in a genial manner 
 dictated to himself and wrote at the same time : 
 — "Miss Susie Smith, you are hereby ordered 
 to appear in court at once;" then signing his 
 name with a flourish, he folded the paper and 
 handed it to Kelly. 
 
 "Officer Kelly," he exclaimed sharply, "you 
 serve that paper." 
 
 Poor Kelly's face was a study. He took the 
 paper and mopped the cold perspiration from 
 his brow. 
 
 "All right, Your Honor," and he walked 
 150 
 
GIELS AS CITIZENS 
 
 quickly toward the door; but the moment he 
 had gotten outside he stopped abruptly; he 
 looked off toward the green hills, and he looked 
 toward the valley; then he looked toward the 
 sky, and then his head dropped toward the 
 ground ; with slow hesitating steps he then pro- 
 ceeded toward the kitchen where the uncon- 
 scious Susie was busily engaged in domestic 
 affairs. 
 
 I quickly hurried to my vantage post. I 
 waited and waited patiently for Kelly to arrive. 
 I waited so long I began to fear Kelly had lost 
 his nerve completely and had run away. I was 
 about to leave my place and investigate when 
 there was a light tap at the door. 
 
 "Come in," chirped Susie. 
 
 The door slowly opened and Kelly with a 
 very much wilted manner stepped inside. 
 
 "What are you back here for, Jimmy Kel- 
 ly?" she exclaimed with feigned anger. 
 
 "The Judge sent me back," he gasped. 
 
 "He did," she said in an offended manner, 
 "the nerve of the rascal." 
 
 "Yes, Susie," said Officer Kelly, "and he did 
 more than that — ^he sent a summons." 
 
 151 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 "What's a summons?" she said with curios- 
 ity. 
 
 Jimmy handed her the paper. She unfolded 
 it and read aloud: — " 'Miss Susie Smith, you 
 are hereby ordered to appear in court at 
 once.' " Then she laughed. After she had 
 resumed her composure she said : 
 
 "Well, Jimmy, perhaps that sort of thing 
 may work on some of the green creatures that 
 live up here but it isn't going to work on yours 
 truly." With that she stepped quickly to the 
 stove, took the lifter and removed the lid : then 
 holding the summons for a moment high over 
 the flames she suddenly released her hold, and 
 as it burned she said gaily: "Gbod-by, sum- 
 mons." 
 
 Jimmy watched the entire proceedings with 
 a look that was almost ghastly. Susie now 
 turned to him and said sharply : 
 
 "Now, Jimmy Kelly, I want you to get right 
 out of this room ; run right back to the Judge, 
 and if he wishes his summons you may tell him 
 just where he can find it." 
 
 Jimmy essayed to speak but he had almost 
 lost the power. With another haughty wave 
 
 152 
 
GIRLS AS CITIZENS 
 
 of the hand she motioned him away. He 
 walked toward the door, took hold of the knob 
 but he did not turn it; instead he leaned his 
 head against the door and lapsed into deep 
 thought. In this attitude he paused for suffi- 
 cient length of time to draw the notice of Susie. 
 Not knowing what to make out of the delay, she 
 said sharply: 
 
 "Jimmy Kelly, hurry right out of this room, 
 I tell you. You irritate me." 
 
 Her voice roused the boy. He whirled 
 around on his heels, and one glance at that de- 
 termined face showed me clearly that that mo- 
 ment of silence had brought back his manhood. 
 He walked toward the girl quickly, looking her 
 square in the eyes. Her face in turn was a 
 study. One could see on it mingled defiance 
 and fear. 
 
 "What do you mean, sir?" she said. 
 
 "I mean," he said slowly and firmly, "I am 
 an officer." 
 
 " What of that? " said she. " You have no 
 business here: get out." 
 
 "I have business here," said he. "As an 
 officer of this Eepublic I was sent to serve a 
 
 153 
 
THE JUNIOE REPUBLIC 
 
 summons which you burned. That summons 
 ordered you to come to the court. Are you 
 going willingly?" 
 
 "No," she said defiantly, accompanying the 
 statement with a stamp of her foot. 
 
 "All right, Susie Smith, friendship is one 
 thing: duty is another. You are going to that 
 court room," with a spring forward he seized 
 her by the arms, and with the strength of a 
 young giant dragged her amidst shrieks and 
 clawings into the presence of the astonished 
 court. It is needless to record that there were 
 no more tender sentiments exchanged between 
 the two principal actors in this story. 
 
 The winter of '96 and '97 brings back pleas- 
 ant recollections, although the winter was not 
 quite as severe as the year preceding, when we 
 went through our pioneer days. It should not 
 be understood that all the pioneering was over, 
 for it was not by any means.' "We still had dis- 
 comforts and short rations, but it was so much 
 more homelike, than it had been the preceding 
 years, on account of the addition of a water 
 supply, a few extra stoves, and particularly the 
 girls as citizens, to say nothing of the new wife. 
 
 154 
 
CHAPTEE IX 
 
 FUBT-HEB ADJUSTMENTS 
 
 WITH the arrival of spring I was 
 pleased to note an unusual interest on 
 the part of the boys in agriculture. 
 They had been reading a good, deal on this sub- 
 ject in the library during the winter. 
 
 The Agricultural Department at Cornell, 
 learning of the interest of the boys in this 
 matter, sent us aid in the person not only of the 
 students but of the Professors of the Agricul- 
 tural College as well. They came each week 
 and gave little talks on some feature of agricul- 
 ture, laid out little plots of ground for the va- 
 rious boys, and taught them all manner of prac- 
 tical things : and right in this connection it also 
 becomes my pleasure to render tribute to the 
 service not only of the members of the Agricul- 
 tural College of Cornell but to every other 
 department of the University. If the Eepub- 
 lic had been actually a part of that great in- 
 
 155 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 stitution there could not have been greater 
 interest maniiested on their part. This same 
 spirit has evidently infected the city of Ithaca 
 as well, or it may be the city of Ithaca has in- 
 fected the University: in any event there is a 
 tremendous bond of friendship between all 
 three of us. 
 
 In June we began to give thought to the sum- 
 mer colony of citizens who were soon to reap- 
 pear for the vacation months. I must confess 
 we did not look forward with enthusiasm to 
 their appearance. • We now had a population 
 of fifty resident citizens, the majority of whom 
 were boys. 
 
 The summer party arrived in July and they 
 numbered about fifty. This new element to- 
 gether with helpers who accompanied thein nat- 
 urally had points of view quite different from 
 the resident citizens and regular helpers. The 
 latter naturally regarded the new arrivals as 
 intruders particularly when the new arrivals 
 attempted to conduct affairs as if they were to 
 remain there permanently instead of a brief 
 two months. Friction all along the line was 
 the result. The fault could not be assigned 
 
 156 
 
FUETHEE ADJUSTMENTS 
 
 wholly either to the residents or to the sunjmer 
 citizens. However, I resolved inwardly that 
 we should have no more summer citizens at 
 Preeville. If we desired to do anything for the 
 summer party we should have them in some 
 place by themselves. 
 
 The resident citizens still remembering the 
 political upheaval of the preceding summer, 
 took time by the forelock and thoroughly organ- 
 ized themselves for self -protection, just before 
 the summer colonists arrived. By so doing 
 they were able to control the political situation. 
 Pew if any of the summer citizens were elected 
 to office. This made the summer citizens dis- 
 satisfied, particularly as many of them had 
 been to Freeville preceding summers, and 
 had had much to say about political matters. 
 Some of them had planned amongst themselves, 
 en route to Freeville, to hang together and get 
 a hold on the government jobs; but upon their 
 arrival they discovered that they had been out- 
 generaled by the "residents" The old prov- 
 erb, "Possession is nine points of law" was 
 never more clearly demonstrated than in this 
 instance. The helpers and friends who came 
 
 157 
 
THE 'JUNIOR EEPUBLIC 
 
 with the summer citizens naturally took their 
 side of the controversy. 
 
 The whole season was a period of misunder- 
 standings and disappointments, which I have 
 always felt might have been avoided if each 
 party could have fully appreciated the other's 
 point of view. There was a feeling of relief 
 when the summer people decamped for New 
 York City, and yet with it all there was a feel- 
 ing of sadness. 
 
 Two months later at a trustee meeting in New 
 York City, the Board of Trustees of the Junior 
 Eepublic Association decided to discontinue the 
 taking of summer citizens and I have never had 
 any reason to regret their action in this matter. 
 
 This self-same summer of 1897, we met with 
 our first newspaper attack. The paper was of 
 no great importance. It went into bankruptcy 
 two months later: however, I do not attribute 
 its unfriendliness to us as the direct cause of its 
 misfortune. The paper rose again under the 
 same name but a new management and ever 
 since has been a strong ally to the Eepublic. 
 The rest of the press championed the cause of 
 the Eepublic and after a few days the objection- 
 
 158 
 
FURTHER ADJUSTMENTS 
 
 able articles were discontinued ; but their publi- 
 cation caused the State Board of Charities to 
 come and make an investigation. Two worthy 
 commissioners made a report. Evidently they 
 didn't understand the Republic idea, for the 
 report they rendered was not particularly com- 
 plimentary. Evidently things were not quite 
 "institutiony" enough for them, and those 
 were days when the Republic idea was practic- 
 ally unknown. I should like to publish their 
 report in full but owing to the success of the 
 Republic, and things turning out so radically 
 different from what the Commissioners pre- 
 dicted, for their sakes I will resist the tempta- 
 tion. 
 
 They learned shortly after it was published 
 what a host of friends the Republic really pos- 
 sessed; for a counter report signed by a group 
 of men who were the peers where not the supe- 
 riors of the worthy individuals who made the 
 State Charities report, quickly followed and 
 they put the whole situation in such a concise 
 and pointed manner that the State Board of 
 Charities concluded they would suspend judg- 
 ment for a season. The whole matter caused me 
 
 159 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIO 
 
 to love the State Board of Charities about as 
 much as the "devil loves holy water," and for 
 a time diplomatic relations were all off; but 
 times have changed completely and to-day there 
 is perfect harmony. Inspectors of the Board 
 have become good authorities on Junior Repub- 
 lic matters, especially one of them. Various 
 commissioners have also made friendly visits 
 and the dove of peace hovers over all. 
 
 In the fall of '96 we established a school in 
 the Republic for the primary and grammar 
 grades. Previous to this the young citizens 
 had attended school in the village of Freeville. 
 The school had to have its pioneer experience, 
 alsd. One of the old barns was remodeled and 
 fitted up with second hand benches, old tables, 
 chairs and atlases. Second hand books, very 
 much the worse for wear and written by au- 
 thors both good and bad, completed the outfit. 
 In this ramshackle building some of the most 
 notable Junior Republic citizens were educated. 
 Professor Willard E. Hotchkiss, now Dean of 
 the College of Commerce of Northwestern Uni- 
 versity, had at that time just graduated from 
 Cornell University; he can tell you all about 
 
 160 
 
FUETHEE ADJUSTMENTS 
 
 the troubles of that school for he was the one 
 who organized it. He had a good practical 
 head on his shoulders and a keen sense of hu- 
 mor. Personal discomforts did not fease him. 
 He was so valuable an aid that we got some one 
 else to teach the school, and he gave his whole 
 time in assisting me in the development of the 
 Eepublic. When the public extends laurels to 
 those who have done heroic work for the Ee- 
 public, I implore them not to forget to hand one 
 to "Uncle Hotchy," as he was called by the cit- 
 izens. 
 
 The conclusion of the trustees of the Junior 
 Eepublic Association to abandon the idea of 
 taking boys and girls for the summer and in- 
 stead making the Eepublic an all the year round 
 affair seemed to meet with the approval of the 
 general public. Everybody connected with the 
 little commonwealth felt that he was now con- 
 structing for the future, and new and advanced 
 policies began to be introduced from month 
 to month. 
 
 One of the first radical changes was the ac- 
 ceptance of boys and girls, as citizens, from 
 other than poor homes. We received so many 
 13 161 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIC 
 
 urgent appeals from parents in good circum- 
 stances, who had unmanageable boys, that we 
 felt it our duty to give the matter considera- 
 tion, and after much thought we concluded 
 there was no reason why the son of a parent 
 in moderate or well-to-do circumstances should 
 not be helped by the Junior Republic methods, 
 quite as much as a boy from poor surroundings, 
 providing it did not eliminate the poor boy or 
 girl completely. From that day forth the Bow-\ 
 ery jargon became less familiar and the speech ] 
 of the new arrivals indicated that they came | 
 from all sections of the country and all classes 
 of society. 
 
 In our zeal to help every one we made some 
 mistakes. Letters of appeal were sometimes 
 received from parents stating that their child 
 did queer things, and that physicians had de- 
 clared that he was not altogether responsible. 
 Would we not see if the Eepublic method would 
 save their boy? 
 
 Moved to pity, and at the same time feeling 
 it might be possible to render aid, we accepted 
 some types that we found could only be re- 
 garded as "defective." We did our best with 
 
 162 
 
FUETHER ADJUSTMENTS 
 
 these individuals but it wasn't long before we 
 discovered our efforts were futile. It was im- 
 possible for tliem to enter into competition 
 with, the more keen, able-bodied citizens. They 
 were soon crowded to the wall and became ob- 
 jects of charity. The young citizens were ever 
 ready generously to support them but this was 
 placing an unnecessary burden upon the young 
 tax-payers ; besides, it was of no benefit to the 
 feeble-minded. Therefore, with reluctance we 
 announced that we could be of no service to the 
 "mentally deficient." 
 
 Even if we were obliged to give up the idea 
 of reclaiming the deficient, there was one class 
 to whom we never would haul down our colors 
 and that was the sturdy, husky, young typex 
 from sixteen to eighteen years of age, who had | 
 been up to all kinds of pranks more or less / 
 devilish; a terror to the police and a sorrow 
 to parents. Some of these young gentlemen 
 caused the boy police ofiicers and helpers 
 of the Eepublic no end of opportunity for ad- 
 venture. "Penny dreadful" stories galore, de- 
 scriptive of detective life in the Junior Republic 
 could be written, particularly of the years we 
 
 163 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIC 
 
 are now describing. At the present momentj 
 although daring adventures occasionally hap- 
 pen, they are not as common as they were in 
 the olden times. Verily those were the Indian 
 and Cow-hoy days of the Junior Eepublic. I 
 will relate one instance typical of many, al- 
 though the crime of burglary committed, herein 
 described, taking place outside of the Eepublic, 
 was an exceptional feature. 
 
 Three newcomers, likewise three "bad ones," 
 had been in the Eepublic but a few months. 
 They had given the citizen authorities very 
 little trouble during that time. The daUy 
 life of the Eepublic had brought them to- 
 gether to some extent, and while each had 
 regarded the other undoubtedly as being kin- 
 dred in tastes and ideals, the companionship 
 had not crystallized into anything that was se- 
 rious. 
 
 One day a boy ran away and an officer asked 
 these three boys if they would "hot foot it" 
 along the railroad track and highway in the 
 valley running north from Freeville. They 
 readily assented and undoubtedly did their best 
 to find the deserter, but it turned out later that 
 
 164 
 
FUETHEE ADJUSTMENTS 
 
 he didn't take that route. The three pursuers 
 stopped at Groton, a little town six miles north 
 of the Eepuhlic. Here the dare-devil within 
 them began to flame forth. They talked over 
 their crimes of the past and the way they "had 
 done time" in reformatories. One of the fel- 
 lows suddenly proposed that they do something 
 out of the ordinary right there in the village. 
 The other two were "game." They went up 
 the railroad track in broad daylight, walked 
 into the express office, and proceeded to help 
 themselves to the contents of several express 
 packages. The vigilant railroad agent discov- 
 ered them as they were leaving the building. 
 He quietly called up the constable by telephone, 
 who at once started in pursuit, and very shortly 
 came up with the young culprits. They were 
 taken to the justice of the peace, and there 
 they declared they were from the Eepublic. I 
 was notified at once by telegraph, and got a 
 carriage as soon as I could and in company with 
 one or two of the boy officers, made all haste 
 to Groton. The justice told me if I would set- 
 tle for the damages, he would turn the boys 
 over to me. I complied with his request, and 
 
 165 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIO 
 
 in custody of the boy officers they were con- 
 ducted back to Freeville. 
 
 In the meantime, the citizens, having heard 
 of the robbery, called an indignation meeting, 
 and fiery speeches were in order. 
 
 "They've disgraced us." 
 
 "Folks will take us for 'crooks.' " 
 
 "Nothing like this has ever happened be- 
 fore." 
 
 "Let's mob them." 
 
 They got madder and madder with every 
 exclamation. 
 
 Just at dusk the officers and prisoners drove 
 into the Eepublic and a howling mob sur- 
 rounded the wagon. Suddenly an ominous si- 
 lence fell upon the group as the prisoners and 
 officers alighted. As quickly as their feet were 
 upon terra firma, the mob by common instinct 
 surged in upon them. One group tried to 
 crowd the officers to one side; the remainder, 
 and by far the larger number, fell upon the 
 prisoners with clenched fists. 
 
 The prisoners were good fighters, but they 
 couldn't withstand the shock of the mob. The 
 officers saw the situation, and fought desper- 
 
 166 
 
FURTHER ADJUSTMENTS 
 
 ately to protect their prisoners. Serious vio- 
 lence would probably Have been the result had 
 not some of the most level-headed citizens 
 rushed to the rescue. Finally, by difficult ef- 
 fort, officers and leading citizens got the prison- 
 ers between them, and dragged them through 
 the infuriated mob to the prison ; but not imtil 
 each prisoner had received his full quota of 
 black eyes and bloody noses. 
 
 After the Chief had lodged his charges in 
 jail he swore in some special officers to aid the 
 regular force, and was about to charge the mob 
 when he changed his mind and concluded to 
 give them a speech instead. He climbed upon 
 a box and bellowed: 
 
 "I like your spirit, but I don't like to see it 
 come out like this. You fellers may think that 
 the leading citizens and we officers here, who 
 have rescued these crooks and given you a few 
 extra punches at the same time, are siding with 
 the rascals who have disgraced every one of 
 us; but when the time comes for their trial, 
 we will vote to have them get a hard punish- 
 ment, while some of you rattle-brained fellers, 
 what wanted to kill them to-night, will be say- 
 
 167 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIO 
 
 ing then: 'Aw, go light on the poor blokes.' 
 Just let me tell you that things what you have 
 done now isn't goin' to be overlooked by the 
 police department while I am Chief. Even if 
 you did have reason for gettin' mad, we're not 
 goin' to stand for your making fools of your- 
 selves, and now I'll give you just one minute 
 to clear out and any feller I find within a hun- 
 dred yards of this place at the end of that 
 time is goin' to get pinched for disorderly con- 
 duct." 
 
 The crowd disappeared in a hurry, for they 
 knew the youthful officer would make his word 
 good. Before the day of their trial, however, 
 the three prisoners made things lively in the 
 Eepublic. Their ages averaged a little more 
 than seventeen years, each individual was a 
 man and an able-bodied one at that, when it 
 came to a test of muscle. In cunning and dare- 
 deviltry, the average man was not in their 
 class. This whole affair took place in the win- 
 ter when it is dark at supper-time ; the keeper 
 had gone to supper after carefully examining 
 the locks; a trusty was outside warming his 
 feet by the fire. Although the trusty was a 
 
 168 
 
FURTHER ADJUSTMENTS 
 
 prisoner, lie was one of the more reliable ones 
 and so was left in charge ; he was supposed to 
 give notice to the keeper if anything was likely 
 to go wrong with the prisoners. 
 
 "Come here, kid," yelled one of them to the 
 trusty, "and bring that crow-bar that stands 
 outside, there's a rat in this cell." 
 
 This request for the crow-bar had been made 
 after much preliminary stamping of feet and 
 shouting of "kill that rat." Unsuspectingly 
 the trusty seized the crow-bar, rushed to the 
 cell and- shoved it in between the bars. At 
 that time we did not have steel cages as at the 
 present. The cells were made out of planks 
 heavily spiked. Receiving the bar, two of the 
 prisoners kept up the stamping, while the third 
 got it placed between the planks and com- 
 menced some active prying. In a few moments 
 his efforts were rewarded by securing a slight 
 aperture where he was able to work the bar 
 more successfully. In less than two minutes 
 thereafter a wide plank had been torn off; the 
 prisoners wriggled through the opening as if 
 they had been greased. In an instant they 
 were on the astonished trusty; seizing him 
 
 169 
 
THE JUNIOE REPUBLIC 
 
 roughly, they told him if he spoke they would 
 kill him. Then they ordered him to accom- 
 pany them, and away they went across the 
 fields leaving the little Republic totally un- 
 conscious of what was going on. After they 
 had taken the trusty a half mile, they told him 
 he might go where he liked. He turned back 
 breathlessly to the Republic and soon raised 
 the alarm. 
 
 In a moment all was confusion ; about twenty 
 fellows just as husky and just as daring as the 
 three departed ones, but possessing a loyal 
 spirit unknown to the three latter, were dis- 
 appearing in every direction in hot pursuit. 
 One line of railroad track runs through the Re- 
 public grounds; about a half mile away runs 
 another railroad. Four points of the compass 
 crossed by railroad tracks — ^they might have 
 taken any of these railroads. On the other 
 hand, it was just as likely they would take to 
 the hills. Freights must be watched when they 
 arrived at the station. In a few minutes one 
 pulled in. As it started out from the station, 
 boys, watching intently along the track, sud- 
 denly saw an object sneaking toward the mov- 
 
 170 
 
FURTHEE ADJUSTMENTS 
 
 ing train. They made a rush, and one of the 
 trio, after a brief struggle, was again a pris- 
 oner. Two or three of the young officers re- 
 mained on the train, thinking it possible the 
 other two might attempt to take it at the next 
 station a few miles beyond. Every freight traiu 
 that left that night had two or three boy officers 
 on board,- but without avail. The next day they 
 began to stroll in after their unsuccessful 
 night's search. The prisoners when they left 
 were dressed in prison garb. The next day the 
 Chief of Police at Ithaca reported a robbery 
 of a large quantity of valuable goods. Some- 
 body along the route had been approached by 
 a young fellow dressed in clothes that did not 
 fit weir with the request to purchase several 
 articles of silverware. This clew, coupled with 
 the fact that two suits of prison uniform were 
 found on the premises where the burglary was 
 performed, completed the chain of evidence. 
 
 The pursuit was taken up by the police au- 
 thorities outside, aided by the Republic officers, 
 but without success. Having a sort of natural 
 love for detective work on my own part, I de- 
 termined to renew my experience in the sleuth 
 
 171 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIC 
 
 line that I had used in New York before I 
 started the Eepublic. I felt sure the rascals 
 would head for the city, owing to the fact 
 that one of them lived there and had certain 
 well established hang-outs. I had some inter- 
 esting experiences that made the affair seem 
 like old times, and my efforts were rewarded, 
 and the boys were finally discovered in one 
 of the hang-outs. I handcuffed them, and 
 took them into custody, and hurried them to 
 my mother's home; for I was obliged to take 
 the midnight train for Boston, where I was to 
 lecture the next afternoon, but I first saw 
 them in my home properly shackled, and duly 
 appointed my mother keeper. She is one of 
 those unusual characters that fill every posi- 
 tion perfectly, and I left my home for Boston 
 feeling the prisoners were just as secure in 
 my mother's apartments as they would have 
 been in the New York Tombs. 
 
 I was to be in Boston for two or three days, 
 so I notified the Eepublic to send one of our 
 officers for the boys. He reached New York 
 after the boys had been in my home nearly 
 two days, and returned upon the evening of the 
 
 172 
 
FURTHEE ADJUSTMENTS 
 
 day of his arrival. Properly handcuffed, the 
 little party started back to Freeville by train. 
 The officer remained awake all night watching 
 the prisoners. To reach Freeville there must 
 be a change of cars at Sayre, Pa. They 
 reached Sayre about 3 A. M. The train for 
 Freeville did not leave until nearly 6 A, M. 
 Few people were about the statibn. The boys 
 were seated in the waiting-room quietly when 
 the officer began to feel droWsy. For a mo- 
 ment he closed his eyes and quickly snapped 
 them open. His charges were also apparently 
 sleeping. Again the officer grew drowsy, lost 
 consciousness, and gave another start. This 
 time his prisoners were gone. He was awake 
 in an instant, and rushed outside. No one was 
 in sight. It was just getting light. Finally he 
 saw a man working on the tracks near the 
 station who declared he had seen two fellows 
 running along, side by side toward Waverly. 
 No doubt they were the ones. Like mad the 
 officer tore around the place, and then began 
 to send telegrams from town to town for the 
 authorities to look out for two fellows hand- 
 cuffed together. All day he waited but with- 
 
 173 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 out avail, and then returned despondently to 
 the Republic. He had no more than reached 
 home before a telegram was received saying 
 that the boys were being held at a little town 
 in Pennsylvania near the New York border. 
 The Republic boy officer took the same train 
 that night to secure the prisoners. 
 
 Now to return to the prisoners. When they 
 escaped their custodian they ran along the rail- 
 road track till they came to a handcar that was 
 lying near the track. On this they found a 
 small hammer similar to one used for stone 
 breaking. Laying their handcuffs across the 
 iron rail of the track, after much pounding, they 
 succeeded in severing the chain. Tossing back 
 the hammer, they ran on for an hour, and 
 finally came to a blacksmith shop. One of the 
 boys edged up to a table where he saw a file. 
 Quickly slipping it under his coat as if nothing 
 had happened, the two left the building. They 
 hurried on till they came to an ice-house. 
 Crawling in this, they commenced the arduous 
 task of filing the shackles from their wrists. 
 This took some time, but finally they emerged 
 
 174 
 
FURTHER ADJUSTMENTS 
 
 from the ice-house and hurried along until 
 they came to a little village. At this point 
 three or four men watched them eagerly, and 
 then swooped down upon them. One of them 
 was the constable of the village and had re- 
 ceived the telegram from the Republic ofl&cer 
 notifying him to keep a strong watch. The 
 boys were placed in the village lockup and a 
 watch was placed upon them, for their reputa- 
 tion was well known. The constable then noti- 
 fied the Republic, as already stated, that he had 
 the fellows for whom they were looking; he 
 also notified the sheriff of Ithaca a little later. 
 On the evening of the same day, both the 
 deputy sheriff of the County and the Republic 
 boy officer were ready to receive the prisoners. 
 The county authorities were duly armed with 
 warrants — ^but right here came a practical dem- 
 onstration of a case where the Republic boy 
 officer had an opportunity to use an authority 
 that it was impossible for a sheriff of a grown- 
 up community to exercise. The prisoners were 
 in the State of Pennsylvania, and extradition 
 papers would be necessary as a preliminary to 
 the sheriff's taking them; but the Republic of- 
 
 175 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIO 
 
 fieer stepped forward and requested their pos- 
 session on the grounds that they were under 
 the control of an institution that was acting ia 
 loco parentis and he asked to take them under 
 that heading and in no sense because of the 
 crime that had been committed. Therefore 
 they were turned over to the Eepublic boy of- 
 ficer as the representative of an institution that 
 held the guardianship of the two young 
 men in question, and they were brought back 
 triumphantly by the youthful authority and 
 lodged in the Republic prison. The next day 
 the county officials were notified that we had 
 the boys on hand and we were ready to surren- 
 der them to those officials. Through all this 
 affair there was not the slightest friction be- 
 tween the county officials and the Republic au- 
 thorities. They were indicted by the grand 
 jury of the county, and brought up before the 
 judge in the court at the city of Ithaca. They 
 pleaded "guilty" as charged in the indictment. 
 The Judge suspended sentence, with the under- 
 standing that they return to the Republic and 
 be tried by the boys. 
 They were brought back, tried, and convicted 
 176 
 
FURTHER ADJUSTMENTS 
 
 on one of the charges by their peers, and were 
 sent to the Junior Republic Reformatory for 
 one year each. In addition the grand jury se- 
 cured two or three other indictments to hold 
 over their heads, in case the first sentence was 
 not sufficient. 
 
 This affair took place about ten years ago. 
 Of the two fellows who caused the principle 
 trouble, one has turned out badly I am sorry 
 to say; the other is doing well. The third fel- 
 low who was caught before he got very far from 
 the prison that eventful night, is also doing 
 well. 
 
 13 
 
CHAPTER X 
 
 A VISIT TO THE BEPUBLIC 
 
 I HAVE attempted to portray faithfully in 
 the foregoing chapters the story of the 
 inception, establishment, and pioneer days 
 of the little village which composes the Junior 
 Republic. I now wish to give a picture of the 
 Republic in its physical aspects just as the vis- 
 itor may see it to-day, and to do this the better, 
 I shall imagine a personally conducted tour 
 over this village and a general inspection of 
 its homes and various industries. 
 
 I terminated the preceding chapter with the 
 opening of the year of 1898. At that time the 
 Republic consisted of a small farm of forty- 
 eight acres, occupied by four buildings, as fol- 
 lows: the original farmhouse which was oc- 
 cupied by the writer and his family and the 
 girls of the Republic; the Republic Hotel, an 
 unpretentious building occupied by the boys; 
 the remodeled bam used as a schoolhouse, jail, 
 
 178 
 
A VISIT TO THE REPUBLIC 
 
 and general government building, with lodgings 
 for boys on the second floor, the remodeled cow- 
 stable which had been used when we had the 
 summer colony, but at that time standing va- 
 cant; and finally an old wagon house which 
 was all we had in the shape of a barn. 
 
 Since that time much building has been done, 
 and in addition we have been making history 
 every moment as will be seen during the tour 
 which we are now about to take. 
 
 As the trainman pokes his head in the door 
 of the Lehigh Valley trains from the south and 
 shouts : ' ' Next station Freeville. Change cars 
 for points on the Lehigh Valley, east and west," 
 the announcement brings forth comments here 
 and there from the passengers. Such expres- 
 sions as "Junior Republic," "self-govern- 
 ment, " " boy judge, " " girls, " " football, " " col- 
 lege," "criminal," "nice fellow," and others 
 assure the visitor that some of the passengers 
 have a general interest in and partial knowl- 
 edge of the unique little community he has 
 come to visit. 
 
 Just about the time the train whistles to 
 stop at the station, passengers who have been 
 
 179 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 talking about the Republic look out of the win- 
 dow and say: "There it is." If they are on 
 the Auburn Road, the buildings are only a 
 few rods away, in fact they are passing through 
 Junior Republic property at the moment-^ if 
 they are on the road from Ithaca to Cortland, 
 they see it about a mile away and clearly visi- 
 ble. If up to that moment there has been any 
 idea of "institutiony" buildings and walls, in 
 connection with the Junior Republic, it is in- 
 stantly dispelled. A visitor's first comment is : 
 "Can that be the Junior Republic? There is 
 nothmg distinctive about it. It looks just like 
 any other village," and in that remark the key- 
 note of the Republic has been struck instantly. 
 The visitor will learn later that that is the 
 very condition of affairs the friends of the Re- 
 public desire; they carry it so far that they 
 declare if a man should give them a fortune 
 providing they would make all the buildings 
 uniform the offer would be turned down com- 
 pletely. They will not even have them painted 
 a uniform color. The Republic buildings are 
 so near like other buildings on the highways 
 leading to it, that no one can tell where the big 
 
 180 
 
> 
 
 11 
 
 o 
 
 s 
 
 
 
 
A VISIT TO THE EEPUBLIC 
 
 Eepublic leaves off and tlie Junior Eepublic 
 begins. 
 
 Tbe train pulls into tbe Freeville station. 
 Tbe first thing that greets the visitors' eye is 
 an old stage bearing the legend "Junior Ee- 
 public Bus. " It is not unlike the old Broadway- 
 stages of days gone by. The stranger may at- 
 tempt to crawl inside the vehicle but will find 
 it already crowded. There are bright-faced 
 young men and women whom he correctly 
 guesses are citizens. He learns from the con- 
 versation that the young people have been to 
 Ithaca, or some other near city, and that others 
 have just returned from a vacation trip to their 
 homes. Others have been to the train to bid 
 adieu to some parent or friend or just for the 
 fun of the trip. A few of them are talking 
 with relatives or friends who have just arrived 
 on the train, and are now fellow-passengers in 
 the "Bus." He will find these relatives and 
 friends very interesting, and they clearly show 
 the cosmopolitan sources from which the Ee- 
 public citizens hail. Besides the passengers 
 already mentioned there may be others who are 
 also visitors ; they, too, possess a cosmopolitan 
 
 181 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIC 
 
 air. It will take a good-sized bus to hold this 
 company the visitor will think? Well, it hap- 
 pens to be a good-sized bus. Long life to it! 
 It has brought much happiness to the citizens 
 of the Junior Eepublic, for its mission is not 
 only to convey passengers from the Eepublic 
 village to the Freeville station, but also to 
 carry the Eepublic football and baseball teams 
 to adjoining towns for games. These athletic 
 teams the visitor will learn are usually accom- 
 panied by a merry group of boy and girl citi- 
 zens who go along to "root" for their team. 
 
 A smart-looking boy climbs up on the front 
 seat of the bus last of all and, with a hearty 
 "Ge dap" sets the lazy horses in motion. 
 
 The first stop after about a half-mile drive, is 
 at a neat hotel. At least we expect that hotel 
 will be there very soon and prepared to re- 
 ceive guests as it is under construction at the 
 present time. Here visitors can register and 
 remain for any length of time, from a day to a 
 year. The place looks homelike, and the pro- 
 prietor is reassriring. After depositing some 
 passengers at the hotel, the bus moves on to 
 the Eepublic proper, passes several buildings, 
 
 182 
 
A VISIT TO THE REPUBLIC 
 
 and finally hauls up in front of the Eepublic 
 grocery and dry-goods store. 
 
 About the porch of this building there will 
 be several loiterers, citizens, of course. Their 
 manner will not probably fully impress the 
 stranger, as they are apt to be the most shift- 
 less of the citizens, for there are always shift- 
 less and out-of-work citizens in the Junior Re- 
 public just as in the big Republic, and the 
 shiftless citizens are very apt to be found, as 
 in any outside community, hanging about the 
 grocery store. The only diffiBrence is this, in 
 the Junior Republic it is apt to be the newer 
 citizen instead of the "old inhabitant," as found 
 outside. 
 
 At this place everybody tumbles out of the 
 bus ; the citizens hasten to their work, relatives 
 and friends depart in the direction of the cot- 
 tages occupied by the citizens in whom they are 
 interested, and the visitors, for a brief moment, 
 are left to themselves. A frank, open-faced 
 young man comes up and asks if they would 
 like to be shown about the Eepublic. A thought 
 may flash through their minds: "Does this 
 young person make this offer thinking that 
 
 183 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 at the end of the trip a 'tip' awaits him?" 
 After they have become better acquainted with 
 him, however, they will find that it would have 
 offended him if he had been offered money for 
 his services. From the moment a visitor en- 
 ters the Republic, every decent citizen regards 
 him as a guest. The Republic is one place in 
 the world where the abominable tipping busi- 
 ness is looked upon with disfavor. Frequently 
 boys and girls during a visit, will extend slight 
 favors to the guests, but in no single instance 
 will there be the slightest appearance of doing 
 it for a reward. There is an interesting inci- 
 dent related of a Republic boy, who had been 
 making a little speech at a parlor meeting in 
 the city of Brooklyn. A lady came up to him 
 while he was talking to quite a company of 
 people, and handed him some money. "Mad- 
 am," said he, **I can't take your money, I have 
 done nothing to earn it." 
 
 There is another and a similar Republic story 
 the truth of which may be vouched for. A boy 
 had brought a pitcher of water at the request 
 of some visitors who were seated on the lawn 
 in front of one of the cottages, and money was 
 
 184 
 
A VISIT TO THE REPUBLIC 
 
 offered him. *'Do you feel you must humiliate 
 me because I have shown you a courtesy?" he 
 said with a show of pride. There are plenty 
 of citizens in the Republic to-day who would 
 say the same thing, but some of the newer fel- 
 lows who haven't been here very long are al- 
 ways looking for graft, and it keeps the re- 
 spectable boys and girls busy holding them in 
 the place where they belong. There is an idea 
 here in the Republic that you can tell whether 
 a citizen is new or old by his readiaess to re- 
 ceive or not receive a "tip." 
 
 The afore-mentioned store is the nearest 
 point of interest, and the visitors are conducted 
 therein. They find themselves in a typical vil- 
 lage store. It is operated by the General Mer- 
 chandise Company, which is really the Junior 
 Republic Association under another name. All 
 merchandise which comes to the Association 
 through purchase or gift, is placed on sale with- 
 in this store. There are counters on each side 
 of the store, back of which are shelves contain- 
 ing rows of canned goods, boxes of breakfast 
 foods, crackers and other dry groceries, barrels 
 of sugar, salt and other commodities stand on 
 
 185 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIC 
 
 the floor, in front of, and in some cases under, 
 the counter. One section of the store is occu- 
 pied by shoes, clothing, toilet articles, and a 
 sort of bargain counter for the girls. A few 
 citizens of both sexes are making purchases or 
 inspecting the goods. Housekeepers from the 
 various cottages are purchasing supplies for 
 their homes. The money with which these 
 housekeepers pay for these goods, comes from 
 the citizens who board with them. The money 
 used in this store, and in all other places in the 
 Kepublic is aluminum. The coin of the Free 
 Tin Party days is now obsolete. Each United 
 States coin has a piece of aluminum represen- 
 ting it, but it is in no way a counterfeit. Citi- 
 zens who have bank accounts pay for goods by 
 check if they so desire. The customers are 
 waited upon by a citizen clerk or an adult who 
 represents the Junior Eepublic Association. 
 
 As the visiting party leaves the store, they 
 may observe, in the corner of the building, the 
 Post Office, with its lock boxes and other para- 
 phernalia, which gives it the appearance of a 
 country post office. The mail in this little of- 
 fice is collected in time to be carried away by 
 
 18^ 
 
A VISIT TO THE REPUBLIC 
 
 the citizen post boy to the United States Post 
 Office in Freeville, and it is brought up from 
 the village by the same boy or the rural free 
 delivery twice each day. One of the repre- 
 sentative citizens acts as postmaster. His au- 
 thority in that respect is confined to the Junior 
 Eepublic. He is in no way associated with the 
 post office department at Washington. 
 
 The guide now conducts his charges to the 
 second floor of this building, where is the Citi- 
 zens Bank of the Republic. They enter a large 
 reception room which is tastily furnished with 
 mission furniture, manufactured by the young 
 citizens in the carpentering shop; and by the 
 way, this furniture is not the only furniture 
 manufactured by the Republic carpenters, but 
 all the beautiful settles, morris chairs, tables, 
 chairs, etc., which are to be seen throughout 
 the trip are made by the juvenile carpenters. 
 Back of this room is the bank, and behind the 
 lattice work which surrounds some of it, two 
 energetic young ladies are working at the books 
 and handling the cash in an exceedingly busi- 
 ness-like manner. One of them, who acts as 
 cashier, has the courage to open the door and 
 
 187 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIC 
 
 let the visitors step inside the sacred precincts. 
 She displays with great pride the iron safe, 
 check books, deposit slips, and the cash-drawer 
 containing quantities of aluminum money. This 
 money, by the way, is redeemable at its face 
 value ; citizens may get the actual United States 
 money in exchange for this coin, when they 
 leave the Republic for good, or when they go 
 outside of the Republic on holiday excursions, 
 or to purchase things that are not in stock in 
 the Junior Republic store. 
 
 The bank, as one of the young ladies wiU tell, 
 is simply a bank of deposit, no interest is paid. 
 The young people have discovered that a cer- 
 tain amount of influence comes with the pos- 
 session of a bank account, and the more thrifty 
 endeavor to increase their balance as much as 
 possible. 
 
 While the visitors stand there a boy and girl 
 come up to the window and each deposits 
 money, and another boy has come up to get a 
 check cashed. The aluminum money used by 
 the adults who are operating industries in the 
 Republic is also deposited within this. bank. 
 
 Leaving the bank and the reception room, 
 188 
 
A VISIT TO THE REPUBLIC 
 
 they step out into a narrow hall. The guide 
 then says that he is going to take his party 
 to a place which most visitors do not see, be- 
 cause the things which happen there are not 
 of interest to the ordinary person. "With 
 that they walk to a small room at the end of 
 the hall. They enter it ; two other rooms open 
 
 Na .... Friiville, Nan Yirk,- 
 
 Citfsen^' IBanft of tDe mepuDIfc 
 
 «E0ROe JUNIOR REPUBUe 
 
 Pay to the Ordtr o/____ . 9~ 
 
 ..Dtllan 
 
 CHECK ON THE CITIZENS' BANK OF THE REPUBLIC 
 
 into it. The location of these rooms would 
 lead one to believe that the business transacted 
 within them was of minor importance, but it 
 is another case in which appearances are decep- 
 tive, for much important work in connection 
 with the Junior Eepublic and the outside world 
 is transacted therein. The guide at this time 
 announces that these rooms are the offices of 
 the Superintendent and his corps of adult as- 
 
 189 
 
THE JUNIOR HEPUBLIO 
 
 sistants who are the agents of the trustees of 
 the Junior Republic Association. 
 
 At this point it will not be amiss to explain 
 the relation between the Junior Republic Asso- 
 ciation and the Junior Republic Citizen Grovern- 
 ment, where the duties of the one leave off and 
 the other's begin. Many seem to think this is a 
 difficult problem, but it is simplicity itself. 
 
 The Junior Republic Association is a Board 
 of Trustees incorporated under the laws of the 
 State in which the particular Republic is lo- 
 cated. The same general incorporation law is 
 used for a Junior Republic as is used for any 
 other institution of a similar nature, and its 
 trustees have the same powers vested in them 
 as trustees of other institutions. Trustees of 
 all institutions have three principal duties : 
 
 First, the holding of the property in trust. 
 
 Second, the securing of funds for the sup- 
 port of their wards. 
 
 Third, the making of rules and regulations for 
 the government and well-being of their wards. 
 
 A Board of Junior Republic Trustees exer- 
 cises the first and second duties,* but when it 
 
 * The Republic is supported as follows : A sliding scale for 
 
 190 
 
A VISIT TO THE REPUBLIC 
 
 comes to the third, instead of observing the 
 general custom of making rules and regulations 
 they say to their wards: "The rules that we 
 give you to observe are the laws of your State, 
 the regulations for your guidance will be those 
 of any well-conducted community. In other 
 words, your abode, instead of being an institu- 
 tion, will be a village similar to any village of 
 adults within the State. While the laws of the 
 State will be your general laws, you may enact 
 special laws in your own Town Meeting to meet 
 your own particular needs. As you are to be 
 the same as a village of adults, you will have 
 the same social, civic, and economic conditions. 
 Your Junior Eepublic is to accept frankly ex- 
 isting conditions and you will meet and grapple 
 with them, as if you were at the age of twenty- 
 one, instead of being a few years younger. You 
 will not learn by theory, but by actual expe- 
 
 board based on the financial ability of the parent or guardian. 
 Payment for board by societies, or county officials. Annual 
 contributions, membership fees and general contributions. A 
 few hundred dollars from a very small endowment. There is 
 a small income resulting from the sale of mission furniture, 
 printing, and chocolate and ginger wafers. A few hundreds 
 of dollars from the State Educational Department which goes 
 a little way toward paying the salary of teachers. 
 
 191 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 rience to meet the problems. There will be no 
 'isms' tolerated in. your little commonwealth, 
 except straight out and out, unadulterated 
 'Americanism.' " 
 
 Having conferred these powers, the trustees 
 will thereafter confine their duties, so far as 
 the internal workings of the Junior Republic 
 Village are concerned, to the powers of a Su- 
 preme Court, to whom the citizens may appeal 
 cases in the event of their feeling they have 
 not gained justice in the lower court. 
 
 The trustees then appoint a Superintendent, 
 lo act as their agent in general affairs connected 
 with the Junior Republic Association and the 
 outside public. His relation to the whole 
 schenae comes under two distinct heads : 
 
 First,, general duties involving business man- 
 agement, employment and discharge of helpers, 
 acceptance and rejection of applicants for citi- 
 zenship, discharge of wards, regulation of the 
 young people in relation to their parents and 
 other people, granting of vacations, and so on. 
 
 Second, and most important, his relation to 
 the citizens therein. In this position, his suc- 
 cess depends rather on how little than on how 
 
 192 
 
A VISIT TO THE REPUBLIC 
 
 mucli he can do in directing affairs other than 
 friendly suggestion, for strange to say, the 
 Superintendent or head worker, is the only 
 adult helper whose position is anomalous. For 
 example, the housekeeper corresponds to the 
 mother in the home or to the boarding-house 
 mistress. The instructor employed to teach a 
 trade corresponds to the tradesman in the vil- 
 lage, for under the Eepublic system he conducts 
 his class of boys as if they were his employees, 
 paying them for the grade of work they per- 
 form and employing them at will. 
 
 The Superintendent, therefore, being a misfit 
 in the Eepublic as a boss, must observe the fol- 
 lowing important rules : 
 
 A. Never give an order within the Eepublic 
 to any but adult helpers. 
 
 B. Never grant a privilege as Superinten- 
 dent conferring benefits to a citizen within the 
 Eepublic boundaries. 
 
 C. In all questions arising and concerning 
 the Eepublic village solely, solve the problem 
 by asking : ' * What would they do in the nearest 
 village of adults, if this question presented it- 
 self?" and act in the same way. 
 
 14 193 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIC 
 
 Beyond the boundaries of the Eepublic or 
 where any question between the outside and the 
 citizens is concerned, he may issue orders and 
 grant privileges. 
 
 The Superintendent or head worker of a Jun- 
 ior Republic should be allowed greater freedom 
 of action by a board of trustees than the Su- 
 perintendents of institutions in general. He 
 ought to be in attendance at all meetings of the 
 executive committee. It is essential that the 
 trustees do not convey in word or act anything 
 that indicates that he is simply their agent. He 
 should be regarded with unusual consideration, 
 because the result of the system depends more 
 on his action than on that of any other in- 
 dividual or group of individuals. If he should 
 not be able to rise to the responsibilities of this 
 office his successor cannot be secured too soon. 
 
 When these things have been explained to a 
 party of visitors, it is more than likely that they 
 will ask to see the Superintendent. "Certain- 
 ly," the guide replies, and at the same time taps 
 on one of the doors and shouts out: " 'Uncle 
 Cal,' here are some folks who want to meet 
 you." While the tone of the guide is familiar, 
 
 194 
 
A VISIT TO THE REPUBLIC 
 
 it does not lack respect. "Bring them in," 
 comes the hearty reply from behind the door. 
 "With that the guide turns the knob, opens the 
 door, and shows at once a small room which 
 is occupied by several people, including the Su- 
 perintendent. If the visitors had had in mind 
 a stem, autocratic individual, with military 
 mien, they will find they have made a miscalcu- 
 lation; instead they are confronted by a man, 
 with kindness written in every line of his face, 
 and a twinkle in his eye that indicates clearly 
 he is ready for a contest of wit, providing the 
 challenge is iextended. Calvin Derrick is a Su- 
 perintendent of no mean ability, and other Re- 
 publics will be obliged to go far afield to find 
 his equal. He is engaged at the moment, of our 
 supposed interruption of him, in telling about 
 Republic life to five new citizens, three of whom 
 are boys and two are girls, who have arrived 
 this very morning, accompanied by relatives or 
 friends, with the exception of one boy who 
 came alone. A description of each one of these 
 prospective citizens will give a slant light view 
 of the kind of individuals who make up the citi- 
 zenship of the Jimior Republic. 
 
 195 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 It takes but a glance at the first boy and 
 his father who accompanies him to show clearly 
 that he has come from a home of wealth and re- 
 finement. It is the same old story of over-in- 
 dulgence. This boy with every advantage that 
 money and friends could give has been wasteful 
 of the former and has hoodwinked the latter 
 in a most inconsiderate manner. He has been 
 sent to several boarding-schools and military 
 academies, but has been turned out of every 
 one, and has nearly driven his parents to the 
 verge of despair. They have finally concluded 
 to try the Republic from which a normal boy is 
 never discharged for disobedience. Although 
 the boy has sown many "wild oats," and lacks 
 application, he has no lack of mental or phys- 
 ical powers. His finely shaped head, together 
 with other natural endowments, show clearly 
 that after he has had a few wholesome experi- 
 ences at the beginning of his career, he will 
 "strike his pace" and finally become one of the 
 best citizens. 
 
 To save this boy is the great desire of the 
 father, and so long as that is accomplished, ex- 
 pense is a secondary consideration. Probably 
 
 196 
 
A VISIT TO THE EEPUBLIC 
 
 lie would be willing to give extra money in order 
 that his son might secure extra privileges and 
 accommodations within the place, but no 
 amount of money from the father, or any other 
 outside influence will secure him one bit more 
 than he really earns. He must start his Ee- 
 public life on just exactly the same plane as 
 every other boy who has entered the Eepublic. 
 A few changes of clothing and some personal 
 property of minor importance are all that he, 
 or any other fellow, can have at the begkming. 
 A father's riches or poverty plays absolutely 
 no part during a boy's life in the Junior Ee- 
 public. Although all boys start their Eepublic 
 career on the same plane, there are differences 
 in their influence and the amount of property 
 they possess after a period of life in the little 
 village, but it is the result of the boy's own 
 achievement. It sometimes happens that a boy 
 from some district like unto Mulberry Bend 
 may be living in the finest cottage where the 
 board is higher than in any other place in the 
 Eepublic, while on the other hand, a boy from 
 Fifth Avenue surroundings may be dining in 
 the Beanery, or possibly in the work-house 
 
 197 
 
THE JUNIOE REPUBLIC 
 
 where he has been committed for vagrancy. 
 
 The second applicant for citizenship to whom 
 "Uncle Cal" introduces his guests, is a young 
 fellow whom fate has thrown on his own re- 
 sources, yet undaunted, he has determined to 
 make his way in the world. In the Junior Ee- 
 public he has seen his opportunity, and he has 
 come to ask the privilege of being a citizen of 
 the little commonwealth. He comes volunta- 
 rily, and will sign a paper, agreeing to abide by 
 the laws of the citizens, and to take such pun- 
 ishment uncomplainingly as he may receive for 
 their violation. His manner pleases. He pos- 
 sesses brain and brawn and possibilities of 
 their development offered by the Republic 
 training are easy to be foreseen. 
 
 The third fellow is quite another sort. There 
 he sits by the side of a burly, moustached depu- 
 ty-sheriff. He came direct from the court. He 
 got a suspended sentence with the understand- 
 ing that he would come to the Republic. He 
 has evidently been the leader of a street gang. 
 Self-reliance and toughness are stamped upon 
 his features. He seems a sort of a misfit 
 amongst the rest of the company, but one glance 
 
 198 
 
A VISIT TO THE EEPUBLIO 
 
 of an expert in Junior Eepublic methods at that 
 face assures him that there is latent ability 
 equal to any of the other prospective citizens, 
 although many and devious are the turns in the 
 path which he will be obliged to traverse be- 
 fore he reaches the highroad of good citizen- 
 ship. This is the type of fellow who has 
 brought the Eepublic idea much fame as a re- 
 markable regulator of the young hoodlum ; but 
 this glory has not been completely unalloyed, 
 for at the same time it has created an impres- 
 sion in the minds of some people, that the Jun- 
 ior Eepublic is composed entirely of young 
 criminals and is in reality a sort of a reforma- 
 tory. It will probably be some time before the 
 whole world will be convinced that the Junior 
 Eepublic is good for boys and girls of all 
 classes and conditions of society; but it is be- 
 lieved that this will be realized some day by 
 the many as well as by the few who at the pres- 
 ent, hold to that belief. 
 
 The description of these three new citizens 
 has shown a wide difference of previous social 
 condition. The way it worked out in one case 
 in the Eepublic will make an interesting story. 
 
 199 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIC 
 
 Therefore, before introducing the two new girls 
 it will be well to relate it. 
 
 A young man, whom I will call Charlie, reared 
 in a home bordering on luxury, came to the 
 Eepublic as a citizen. In order to secure the 
 comforts of the little village, he parted with 
 some of his trinkets and clothing. He had been 
 previously cautioned against doing this, but he 
 seemed to feel he would find a way out should 
 dire necessity force him to work. A little time 
 before he came to the end of his rope, he dis- 
 covered the inevitable, but instead of getting 
 a job and trying to hold what remained of his 
 money which he had received for the sale of 
 his personal property, for a rainy day, he gave 
 up his pleasant boarding place, and went to 
 the "Garroot" where lodgings were ten cents, 
 and he dined at the cheap restaurant where 
 meals could also be secured for ten cents. Al- 
 though this was humiliating, he evidently re- 
 garded it as not being quite as disgraceful as 
 working. 
 
 About the same time another boy came to 
 the Eepublic with a record of "having done 
 time" in a reform school. He hadn't been a 
 
 200 
 
A VISIT TO THE EEPUBLIO 
 
 resident long in the community before lie stole, 
 got caught, and was sent to jail. His first sen- 
 tence was brief ; when he got out he stole again, 
 got caught, and was sent to jail for a longer 
 period. When he got out on this occasion, he 
 stole for the third time; he was arrested and 
 sent to jail for a still longer period. When he 
 came out the last time he said: "I can't keep 
 this up, it's too hard work for no money, be- 
 sides it isn't nice to have the fellers regard 
 you as a crook. I think I'll get wise to my- 
 self, and get busy doing something honest." 
 As he was naturally a hard worker, he secured 
 a job, and his record improved. Finally, he 
 concluded he would like to take the hotel busi- 
 ness and run it on contract. He did so, starting 
 with one of the cheapest boarding establish- 
 ments ; by thrift and management a short time 
 later he was almost monopolizing the "hotel 
 system." All this time he had lived in one of 
 the smallest rooms of the hotel. One day he 
 was found fixing up a large room ; he was dec- 
 orating it with pretty pictures and pieces of 
 bric-a-brac he had purchased in the Eepublio 
 store. He was complimented on his good taste 
 
 201 
 
THE JUNIOE REPUBLIC 
 
 in selecting such a nice room and fixing it up 
 so tastily. "Yes," he said, "I thought I'd 
 spread out a bit. I can afford to do it and I 
 thought in a way I ought to live up to my repu- 
 tation of being a fellow who got rich in the 
 Junior Eepublic." 
 
 "Well," he was answered, "you have earned 
 it honestly, you have got it by hard work." 
 
 He turned, and with tears in his eyes said: 
 "Do you know the reason I work so hard?" 
 
 "No, unless it is you've got the habit and 
 can't help it." 
 
 "No," said he, "I am obliged to work hard 
 like this to keep from taking things that don't 
 belong to me. There isn't a fellow comes into 
 the Eepublic with a watch or jewelry of any 
 kind but what my fingers just tingle to get 
 a hold of it," and he continued pathetically, "I 
 have to work and work with all my might to 
 keep the temptation to take these things out of 
 my mind." 
 
 I left the room pondering on his statement, 
 for I knew it came from the heart. A few days 
 later, radiant with smiles, Tommy rushed up. 
 
 "Daddy," he said, "I've been spreading out 
 202 
 
A VISIT TO THE EEPUBLIO 
 
 a little more. It's just like this ; I'm hiring so 
 many fellows now in my hotel business that I 
 get behind when I do the rough work ; it keeps 
 me busy all the time running about and bossing. 
 Of course as a boss, I've got to be dressed up. 
 I found out the other day that I was losing 
 money by taking my time to shine my shoes and 
 press my clothes. I could hire somebody else 
 to do that and use my time to better advantage. 
 So I went up in the 'Grarroot' this morning to 
 see if I could hire a cheap man to do that work, 
 and who do you think took the job?" 
 
 "I'll give it up," I replied. 
 
 "Well, I'll tell you. It was Charlie," And 
 with that we went into convulsions of laughter. 
 
 "Go upstairs now. Daddy, and you will see 
 him shining my shoes," Tommy said, as he 
 stopped laughing long enough to take breath. 
 
 I quickly walked upstairs. There was 
 Charlie blowing his breath on the shoes, and 
 polishing away with the utmost enthusiasm. 
 As I entered there was a comical look on his 
 face, as he gave an upward glance. 
 
 "Well, you had to come to work after all, 
 didn't you?" I said. 
 
 203 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIC 
 
 "Yes, I did," Charlie answered earnestly, 
 and tlien with droll humor he added: "It 
 struck me that this was the most genteel job 
 I could get," 
 
 Time has passed and each of these boys is 
 doing splendidly in the commercial world. 
 
 Let us now observe the two new girl citizens. 
 The first has come accompanied by a lady 
 friend. Both are from a distant city. The 
 causes for this girl coming to the Eepublic are 
 probably one of the following, — either one or 
 both parents have been careless of her welfare, 
 or the parents feared the companions with 
 whom she was associating. In any event it 
 may quite safely be assumed that she is not a 
 bad girl on her own part but has evidently been 
 in danger. She is a bright girl and has done 
 fairly good work in the public school, but she 
 has possibly expressed a longing to her friends 
 back in the city to give up school and work 
 in some factory. The Eepublic will do her 
 good. 
 
 The other girl shows special marks of re- 
 finement. She has heard of the Republic and 
 
 204 
 
A VISIT TO THE EEPUBLIC 
 
 the possibilities it offers for a girl largely de- 
 pendent upon her own resources, to secure good 
 training for life's battle. She has visions of 
 being a trained nurse, kindergarten teacher, mu- 
 sician, teacher, or perhaps of securing a college 
 education. Perhaps one or both of her parents 
 are dead, or both may be living. In any event, 
 this is a girl worth while. 
 
 These five new arrivals will not be able to 
 act as citizens until they have resided within 
 the Eepublic for three months. A law to that 
 effect was enacted by the citizens. Just as our 
 group o3f visitors are about to bid "good-bye" 
 to "Uncle Cal," a young girl citizen rushes up 
 to him and says: "Oh, will you let my sister 
 who is fifteen and my brother who is eighteen 
 come up and join the Eepublic? My people say 
 they can if you will let them." 
 
 The guide explains that the latter incident 
 is not an unusual one. Many of the boys and 
 girls, after they have been in the Eepublic long 
 enough to like it, have urged brothers or sisters 
 to come to the Eepublic and be citizens. 
 
 Leaving the building, it may be that the vis- 
 itors will note something interesting is happen- 
 
 205 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 ing. A big touring car has just arrived and 
 such citizens as are in sight have made a rush 
 to welcome one of its occupants. * ' There 's Un- 
 cle Tom," says the guide, and he leaves without 
 ceremony or further explanation, and rushes 
 out to greet the man who seems to be the center 
 of interest. He is the Hon. Thomas Mott Os- 
 borne, of Auburn, N. Y., the President of the 
 National Association of Junior Republics, and 
 also the President of the George Junior Repub- 
 lic Association of New York. He is also 
 known in other connections as holding positions 
 that have required representative men with 
 brains, but the fact of his distinction does not 
 fease the Republic boys. They speak familiar- 
 ly to him as if he were a real "Uncle." He 
 shakes hands with each boy, but he is particu- 
 larly cordial to those who seem to be "down on 
 their uppers." The guide comes back to his 
 party and as they move slowly along in their 
 journey he explains: "Uncle Tom is all right. 
 He's just like one of the boys. It's funny, but 
 if there is a fellow in jail or who is awfuUy 
 tough, he is just Uncle Tom's kind." 
 Probably no other man understands Republic 
 206 
 
A VISIT TO THE EEPUBLIO 
 
 principles better than "Uncle Tom." He has 
 stood by the little commonwealth not only when 
 everything was going well, but also through its 
 adversities. My work has brought me in con- 
 nection with many great men but I know of no 
 other more entitled to the simple but compre- 
 hensive title, "a true friend," than Thomas 
 Mott Osborne. 
 
CHAPTER XI 
 
 THE INDUSTRIES OP THE REPUBLIC 
 
 THE young guide now takes his visiting 
 party in the direction of a large red 
 building. It is not necessary for him 
 to explain that they are approaching the bakery 
 for their nostrils will assure them of that fact. 
 When they reach the building he throws open 
 the door and admits -them at once to the room 
 where all the mixing, kneading, weighing and 
 baking is in operation. Even if the stay is 
 brief there will be time to note that everything 
 is scrubbed until it shines, and that the citizens 
 in their white duck clothing match the cleanli- 
 ness elsewhere, and that e^ch loaf of bread is 
 done up in clean paraffine paper. Going on to 
 the second floor the chocolate smell leads one to 
 believe he is entering a candy manufacturing 
 establishment, not quite a correct guess, but 
 pretty near it, for he will be entering the place 
 where the somewhat famous "Junior Republic 
 
 208 
 
INDUSTEIES OF THE EEPUBLIC 
 
 Ginger and Chocolate Wafers" are being man- 
 ufactured. Here boys are working away lusti- 
 ly, rolling out big pieces of dough, almost to the 
 thinness of paper, and then cutting it out in 
 round discs a little larger than a silver dollar. 
 This cutting out operation is fascinating; it is 
 done with such speed and exactness that it 
 inspires admiration. This work has to be done 
 by hand. Attempts have been made to find 
 machinery which could do the work, but up to 
 the present the efforts have met with failure. 
 The whole process, with the exception of the 
 mixing, is done before the visitors' eyes. After 
 the cutting the cakes are quickly placed on large 
 tins, put in ovens that have revolving shelves, 
 where they remain until they are baked just 
 right. Then out they come in a jiffy, are re- 
 moved from the tins in large piles, are sorted 
 carefully, placed in neat little tin boxes holding 
 a pound, which are wrapped nicely in paper and 
 behold, the wafers are ready for sale. In 
 charge of this establishment is a trained baker, 
 who is employing these boys and paying them 
 for their work. They can earn anywhere from 
 two to six dollars a week and go to school 
 15 209 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIO 
 
 half a day. Visitors regret to leave this place, 
 for the boys are not only polite, but they 
 also extend pans of wafers and invitations to 
 eat. 
 
 The next building that comes in for a share 
 of investigation is the laundry. Here is the 
 first place thus far in the tour of inspection 
 where girl-citizens of the Eepublic have been 
 seen in any numbers, but here are a 
 dozen or more, neatly dressed and with frank, 
 open faces, and lady-like demeanor that would 
 furnish an example to the working girl in the 
 world at large. Some of them are ironing by 
 hand, shirtwaists and dresses with ruffles so 
 artistically that exclamations of admiration are 
 expressed by lady visitors. Others are work- 
 ing at the steam mangle, still others are sorting 
 and bundling the completed product, for the in- 
 dividual owner. Two or three boys are also 
 working in this laundry performing the heavier 
 tasks. A trained laimdress, the proprietor of 
 this laundry, moves about amongst her em- 
 ployees to see that the work is done properly. 
 While in this building, some citizen may come 
 to the counter at the entrance of the establish- 
 
 210 
 
INDUSTRIES OF THE REPUBLIC 
 
 ment and receive and pay for his laundry. The 
 rates charged are about the same per piece as 
 in outside laundries. The employees receive 
 about $3.50 a week. This, of course, is for half 
 day work. The other half day is spent in 
 school. 
 
 In the basement below are the steam washer, 
 extractor, and driers. This machinery is in 
 charge of one of the most experienced boys. 
 He will entertain visitors as long as they choose 
 to remain with explanations of the wonderful 
 things his machines will do. Just to the rear 
 of this large wash-room is another portion of 
 the basement occupied by the gigantic steam 
 boiler, which supplies the heat for most of 
 the buildings within the Republic. It was for 
 one of the main pipes from this boiler that the 
 mammoth ditch, a picture of which may be seen 
 in this book, was dug. Gigantic coal bins hold- 
 ing a number of car-loads of coal open into this 
 boiler room. Covered with grime and genially 
 smiling stands Johnny, the faithful stoker; be- 
 tween the times he shovels coal he greedily de- 
 vours the contents of some classic which is 
 worth while, or else studies some book on 
 
 211 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 steam-fitting or plumbing. Here he sticks at 
 his task until relieved by Jimmy, who goes on 
 night duty. Mismanagement on the part of 
 either of these boys during the blizzard days 
 can bring no end of discomfort and pneumonia 
 to their fellow-citizens. 
 
 A walk of two or three yards from this build- 
 ing leads plump into the presence of two or 
 three boys who are working like Trojans in the 
 manufacture of cement tile. They are doing 
 this work by contract and are getting ten cents 
 a piece for the large ones measuring a foot or 
 more in diameter, which they are engaged in 
 manufacturing at the moment. One fellow is 
 sifting the sand, while another is mixing it with 
 the cement in proper proportions in the mortar 
 box, and the third is carefully filling the 
 moulds. They pause to explain the process in 
 all its details, although time spent in that way 
 means loss of money to them. If one examines 
 the big piles of completed tiles he will find that 
 they are just as good as those seen in tile-man- 
 ufacturing plants outside. Most of the tile is 
 used on the place for sewers, casings for steam 
 pipes, and drainage. When more is manufac- 
 
 212 
 
INDUSTRIES OF THE REPUBLIC 
 
 tured than is needed for local uses it will prob- 
 ably be sold ontside. 
 
 Leaving these young workmen with the feel- 
 ing that they are doing something worth while, 
 and going on a little further, things are seen to 
 be moving in a style beyond the ordinary. 
 Most of this group are the prisoners, dressed 
 in blue jeans and working under the watchful 
 eye of the keeper. In addition to the prisoners 
 there are several other boys busily engaged on 
 the same job. The casual visitor will have lit- 
 tle difficulty in determining who are prisoners 
 and who are citizens. The whole group is en- 
 gaged in the construction of the cement founda- 
 tion for our large new and well-equipped print- 
 ing shop. The contractor from the big Repub- 
 lic who is to construct this building has sublet 
 the contract for the construction of the founda- 
 tion to the Junior Republic Association, which 
 is employing the boys to do this work, and 
 they are doing it under the charge of brawny 
 Fred McClelland, one of the citizens who has 
 frequently taken contracts in the Republic for 
 the laying of cement sidewalks and a few other 
 jobs. He handles the whole crew in a most 
 
 213 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 masterly manner, not only bossing but doing 
 manual work as well. He tosses about bags of 
 cement and big boulders with almost as much 
 ease as some fellows would toss sofa pillows. 
 Is it a wonder that he is selected by some sport- 
 ing writers as the "All Interscholastic Foot- 
 ball Center of Central New York?" Billy 
 Gute, the keeper of the prisoners, sits on a pile 
 of boards in the shade of the building near at 
 hand busily engaged in his studies, for he must 
 be ready for that entrance examination for 
 Cornell, which takes place a few weeks hence. 
 He is able to seize this time for study, as 
 McClelland has the prisoners hustling so hard 
 that Billy's personal attention is not strictly 
 in demand at the moment. 
 
 A sturdy young man with an intellectual face 
 has been busily engaged wheeling cement; he 
 pauses for a brief moment, and during this 
 space the guide catches his eye and beckons him 
 to come up. He approaches, smiling, and the 
 guide introduces him as the President of the 
 Republic. Yes, the President of the Republic, 
 wheeling cement, for he cannot live on the sal- 
 ary of President, as it is only about seventy-five 
 
 214 
 
INDUSTEIES OF THE EEPUBLIO 
 
 cents a week. One hundred and sixty citizens 
 could not be burdened with taxation sufficient 
 to pay elaborate salaries to their public offi- 
 cers. 
 
 During the time spent in watching this busy 
 scene several wagons have been driven up 
 loaded with gravel, sand or other building ma* 
 terial; all have been in charge of citizens, who 
 have handled the teams and loads like old tim- 
 ers. The boys on these jobs are getting the 
 same salary that day laborers would secure out- 
 side, for they do just as much work. The 
 Junior Republic Association enters into a eon- 
 tract with the government for the use of the 
 prisoners. While this shocks a few visi- 
 tors, the majority evidently agrees that it is 
 better to have them working at something 
 worth while, instead of remaining idle in the 
 jail. 
 
 The guide now conducts his party to the 
 plumbing establishment. Here several young 
 fellows are cutting and threading iron pipe and 
 wiping joints. Some of the plumbing crew are 
 engaged on the plumbing work in the new build- 
 ings, or in repair work incident to the water 
 
 215 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIC 
 
 system, heating plant and sewerage system. 
 These young fellows in the employ of our ex- 
 pert plumber of the Eepublic have a splendid 
 opportunity to leai-n this trade in all its 
 branches, including that of steam-fitting. Of 
 course their salaries are not large while they 
 are apprentices. They receive only from $2.50 
 to $4.50 per week. 
 
 Next in order comes the carpenter shop. The 
 head of this department holds the record for 
 being in the service of the Eepublic for the 
 longest period. Here the visitors are greeted 
 by the hum of buzz saws, planers, turning 
 lathes and some other machines, which are pro- 
 pelled by a good-sized gasoline engine, which, 
 at the same time, is pumping water from a 
 driven well, to a large tank which serves as a 
 water supply for the entire Eepublic. Here 
 are young men busily engaged with saws, chis- 
 els and planes manufacturing mission furni- 
 ture, and they are doing their work well. No 
 finer work than their best in this line can be 
 found anywhere. Not all of the young carpen- 
 ters are located in this shop. Some of them 
 are engaged in repair work within the buildings 
 
 216 
 
INDUSTRIES OF THE EEPUBLIO 
 
 of the Republic, and some are working upon 
 new buildings. The work in the construction 
 of several of the buildings of the Republic has 
 been done by the boys in charge of the capa- 
 ble head-carpenter. He pays them from $2.50 
 to $6.00 per week, and in a few exceptional 
 cases they have made more than this amount 
 per week. 
 
 The next building is the old printing shop. 
 There is soon to be a new building, the present 
 one being far too small for its purposes. The 
 big cylinder press, hand press, cutting machine, 
 type cases, etc., almost preclude even standing 
 room. Here the Junior Republic Citizen, the 
 monthly organ of the Republic is printed, also 
 general Republic literature, and some work 
 done for people outside the Junior Republic. 
 This trade is quite popular with the boys. One 
 of them after leaving the Republic, perfected 
 himself in the work to such a degree, that he is 
 now instructor of printing in a large school 
 which makes much of trades. The boys in the 
 printing shop of the Republic make about the 
 same amount of money as they do in all the 
 other trades. 
 
 217 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIC 
 
 One of the newest of the shops is that where 
 blacksmithing and iron working is done. It is 
 in its infancy, and no boys have been employed 
 within it as yet. The adult expert who is at 
 present employed by the Association will not 
 be able to employ boys until a few months 
 shall have elapsed. 
 
 The farm was naturally the first thing to be 
 placed in operation when the Republic was 
 started. A farmer was the first regular em- 
 ployee and from very small beginnings, it has 
 developed until at the present time there is one 
 of the largest farm buildings in the country. 
 The Republic started with forty-eight acres of 
 ground; now it owns or controls three hundred 
 and fifty acres. About a score of young fellows 
 are employed by the farmer. There is a herd 
 of nearly fifty cattle, eight teams of horses, 
 a number of pigs, a modern piggery and the 
 beginnings of a poultry plant. A well-equipped 
 dairy is also installed and first class butter is 
 made therein. In all these branches the boys 
 work. There is quite a divergence of pay on 
 the farm. The smallest as well as the highest 
 wages are given by the farmer. The haying 
 
 218 
 
INDUSTRIES OF THE EEPUBLIO 
 
 and harvesting, and care of the garden, re- 
 quire faithful service and careful supervision. 
 The boys as a rule enjoy the farm work, al- 
 though they object somewhat to the long hours. 
 In the winter the teams haul the ice and coal 
 for the Republic. Almost as large a force of 
 boys is required in the winter as in the sum- 
 mer. Practically everything raised in the line 
 of general produce is consumed within the Re- 
 public. Boys may be seen hoeing the potatoes 
 and other vegetables, using horse cultivators, or 
 at work in the hay fields. 
 
 Mention has now been made of the principal 
 industries. Two or three years hence there 
 will be still more. 
 
 Perhaps it would be well just at this point to 
 say a few words about the adults and their rela- 
 tion to the industries of which they are in 
 charge. They are all employed by, and receive 
 a salary in United States money from the 
 Junior Republic Association, just as they would 
 if they were working for any school or institu- 
 tion for the teaching of their trade to the wards. 
 After this the similarity between the Junior 
 Republic and an institution or trade school 
 
 219 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIC 
 
 ceases, and the following method is adopted. 
 Each one of these adults takes possession of his 
 shop in the Eepnhlic and operates it as if it 
 were his own, for example, the carpenter will 
 run his shop in just the same way that he would 
 operate it in any community of adults, except- 
 ing that the money which he receives and pays 
 out in his enterprises within the Republic is the 
 currency of the little state. If he gets a con- 
 tract from the Junior Eepublic Association for 
 putting up a building within the Eepublic he 
 will agree to do the work for a certain sum of 
 money. Instead of receiving the money for 
 this work from the Association in the United 
 States currency, he will receive the same 
 amount in Eepublic money. With this money 
 he purchases the material with which he con- 
 structs his building, at the same rate for which 
 he would pay for it in United States coin. He 
 also pays his young workmen with the Eepublic 
 money. For repair work on cottages, or for 
 new furniture manufactured for them he re- 
 ceives Eepublic currency from housekeepers or 
 the Eepublic Association. He has of course 
 the privilege of employing his young carpenters 
 
 220 
 
INDUSTRIES OF THE EEPUBLIC 
 
 and discharging them at will. In other words 
 to boil the whole matter down to a sentence, 
 he runs his business just as it would be run 
 outside. 
 
 It may be asked: — ^how do the citizens get 
 work? Let us then return to those three new 
 boys whom we saw a short time ago in the 
 office. They are just entering the plumbing 
 shop, and it wiU be a safe guess that they 
 are looking for work. Will they probably 
 succeed? Perhaps not at the place they are 
 first applying, but sooner or later, unless they 
 are too particular, they will be successful, as 
 labor is in great demand on account of the 
 rapid growth of the Eepublic. Probably in 
 course of time they get the job they like best, 
 and possibly this is at the beginning if the boy 
 in making an application to the employer, who 
 conducts the business of the trade he prefers, 
 makes a good impression, or has had some pre- 
 vious training in that line of work. 
 
 After they commence working human traits 
 present themselves. To illustrate what I mean, 
 I select for an example the probable experience 
 for a few days of that new citizen who came 
 
 221 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 from the well-to-do home. He gets the job in 
 the plumbing shop which he has just entered 
 together with the other two new fellows, they 
 not being successful and having to look else- 
 where. He takes off his coat, rolls up his 
 sleeves and goes to work with a vengeance, and 
 keeps up his speed for about ten minutes. 
 Then the lack of "stick-to-it-iveness" which 
 was noted in his make-up in the Superintend- 
 ent's office asserts itself. 
 
 "Why didn't I choose printing?" he says to 
 himself. "It's much more in my line." 
 
 His boss passes at the moment. Reserve ia 
 letting his wants be known has never been one 
 of the boy's shortcomings, and he blurts out to 
 his employer: 
 
 "I don't think I like plumbing; I guess I'll 
 give it up and be a printer." 
 
 "AU right," exclaims the boss plumber, 
 "that's your right; this is a free country." 
 
 The young man grabs his hat and coat, bolts 
 out of the plumbing establishment, and hurries 
 over to the printing shop. 
 
 "I want a job as printer," he demands of the 
 proprietor. 
 
 222 
 
INDUSTRIES OF THE REPUBLIC 
 
 "Have you a recommendation from your last 
 employer?" chirps the boss. 
 
 "No, I really didn't have an employer, I only 
 worked for the plumber a little while." 
 
 "Why did you give it up?" asks the printer 
 with a scathing glance. 
 
 "Oh, I think I like printing better." 
 
 "I can't use you," says the printer icily, as 
 he resumes his proof sheet. 
 
 The boy walks out of the printing shop, with 
 a much more subdued manner than when he en- 
 tered. Perhaps carpentering will be just as 
 good as printing, he muses, as he walks toward 
 that establishment. He enters and says with 
 a little less assurance than he did to the 
 printer : 
 
 "Can you give me a job as a carpenter?" 
 
 "Have you been working any place?" asks 
 the carpenter. 
 
 "No, er - a - mo - er - er - yer - a you 
 er - you see I started out to be a plumber," he 
 stammers out. 
 
 ' ' Why did you leave ? ' ' 
 
 "Well, I thought I'd like printing better." 
 
 "Did you try to get a job with the printer?" 
 223 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIC 
 
 "Yes, but - er - er - well - er - he wanted a 
 recommendation from the plumber." 
 
 "Well, so do I," says the carpenter as he 
 moves in the direction of the buzz-saw. 
 
 "Guess if I get any work around this place," 
 says the boy to himself, "I've got to get a 
 recommendation from that plumber. It's 
 rather humiliating but I judge a fellow has got 
 to swallow his pride in this place. This isn't 
 just like it used to be at home." And with that 
 he heaves a deep sigh and back to the plumber's 
 shop he goes. 
 
 "Will you please give me a recommenda- 
 tion?" he says to the plumber. 
 
 "What for?" exclaims that dignitary, 
 straightening up and looking at him sternly. 
 
 "So I can get a job," says the new boy hum- 
 bly. 
 
 "You want a recommendation for a job, but 
 not for work, I see," shouts the plumber. 
 "Well, you can't work me for anything of that 
 kind. Grood-by." 
 
 The new boy steps out of the door as humble 
 as anyone could possibly wish a boy to be. 
 When he was at his home, after having been 
 
 224 
 
INDUSTRIES OF THE REPUBLIC 
 
 dismissed from boarding-seliools, lie had per- 
 suaded his parents that he would like to take 
 up some sort of business. The father, think- 
 ing that possibly the experiment would be a 
 good one, had secured him a place with a large 
 firm where a great field of opportunity was 
 open providing he made good, but lack of 
 "stick-to-it-iveness" had asserted itself the 
 first day, and the boy had given up work and 
 returned to his home, wherein he had loafed for 
 several weeks until he had secured another 
 position through the instrumentality of his 
 father. Again after working in his new place 
 for about a day, he had given it up or was dis- 
 charged and back he had gone to his home with 
 all its comforts, which were his without mone- 
 tary considerations. 
 
 But to-day he walks out of that plumbing 
 shop ; he looks all about him in despair ; he has 
 no father or mother to whom he can go for 
 free food and shelter. He is up against the 
 stern laws of political economy. There are 
 nice cheery homes right here in the Republic, 
 but they are not his until he has earned money 
 to pay for their comforts. The hours that foi- 
 ls 225 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIC 
 
 low are sad ones. He gets good advice in large 
 quantities from the citizens about him, pros- 
 perous and otherwise, some of whom have been 
 in the same boat. Finally, a business-like citi- 
 zen, who has taken a contract to put down a ce- 
 ment walk, and who is employing several lads 
 about his own age, tells him he will give him a 
 job at shoveling cement, but that he has got to 
 work "to beat the cars." With enthusiasm he 
 accepts the offer, and goes at the work with 
 right good will, and it is possible he will con- 
 tinue at this job for several days, or imtil he 
 has acquired the habit of hard work. When 
 he has established himself in this respect in the 
 eyes of the populace, both citizen and adult, he 
 will have little difficulty in getting a job at some 
 good trade or other line of work which is more 
 to his liking. 
 
 Perhaps, on the other hand, when he came 
 out of that plumbing shop in despair because 
 he had not received a recommendation, and 
 realized for the first time that he had the re- 
 sponsibility of earning his bread and butter, he 
 did not fully appreciate the good advice of 
 citizens and friends to get almost any job that 
 
 226 
 
INDUSTRIES OF THE REPUBLIC 
 
 he could so long as he could earn a living, but 
 instead concluded he would devise some easier 
 way, trying to borrow money for example. 
 Perhaps he discovered after trying this method 
 that it worked for a day or two with certain 
 free-handed citizens but ere long he would find 
 out that even they would give up helping him 
 after a little time. When he could borrow no 
 more, the possibilities would be that he would 
 begin to sell extra clothing, which he had 
 brought with him. 
 
 That resource exhausted, possibly he would 
 begin to beg, or run away, or steal but in any 
 of these three cases it would mean imprison- 
 ment; — the begging or running away would 
 mean sentence to the work-house, stealing 
 would mean imprisonment as a convict. In 
 the event of either work-house or prison, la- 
 borious work would be in order and no one 
 would consider for a moment his desire not 
 to do hard work. Through this hard road he 
 would finally come to the point where he had 
 at least learned to be industrious, and that 
 would mean the beginning of better things. 
 
 The every-day business life within the Re- 
 227 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIC 
 
 public has had both its amusing and pathetic 
 sides. However, labor and capital have worked 
 together very harmoniously up to the present 
 time. There is an interesting story in refer- 
 ence to an "eight hour law" in which the girls 
 figure quite prominently, which might be in 
 order at the present time. It happened some 
 years ago before there were so many indus- 
 tries. Farming was really the only occupation 
 for boys. It was also before the day of Wom- 
 an Suffrage. 
 
 The young citizens had been in the habit of 
 working about eight hours each day up to the 
 time when our story opens. This being the 
 season commonly known as "haying time," it 
 seemed necessary to work some extra hours 
 each day in order to save the crop. The boys 
 had worked right willingly without any com- 
 plaint whatsoever. Peace and harmony 
 reigned supreme until a labor agitator came 
 upon the scene in the person of a bright young 
 fellow who had lost his job as a sort of law- 
 yer's clerk to the leading law firm in the little 
 community. He was not strong in manual la 
 bor but was brilliant in schemes for the 
 
 228 
 
INDUSTRIES OF THE REPUBLIC 
 
 evasion of the same. This sort of thing not 
 being regarded with favor by the more pros- 
 perous citizens and helpers he lost his jobs 
 one by one until he was reduced to the 
 pitch-fork, which he considered beneath his 
 dignity. 
 
 The boss of the gang that was cocking the 
 hay announced his intention to have it drawn in 
 that afternoon; a process which would clearly 
 necessitate working until six P, M. They had 
 commenced in the morning about seven A. M. 
 Our youthful labor agitator manifested open 
 hostility to the scheme and on the way to din- 
 ner he took occasion to gather the entire com- 
 pany about him and delivered himself as fol- 
 lows: 
 
 "Fellers: it's a crime, nothing less than a 
 positive crime, to work more than eight hours 
 a day. What difference does it make if the 
 hay does spoil, when our personal rights are 
 being assailed by demanding us to work for 
 more than eight hours. This is a Republic and 
 the town meeting is the place where we secure 
 our rights. I propose we go at once to the 
 town hall, call a town meeting and pass a law 
 
 229 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIC 
 
 declaring we shall not work more than eight 
 hours each day. Our work will then be com- 
 pleted at four P. M. to-day and inmiediately 
 thereafter we will celebrate our emancipation 
 by a baseball game." 
 
 His harangue produced the desired results; 
 he was cheered to the echo and the whole crowd 
 rushed into the town hall while the bell was 
 frantically rung by a half dozen excited citi- 
 zens. The meeting was called to order and a 
 hastily prepared bill reducing the hours of a 
 day's work to the number ,of eight was pre- 
 sented. One citizen ventured to protest, but 
 his voice was drowned in a tumult of howls, 
 hisses, cat-calls, and general demands that the 
 question be put to vote. The instant the speak- 
 er put the question to vote, the roof was al- 
 most lifted by the vociferousness of the chorus 
 of *'Ayes." Now we will have the "Nays" he 
 said triumphantly. One clear strong "NO" 
 was hurled forth defiantly by the rebel; but it 
 was so weak when compared to the volume that 
 had preceded it that it actually sounded pa- 
 thetic and the boys all laughed. Then they 
 rushed to their meals shouting exultantly after 
 
 230 
 
INDUSTRIES OF THE REPUBLIC 
 
 they had induced the President to sign the 
 measure. "Three cheers for the eight hour 
 day," they exclaimed as they marched off to 
 the hay field with bats and balls, masks and 
 mitts. "We'll work until four P. M. and then 
 we shall have a great old game down there in 
 the field until supper time." 
 
 Shortly after the boys left for the fields, a 
 group of girls in the dining-room of the Re- 
 public Hotel began to discuss with great ani- 
 mation the new eight hour law. 
 
 "Why," said one of them, "that law is fine, 
 that's just the thing for us girls." 
 
 "How so," they exclaimed breathlessly. 
 
 "Why, don't you see," said the speaker 
 earnestly, "some of us went to work this morn- 
 ing at five-thirty A. M. and others at six A. 
 M., and our eight hours will be up at half-past 
 one or two o'clock." 
 
 "Sure enough," they exclaimed in chorus, 
 "but do you think we can use the law," asked 
 one girl doubtfully. 
 
 "Why not," said the spokesman indignantly. 
 
 "Sure enough, why not," chimed in the rest 
 of the company. 
 
 231 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIC 
 
 "Now," said the leader, "I propose that we 
 carry this good news to all the rest of the girls 
 that work in the cottages, and after so doing I 
 propose that we fix up some baskets of lunch 
 and get some of the Aunties to go with us on 
 a picnic to the woods for the rest of the day." 
 
 About two P. M, there was unusual confu- 
 sion about the Republic as a score or more of 
 girls sallied forth from the various cottages 
 in holiday attire and with loaded baskets of 
 provisions and took up their march to the woods 
 which were in the opposite direction from the 
 hay fields. Then a dead calm of four hours 
 fell upon the little village. Goldsmith's "Fair 
 Auburn" could not have been more silent. 
 Promptly at six P. M. boys' voices were heard 
 on the road that led from the hayfield. They 
 were discussing the sundry merits of the eight- 
 hour law and the great game of baseball they 
 had just finished playing. As they entered the 
 little village visions of prospective supper be- 
 gan to intrude on the other pleasant delibera- 
 tions. 
 
 "Eight hour law is all right, so is baseball, 
 but there is one thing that knocks them all out, 
 
 232 
 
INDUSTRIES OF THE REPUBLIC 
 
 and that's 'grub,' " shouted one enthusiast. 
 
 "Sure I'm so hungry I could eat a horse," 
 yelled another. 
 
 "A horse isn't in it," said the funny boy of 
 the crowd. "I could eat a 'saw-horse,' " and 
 amidst similar exclamations the whole crowd 
 appeared en masse at the center of the village 
 and then disbanded with a rush to their various 
 homes. The largest of the groups moved to- 
 ward the Republic Hotel with perfect assurance 
 that a hearty supper was awaiting them. They 
 were so engrossed in their self-satisfaction that 
 they discovered nothing out of place until they 
 walked past the dining-room door. Suddenly 
 one fellow stopped and fairly shrieked: 
 
 "Look in that room; where 's our supper?" 
 
 The shock was electric : with gaping eyes they 
 stared into the empty room. 
 
 "Perhaps it ain't six' o'clock yet," said 
 one fellow optimistically inclined: but just 
 at that moment up rushed a wild-eyed boy 
 from one of the cottages shouting quite out 
 of breath : 
 
 "The girls and women have all cleared out 
 of our house over there." 
 
 233 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 They raised their eyes and looked in the 
 direction of the other cottages. Evidently 
 something was wrong in those as well, for boys 
 were observed peering in windows and knock- 
 ing at kitchen doors. A few moments later an 
 excited crowd of boys had gathered on the porch 
 of the Republic Hotel. "Where are those 
 girls, we want to know," was the substance of 
 their outcry. About this time a quiet citizen 
 who had been working in the office at the Re- 
 public all of the day came up to the group and 
 blandly said: 
 
 "What's the matter, fellers?" 
 
 "What's the matter! Great Scott, where 's 
 our supper; can you tell us where those con- 
 founded girls are?" shouted a hungry lad. 
 
 "Oh! the girls, is it," said the delegate from 
 the office. "Why, they went away from the 
 grounds to-day about two P. M." 
 
 "What did they do that for?" yelled a fel- 
 low from the rear of the crowd. 
 
 "Oh, they said their eight hours were up 
 about two P. M. They commenced work this 
 morning from five-thirty A. M. to six A. M., 
 and have been working steadily ever since, 
 
 234 
 
INDUSTRIES OF THE REPUBLIC 
 
 don't you see, and their eight hours would be 
 up about two o'clock." 
 
 "But we didn't mean that eight-hour law 
 for the girls," yelled the agitator, who had pro- 
 posed the bill. 
 
 "Ye 're right we didn't," shrieked his fol- 
 lowers. 
 
 "Oh, that ain't a fair deal," protested one 
 fellow. 
 
 "Ye 're right, Jimmy," shouted several oth- 
 ers, "the girls ought to have it just the same 
 as the fellers, and I guess they've got us where 
 the hair is short this time," laughingly added 
 the funny lad. 
 
 "Guess we were a little speedy in making 
 that law," said a freckled- faced boy with a 
 hard scowl at the agitator. 
 
 "You're right, old chap, that's what I was 
 trying to tell you, when you fellers was all 
 against me up in the town meeting," said the 
 boy who had been the only one to oppose the 
 bill. Discovering it was the psychological mo- 
 ment to renew his protest against the eight- 
 hour law, he at once entered into an impromptu 
 speech, the substance of which was a denuncia- 
 
 235 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 tion of not only demagogues in general, but the 
 one in particular who had led them into this 
 difficulty. 
 
 "What's the matter with our going up and 
 repealing that law," said the freckled-faced 
 boy. 
 
 "That's the talk," came a chorus of voices; 
 and headed by Joe, the fellow who had been 
 unpopular in the morning because of his oppo- 
 sition, they stampeded to the town meeting hall 
 where he at once took charge of the meeting. 
 The agitator came in almost unnoticed and took 
 a seat in a far corner of the room. 
 
 "We vote to repeal that bill, don't we, fel- 
 lers," said Joe. 
 
 "We certainly do," they yelled. 
 
 "Now," he said, "that we have that out of 
 the way, I propose that we make a new bill 
 and that is, that before we vote on a new law 
 it shall be pasted at least three days on the 
 bulletin board and that will keep us from pass- 
 ing fool laws like we did this morning, be- 
 cause we will have a chance to think a bit, don't 
 you see ? The way it has been done, some fool 
 of a fellow will get an idea and yell, 'Town 
 
 236 
 
INDUSTRIES OF THE REPUBLIC 
 
 Meeting; Town Meeting; Town Meeting;' and 
 the buncli will think they are hurt and come 
 up and do just what he tells them to do. If 
 you pass this bill to regulate this matter it 
 will be what they call safe and sane legis- 
 lation. Will we do it, boys?" 
 
 "Sure we will," they shouted with enthusi- 
 asm, and when the bill had been written in 
 proper form and they called for the "ayes" 
 they came with as much enthusiasm as when the 
 affirmative vote was called in the morning. 
 When the speaker asked for the "nays" the 
 labor agitator simply ground his teeth; — ^but 
 they all went to bed without their supper. 
 
CHAPTEE XII 
 
 THE BEPTJBLIO HOMES 
 
 HALTING in the trip about the Republic, 
 directly in front of a neat yellow cot- 
 tage, the guide declares : ' ' This is the 
 Pioneer Cottage." 
 
 This was the farmhouse located on the land 
 when purchased for Republic purposes. It was 
 in this building that the Pioneers who started 
 the Republic were domiciled. It has under- 
 gone several improvements since that day, 
 and is now quite modern in its makeup. No 
 more are the young people obliged to walk 
 from it to a spring some distance away for 
 all the water of the Republic. AH they are 
 obliged to do now is to turn faucets and they 
 have both hot and cold water. It is now a 
 boys' cottage; board and lodging in this home 
 are about $4.00 to $4.50 per week according to 
 the rooms. Entering it one is at once im- 
 
 238 
 
THE REPUBLIC HOMES 
 
 pressed by its hominess. He will be greeted 
 by the pleasant little housemother who occu- 
 pies this building with her husband, who is the 
 master-plumber. They, together with about 
 eight boys, constitute the family of the "Pio- 
 neer Cottage." This lady, with her husband 
 and child, in no way attempt to be exclusive 
 or to regard themselves as subjects for better 
 rooms or special dishes at table or other favors 
 to the exclusion of the other members of the 
 household. She introduces her boys to you 
 with the same motherly pride that she does her 
 own child. The piano in the room furnishes a 
 medium for many pleasant evenings. A visit 
 to the second and third floors show pleasant 
 little rooms occupied by the boys with a dis- 
 play of pictures, books and college pennants. 
 Every one of these rooms is decorated accord- 
 ing to the taste and purse of the occupant and 
 they rival the rooms of the average college boy 
 in coziness. The dining-room with its mission 
 furniture and bouquets of flowers on the table 
 looks particularly attractive. A glance in the 
 kitchen completes the view of the cottage, and 
 inspection of the house would not be complete 
 
 239 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 without this glance. Here are two or three 
 girls engaged in preparing the dinner. 
 
 Entering the room they may be heard sing- 
 ing some popular air or old folk song. They 
 stop, and some rise and step forward greet- 
 ing the visitors cordially as they are introduced 
 by the housemother. These girls live in one 
 of the girls' cottages but work out during the 
 day. They receive from $3.00 to $4.50 per 
 week and out of this they pay for their board 
 and lodging. Like the boys, they go to school 
 for half a day. 
 
 There are eight other cottages similar to the 
 Pioneer, some for boys and some for girls. 
 A few of the cottages are a little more mod- 
 ern and have better equipment, and these 
 charge about one dollar a week additional for 
 board and lodging. Some cottages have certain 
 advantages over others, such as lawn-tennis 
 courts, croquet grounds, fruit, abundance of 
 shade, or grounds a little larger in extent, and 
 the guide explains that extra board is not 
 charged for these advantages, only superior 
 household accommodations bringing higher 
 board. 
 
 240 
 
THE REPUBLIC HOMES 
 
 In each one of these homes there is a good 
 motherly woman, who plainly has a personal in- 
 terest in each individual member of her house- 
 hold. Each housemother, or "Auntie," as she 
 is often called, makes the rules she desires for 
 her own particular household, just the same as 
 the mother, wife, or boarding-house keeper does 
 in all well-regulated homes. Some require si- 
 lence in their building after nine P. M. ; others 
 have no rule at all requiring quiet ; some insist 
 on rising early on Sunday morning and holi- 
 days the same as any other time ; other Aunties 
 will allow their boys, on such occasions, to lie 
 in bed until they are ready to get up; some 
 Aunties allow free access to the cookie cup- 
 board; others have rigid rules debarring the 
 boys from the kitchen. If a boy does not like 
 the rules of the Auntie he may look up lodg- 
 ings elsewhere. If a boy's behavior is unbe- 
 coming, or he is not able to pay his board, the 
 Auntie of the cottage may dismiss him from the 
 house. 
 
 A visitor may turn to the guide and say: "I 
 like your 'cottage system.' " 
 
 The fire flashes in the boy's eye, as he turns 
 17 241 
 
THE JUNIOE REPUBLIC 
 
 sharply and replies: "Madam, we do not 
 have a 'cottage system,' we have cottages with- 
 out the system." 
 
 It will be learned later that this bright ex- 
 pression by the citizen guide was not his own. 
 A friend of the Eepublic was one day bemoan- 
 ing the fact to Judge Mack of Chicago, that 
 people were continually praising the Republic 
 on the excellency of its cottage system. This 
 "institutiony" term did not please the friend 
 any more than the terms "matron," "inmate," 
 and "dormitory." The idea of calling these 
 abodes, which were as near like natural homes 
 as two peas, a "cottage system," was exceed- 
 ingly abhorrent. "How shall I give them the 
 correct idea ? ' ' said the friend. * ' Why just tell 
 them you have cottages without the system," 
 replied Judge Mack in his characteristic 
 way. Friends and citizens have acted on his 
 suggestion and the full significance of the Re- 
 public home has been impressed with this 
 statement. 
 
 Next come the two hotels, one for the boys 
 and one for the girls. While these buildings 
 are much like the cottages already mentioned 
 
 242 
 
THE REPUBLIC HOMES 
 
 in furnishings, they have a little more of a ho- 
 tel air, The number of guests varies from time 
 to time but they usually have from twenty to 
 thirty each. The second floor of these two hotels 
 have private rooms and compare quite favor- 
 ably with the private rooms in the cottages ; the 
 third floor, dubbed the "garroot," a corruption 
 of the word "garret," is a long open room with 
 single beds. This "garroot" is the cheapest 
 lodging place in the Republic; a bed can be 
 secured for about ten cents per night. Each of 
 these hotels has a proprietor in the person of 
 a nice motherly woman, and in the boy's hotel 
 the proprietress's husband is sometimes one 
 of the partners of the firm. The dining-rooms 
 of these hotels are clean and homelike. The 
 fare varies, in case the necessity of citizens 
 somewhat improvident demands it. One can 
 live in the boys' hotel providing he is willing 
 to content himself with lodgings in the "gar- 
 root," and meals without butter, pie or cake, 
 for the sum of $2.00 per week. Most of the 
 hotel guests have a newness in their manner, 
 indicative of a short residence in the Republic. 
 One of the most interesting rooms in the 
 243 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 girls' hotel is the sewing room. Here every 
 day girls are busy making new garments or 
 repairing old ones. On certain days of the 
 week the regular sewing class is held. This is 
 a part of the regular school of the Republic, 
 but on account of lack of room in the regular 
 school building it has to be held at present in 
 the girls' hotel, but when the schoolhouse is 
 enlarged the sewing class will have a perma- 
 nent place. This sewing class under the head 
 of its very competent teacher, has done much 
 for the advancement of the girls of the Repub- 
 lic. They are obliged to go through a certain 
 course beginning with the simplest kind of sew- 
 ing and continue till they know how to cut and 
 fit a suit for themselves ; after they have accom- 
 plished this, they may enter the more advanced 
 class where they sew not only for themselves, 
 but for the Republic and others. Formerly 
 the girls preferred to buy ready-made things, 
 because it was less work, even though the 
 clothes did not fit as well, but lately choose in 
 most cases to buy the goods and make their own 
 clothes. A few who are so busy in the houses 
 that they cannot make their own clothes hire 
 
 244 
 
THE EEPUBLIC HOMES 
 
 one of the more expert citizen dress-makers to 
 do their work. 
 
 Traversing the walks of the Kepublic, very 
 few boys and girls are seen apparently below 
 the age of fifteen years, and upon making in- 
 quiry it will be found that these are the chil- 
 dren of helpers, with a few exceptions. One of 
 the principal difficulties for several years with- 
 in the Eepublib was caused by having citizens 
 in which there was too great disparity of age. 
 For the first seven years it was not uncommon 
 to find many boys in the Eepublic ranging from 
 ten to fourteen. Probably two-thirds of them 
 were below the age of fifteen, the remainder 
 ranging from fifteen to twenty years. This 
 condition produced economic problems innu- 
 merable. A system adjusted for boys and girls 
 of twelve years was entirely too easy for young 
 people of eighteen ; if it were adjusted for cit- 
 izens of eighteen years it was a bit strenuous 
 for the little fellows ; if it were fixed up to meet 
 something between the two extremes things 
 were just as bad, I'm not sure but they were 
 worse. The age of citizenship was twelve 
 years ; finally the citizens raised the voting age 
 
 245 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 to fourteen and the Republic Association dis- 
 continued taking boys and girls below the age 
 of twelve. This improved conditions some- 
 what : later they changed the voting age to six- 
 teen and no boys were taken below the age of 
 fourteen years, and even then they were not 
 admitted at fourteen years unless they were 
 unusually large physically. This was gener- 
 ally regarded as an advanced step in bettering 
 the conditions. 
 
 Owing to the fact that few little boys and 
 girls are in the Republic, the inhabitants are 
 as lusty a lot of young men and nice girls as 
 can be found in a day's journey. 
 
 They have a song, the first two lines of the 
 second verse declaring in no uncertain tones 
 that: 
 
 "Republic boys are brawny. 
 Republic girls are fair." 
 
 and the visitor will bear evidence to the truth 
 of this statement. This means that the Repub- 
 lic is not deficient in its athletics, for proof of 
 which one might consult the leading high 
 schools, preparatory schools and college fresh- 
 
 246 
 
THE REPUBLIC HOMES 
 
 man teams within a radius of one hundred miles 
 of the Republic. The football and baseball 
 teams not only play leading schools upon their 
 own grounds but also play return games. They 
 frequently go to the cities unaccompanied by 
 any adult and their conduct is exemplary. In 
 football they are particularly strong. No 
 cleaner players ever stepped on a gridiron: 
 neither a team that will play harder when the 
 odds are against them. They have never been 
 known "to lie down." "My, they are greased 
 lightning, but they strike fair," declared an un- 
 happy high school principal as he recounted the 
 story of his previously undefeated team meet- 
 ing its Waterloo at the hands of the Republic 
 eleven. 
 
 Newspapers in various cities where the Re- 
 public boys have played frequently give com- 
 plimentary evidence of the gentlemanliness of 
 the Republic team. 
 
CHAPTEE XIII 
 
 THE CITIZEN GOVERNMENT 
 
 LEAVING the hotels, a walk of a few 
 rods in a diagonal direction takes the 
 visitor to a building whose architecture 
 brings forth the inquiry as to whether it was 
 not the Chapel. The guide assures the enquirer 
 that it is not the Chapel, but, with a comical 
 look in his eye, adds: "It is the jail." 
 
 It is the jail but it is useful for other public 
 service as well. It is also the Government 
 building. The reader has now visited the 
 homes, and he has visited the shops, and he 
 has seen the economic life of the Republic in 
 which adults as well as citizens have performed 
 a part, but the purposes for which this building 
 exists embody prominently the real heart of 
 the Junior Republic, its Citizen Government, 
 in all the affairs of which, excepting the Su- 
 preme Court, the young citizens are supreme. 
 
 It will be learned that the source of power 
 248 
 
THE CITIZEN GOVERNMENT 
 
 in government matters is the Town Meeting. 
 The pure democracy of the Town Meeting was 
 installed in the Junior Eepublic Government, 
 after several years of representative govern- 
 ment, which had been established when the Jun- 
 ior Eepublic was founded. In those early days 
 elections were held every fortnight, in order 
 that the summer citizens might have a part in 
 the government. After the summer feature of 
 the work had been abandoned the citizens strug- 
 gled along, holding frequeht elections and dele- 
 gating their powers to a legislative body with 
 which they were constantly quarrelling. Some- 
 times their representatives were able fellows, 
 at other times they seemed to be careless of 
 their responsibilities. Finally, a leading citi- 
 zen came to the front with the idea of substitut- 
 ing the Town Meeting for the legislature ; this 
 suggestion at once seized the popular mind and 
 was carried unanimously. The young man who 
 brought about this excellent measure was 
 William 0. Dapping. He was the second Presi- 
 dent of the Eepublic and at one time a judge. 
 He was one of the brainest boys and was very 
 valuable in many instances in the development 
 
 249 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIO 
 
 of the little commonwealth, but the one thing 
 for which he will go down in Junior Eepublic 
 history is his introduction of the Town Meet- 
 ing system in the little community. The Town 
 Meeting stands first in Junior Republic Govern- 
 ment. It is held the first Monday evening of 
 each month, and is the arena for many a 
 "wordy" conflict. Much is at stake; the action 
 of that body is no play affair. What it says 
 goes. 
 
 The officers of the Junior Eepublic and their 
 duties are as follows. 
 
 The President is elected by the citizens on 
 the first Tuesday after the first Monday in 
 November, in other words the general election 
 day of our country. Sometime during the sec- 
 ond week of the following January, the day 
 varies, he is inaugurated amidst much pomp, 
 and holds his office for the term of one year. 
 This position has always been occupied by a 
 boy; while a girl is eligible, there seems to 
 be a tacit understanding that the candidate is 
 to be a boy. The bills passed by the citizens 
 in Town Meeting assembled, become laws after 
 his signature has been placed upon them. If he 
 
 250 
 
THE CITIZEN GOVERNMENT 
 
 vetoes the bill, it may still become a law by a 
 two-thirds vote. 
 
 The President makes a limited number of ap- 
 pointments, the most notable of which is the 
 Judgeship. He also possesses the power of re- 
 moval from office of those he has appointed but 
 no others. His work and position is princi- 
 pally of an honorary nature and he really has 
 very little to do except to maintain the dignity 
 of the office. Unquestionably his influence with 
 the citizen-body is disproportionately great by 
 virtue of his office and this means if he is the 
 right sort of fellow he can accomplish much 
 good for his fellow-citizens. 
 
 A Vice-President is elected and inaugurated 
 in company with the President. This office is 
 frequently held by a girl. This position really 
 involves greater responsibility than that of 
 President. The Vice-President presides at the 
 Town Meeting and this is no easy matter, for 
 some of these assemblies cannot be charged 
 with lacking spirit. Few people need more 
 knowledge of parliamentary rules that the pre- 
 siding officer of a Junior Republic Town Meet- 
 ing. The Vice-President is the chairman of the 
 
 251 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIC 
 
 Board of Officers wlio have in charge all of the 
 police, prison, and health affairs of the Junior 
 Eepublic, This Board of Officers is common- 
 ly called the "Commissioners." There are 
 three members on this board, they are the Vice- 
 President, Secretary of State and Secretary of 
 the Treasury. The latter two, stripped of 
 their high-sounding names really mean a Sec- 
 retary and Treasurer. These officers are also 
 elected for the period of one year. Tlje Secre- 
 tary has custody of all the official documents 
 of the Republic and acts as secretary at the 
 Town Meeting, and is also secretary of the 
 Board of Commissioners. The Treasurer is 
 custodian of the public funds, collects the taxes, 
 and has charge of all of the citizen government's 
 financial matters. The Vice-President, Secre- 
 tary and Treasurer each has his separate duties 
 but it is when they get together in combined 
 effort or as commissioners that their power is 
 apparent. 
 
 The Judge of the regular court is appointed 
 by the President and holds office during good 
 behavior. This office brings a distinction and 
 picturesqueness that eclipses the Presidency. 
 
 252 
 
THE CITIZEN GOVERNMENT 
 
 Ask ten leading citizens of the Junior Eepublio 
 which position they would prefer to hold, if they 
 were equally capable of both, that of President 
 or Judge, and we venture to say that seven at 
 least would prefer the Judgeship. This posi- 
 tion has usually been held by the most brainy 
 boys. Several of them have taken up the 
 profession of , law after leaving the Republic. 
 Every Tuesday evening the Judge sits on the 
 bench and dispenses justice. He presides in 
 all cases both civil and criminal. Appeals from 
 his decision may be taken to the Supreme Court 
 composed of the Executive Committee of the 
 Junior Republic Association. This, as has 
 been stated before, is the only place where 
 adult powers officially enter in the Junior Re- 
 public Government. 
 
 The District Attorney is elected by the citi- 
 zens and holds his office for one year. To a 
 certain degree the moral standards may be 
 gauged according to the efficiency or non-effi- 
 ciency of the District Attorney. He probably 
 comes in for censure of all sorts, more than 
 any other public official. He will be termed 
 a coward, a zealot, a conniver with criminals, a 
 
 253 
 
THE JUNIOE REPUBLIC 
 
 persecutor, a spy, and sundry other sorts of a 
 rascal according to the point of view, all within 
 the space of a few hours. 
 
 A girl Judge is appointed by the President 
 for the purpose of trying cases that would not 
 be nice to take into the regular court." Some- 
 times, but much more rarely in proportion than 
 in the big Eepublio governed by adults, a girl is 
 participant in some immoral speech or action 
 that leads to her indictment. 
 
 The girl Judge may act as a regular Judge 
 in case that dignitary is absent or in any way 
 involved in a case. She may also issue war- 
 rants for arrest in case of his absence. An- 
 other girl is appointed as District Attorney by 
 the President, to give attention to the prose- 
 cution of such cases. When this court is held 
 the only ones in attendance are the girl officers, 
 girl jury, girl clerk, girl witnesses, and the 
 women helpers of the Eepublic. All other 
 cases of girls, involving larceny and things of 
 a kindred nature, are tried in the regular court. 
 In the regular court the girls sit on the jury 
 just the same as the boys, excepting in cases 
 of the Boys' Private Court where boys are 
 
 254 
 
THE CITIZEN GOVEENMENT 
 
 involved in eases that border on the immoral. 
 
 The clerks of the regular court and the girls' 
 
 court are officers of a somewhat minor nature. 
 
 Search Warrant* 
 
 In tb» oara* ol tb* pMpU ol tin Oc^rg* JQnlor RipdUlo 
 
 by Mlh OK Bfttdavlt havlOK tevn thU day made befora ma by— 
 
 Vou an tfaeratore onininaodad |n tfaa daytloM to malw Immadlato Marcb «a tba pMVon » 
 prapclty ol - 
 
 tbe following artlcia or artldei- 
 
 and II you Hod the Mm* or any part tbtrtol. to briov it forttawtth NIor* nu at tlw ooiut ol.tb» Otorgt Jun- 
 ior RepubUcr 
 
 Dated at tba Oeorsa Jonlbr RapabUc. Town of OiydM. County of Ton^ctaUi ftato of New York 
 the ■ day of — — .——■■ i ■ ■ B> 
 
 jud£« of tbe Qcono Junior Republk 
 
 FORM OF SEARCH WARRANT USED IN THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 They are appointed by the presiding Judge and 
 look after the documents connected with their 
 court, and hold office like the Judges during 
 good behavior. They have charge of all the 
 
 255 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIC 
 
 clerical work of their court and take note of 
 the testimony of witnesses. 
 
 The work of the police officer and prison 
 keeper is combined. Two boy officers and one 
 girl officer are appointed by the Commissioners 
 to hold the position which involves police serv- 
 ice and prison guardianship. They give their 
 entire time to these duties, with the exception 
 of the time they are in school. There is no 
 gainsaying that their responsibilities are great. 
 Their work requires courage, intelligence, and 
 a certain amount of brawn. The handling of 
 some of the sturdy specimens, which come to 
 the Eepublic and shortly thereafter land within 
 the prison, is no child's play. Some of those 
 for whom they have official care have kept adult 
 officials on the verge of nervous prostration. 
 There have been some rare youths holding these 
 positions and there have been others who have 
 become intimidated, or so over-officious that the 
 Commissioners have removed them summarily 
 after brief service. One boy officer is on duty 
 with the prisoners during the forenoon, the 
 other in the afternoon: both are on duty at 
 night. Of course they are liable to be called 
 
 256 
 
THE CITIZEN GOVERNMENT 
 
 for police duty at any moment. In such case 
 the officer who is not guarding the prisoners 
 at the time responds to the call. There is lit- 
 tle fear of a police officer receiving physical in- 
 
 Ceorge Junior KjBpublic 
 
 FreeviUe, N. Y.. 19 
 
 I, the undersigned, do hereby promise to forfeit the sum of 
 
 Dollars ■< ''"" not appear at the 
 
 . court, holding its session on the ^day of 
 
 19 to answer to the charge of_ 
 
 Signed, 
 
 -Bondsman 
 
 Witnessed this , day of,.. „ 19_«t the George 
 
 Junior Republic, Town of Dryden, County oi Tompkins, State of Mew York. 
 
 Witnesses, 
 BOND GIVEN FOE THE APPEARANCE OF A PEISONEK 
 
 jury in exercising police service. If he feels 
 that he is about to tackle something beyond his 
 physical powers he is empowered by law to call 
 on citizens for aid, and they must respond or 
 suffer punishment. 
 
 18 257 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 The girl police officer's duties are confined 
 practically to acting as keeper for the girl 
 prisoners. She has full police powers, but uses 
 it only in the arresting of girls by warrant, al- 
 though there have been occasions where girl 
 officers have arrested boys and boy officers have 
 arrested girls. If a boy officer discovered a 
 group of girls stealing flowers from a neigh- 
 bor, he would not run after the girl officer to 
 make the arrest. Neither would the girl officer 
 decline to exercise her authority if she chanced 
 to discover boys in a neighbor's cherry tree. 
 
 Those arrested for petty misdemeanors are 
 at once taken before the Judge. If the crime 
 is not too serious, good citizens are not usually 
 required to give bail fot their appearance in 
 court, but the oifender may go on his own re- 
 cognizance. Other arrested persons are held 
 in the prison until some responsible citizen 
 goes their bail. Arrest for serious felony may 
 involve imprisonment, until a formal examina- 
 tion, without bail; but generally they are al- 
 lowed bail until the time of their trial, providing 
 it can be secured from responsible citizens. 
 
 The names of leading citizens are placed in 
 258 
 
THE CITIZEN GOVERNMENT 
 
 a box and six names are drawn therefrom; 
 these individuals serve as a "grand jury" for 
 three months. Girls as well as boys serve on 
 this jury except for private cases, which have 
 a special grand jury of girls or boys only, ac- 
 cording to the character of the case. In the 
 
 GEORGE JUNIOR REPUBUC 
 
 Frm)Uti,Ctuntj4/Ttmplhii,StatiifNiti> 7trk., 1 19 
 
 In tha name of tbe people of tlie Geoive Junior Rflpublic. 
 
 To officer of the Georfe Junior Republic. 
 
 Information upon oath having thii day been laid before me^ that the crime el 
 
 in Mid county, on the.. day of v.« t9....«nu conunitted, and 
 
 accuaing ...•■' -. tbeicaf 
 
 You are therefore coRimandei) forthwith to arrest the above Damid. and bn'og him before me at the ' Court 
 of the George Junior Republic, in the Town of Diydeii, County of Tompkina, State of New York. 
 
 JUDGl OP THE GSOROE JomOR RlFOBUC 
 
 WARRANT OF ARREST 
 
 event of their finding indictments, if arrest has 
 not already been made, warrants are at once 
 issued, and within a few hours or at most not 
 later than a week the person charged with crime 
 is brought up for trial. He is given his choice 
 of being tried by judge or jury. He also has 
 the opportunity of having a lawyer provided 
 for him by the state if he is too poor to pay 
 
 259 
 
THE JUNIOE REPUBLIC 
 
 for legal service. Usually the prisoner prefers 
 to select his own counsel, and will sell his only 
 pair of shoes if necessary to secure funds to 
 hire the leading "criminal" lawyer. In the 
 event of his choosing to be tried by jury in- 
 stead of that body consisting of twelve, as in 
 the big Eepublic, there are four jurymen. This 
 
 George Junior Republic 
 
 In the oanw ol the people ol the <]eorge Junior Republic 
 you en hereby commanded to appear before ***■ ■ "* ibt George' Junior Re^ 
 
 -■■Mfe"" ■ 190 «t__o'oledi, 
 
 P- M. to act as a Petit Juror. 
 
 Dated at the Qeorge Junior Repuhlle* Towri of Dtydeo. County of TompkhUt State ot New Yorlc, 
 
 SUMMONS FOB A JUROR 
 
 act was brought about by a special law enacted 
 in the Town Meeting. The four jurymen satis- 
 factory to all parties are found among a group 
 of citizens who have been drawn to the number 
 of twenty as "Petty Jurors" for the term of 
 one month. 
 
 If the prisoner is found guilty of a felony 
 and the Judge concludes to give him a prison 
 
 260 
 
THE CITIZEN GOVEENMENT 
 
 sentence he will probably send him to the re- 
 formatory. The sentence may be for any 
 length of time, from one day to one year. Of 
 course a sentence for a year would mean that 
 the prisoner had committed a very serious 
 crime. The prisoner at this point may resort 
 to an appeal to the Supreme Court and pend- 
 ing the time for that body to assemble he may 
 be admitted to bail or held without it, until that 
 body holds a session. If he makes no appeal he 
 begins at once to serve his sentence. He is 
 then under the control of the Commissioners 
 already mentioned and their agents, the prison- 
 keepers. If his conduct is good, the chances 
 are that the prisoner will be allowed to go out 
 of the prison "on parole" long before the ex- 
 piration of his sentence. He must, however, 
 observe certain rules laid down by the Commis- 
 sioners, such as, "work eight hours a day at 
 least, at manual labor, or in school, retire at 
 nine P. M., attend all profitable lectures and all 
 religious services of his faith, spend his evening 
 from seven to eight P. M. in the library of the 
 Eepublic, etc." Otherwise, with the exception 
 that he is not able to vote, he will seem to be 
 
 261 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIC 
 
 a regular • citizen. If he violates these rules 
 he will be returned to the prison and start all 
 over again. If, after a time, there is again 
 iniprovement, the parole will be tried a second 
 time. At the expiration of the time for which 
 the Judge sentenced the prisoner, he is re- 
 leased from the prison, if he is therein at the 
 time, or from his parole if he is out of prison. 
 He then becomes a full-fledged citizen of the 
 Republic. 
 
 If a prisoner is sentenced for a misdemeanor 
 or is unable to pay his fine in case he is ordered 
 to pay one by the Judge, he is known as a 
 "work-house prisoner." He can work off the 
 money he is fined in the work-house at the rate 
 of a dollar a day. Of course he does not for- 
 feit his citizenship by being a work-house pris- 
 oner. The only case where forfeiture of citi- 
 zenship occurs is when a prisoner who has com- 
 mitted a felony is pent to what is known as the 
 "Prison Gang." This corresponds somewhat 
 to the States Prison outside. No matter what 
 his sentence may be on the "Prison Gang," he 
 is obliged to serve at least two-thirds of it, 
 only one-third is allowed off for good behavior, 
 
 262 
 
THE CITIZEN GOVERNMENT 
 
 and the prisoner loses his citizenship. It may 
 be restored, however, through a special pardon 
 of the President. The "Prison Gang" sen- 
 tence is rarely used of late years. 
 
 The Eepublic being so small, it is impossible 
 to support more than one prison ; all the prison- 
 ers are as a result placed within this one de- 
 partment and worked together on public im- 
 provements or in school. There is no apparent 
 difference to the casual visitor although some 
 of the group are known as reformatory prison- 
 ers, others as work-house prisoners, and others 
 as bail prisoners, meaning the group who are 
 earnestly longing for some one to come to the 
 keeper's office and furnish bonds for their ap- 
 pearance at the next session of the court. 
 
 "What punishments do you have in there?" 
 the visitor may ask the guide. 
 
 "Well," he replies, earnestly, "if you behave 
 when you are a prisoner you have nothing to 
 fear, and you can count on getting out on pa- 
 role, just as quickly as you deserve to be let out, 
 but if you think you are going to go in there and 
 have your own way, you're goin' to get it in 
 the neck." 
 
 263 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 Then he proceeds to explain that while the 
 good prisoner does not receive special favors, 
 on the other hand he will not receive marks. 
 A violation of a prison rule means a mark. 
 The significance of a mark is asked. The 
 guide explains that if, for example, a boy has 
 received a six months' sentence, and during 
 the first days of his imprisonment violates some 
 rules, his keeper jots a mark down against his 
 name for each violation. His fellow-prisoners 
 will convey the news to him that he had better 
 not get many of those marks for it means trou- 
 ble in the future, so he concludes to act on their 
 advice and be good. He succeeds so well that 
 after a few weeks' service on his sentence, the 
 Commissioners say to him: "We will now let 
 you go on parole, providing you have no marks 
 against your name." The keeper then looks 
 up his record, and finds that he has ten or a 
 dozen marks, which were given during his first 
 days in the prison. "All right," say the Com- 
 missioners, "you can serve one day for each 
 one of those marks, beginning with this mo- 
 ment, and if your conduct is good, during the 
 time you are serving them you will be let out 
 
 264 
 
THE CITIZEN GOVERNMENT 
 
 on parole, at their expiration." The guide 
 gives his hearers to understand in no uncertain 
 tones that the possession of marks is condu- 
 cive to reflection. 
 
 Do the prisoners ever refuse to obey? Some- 
 times, hut if they do they conclude that it is 
 not profitable. Open refusal to do as they are 
 told, or open rebellion is met with force suffi- 
 cient to overcome. Insubordination is not 
 looked upon with favor by the youthful officers. 
 The law must and will prevail. Neither the 
 young citizens of the Eepublic nor their friends 
 of more mature years have any apologies in 
 that connection. Whenever stern remedies are 
 obliged to be given they must be administered 
 according to Junior Eepublic law, in the pres- 
 ence of representative citizens, the Headwork- 
 er, and a member of the Supreme Court, if one 
 chances to be present. 
 
 If an officer should use any unnecessary force 
 he would be subject to punishment, and also be 
 liable to have civil action taken against him 
 by some youthful lawyer within the Republic, 
 who would act as counsel for the prisoner. 
 
 There is a Bar Association in the Republic 
 265 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIC 
 
 composed of all the young lawyers. In order 
 to be admitted to the Bar, one must pass a 
 legal examination before a committee of three 
 members of the Bar Association, one of whom 
 must be the Judge. 
 
 More items of interest which the guide im- 
 parts to his hearers in reference to the govern- 
 ment might be given, but as they are a little 
 more minor in their importance, and as the 
 government building itself has not yet been 
 described, I refrain from so doing. 
 
 The guide steps up to the entrance of the 
 jail, opens an ordinary wooden door, close be- 
 hind which is seen an iron-barred door; some- 
 times it is locked, on other occasions it is wide 
 open. At the present time it stands open and 
 the visitors step inside of a large airy room 
 with cement floor and painted walls. In the 
 center of this large room and occupying fully 
 two-thirds of the place are ten steel cages ; each 
 one containing bunks for two prisoners. The 
 prisoners are standing in line in the vacant 
 space at the front of the cells. The keeper, 
 an average sized boy with a business-like man- 
 ner is making a careful inspection of his prison- 
 
 266 
 
THE CITIZEN GOVERNMENT 
 
 ers and giving them some directions in a 
 straightforward manner with the final injunc- 
 tion that they had better keep an eye out and 
 heed these new rules or there will be trouble. 
 The first thought that flashes through one's 
 mind is: "Why is it that this group of boys, 
 over a dozen in number and in some cases larger 
 physically than the keeper, obey his rules?" 
 There is ample evidence in their manner that 
 they intend to obey. The reason is obvious. 
 While they might feel inclined to "do him up" 
 and would probably be able to accomplish the 
 purpose, the matter would not stop at that point. 
 They would have to reckon with the citizen- 
 body surrounding them outside, and they usu- 
 ally obey the rules implicitly. A perusal of the 
 prison records reveals that the bulk of the 
 prisoners are of the newer element of the Re- 
 public society. Scan these faces carefully, 
 fasten each one in the memory and when a sub- 
 sequent visit to the Republic two or three years 
 from this day, is made, a great transformation 
 will be noticed. It is very probable that the 
 President, Judge, and some of the Commission- 
 ers at that future time are prisoners to-day. 
 
 267 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 While a thing like this would be a miracle out- 
 side it is not an uncommon occurrence in the 
 Junior Republic* The prisoners work outside 
 during the day. They are locked in the cells 
 at night. A library is located right there 
 within the prison and they have plenty of 
 opportunity for reading. However, being a 
 prisoner in the Republic is no joke. 
 
 The girls' jail is in a modest little cottage 
 in another part of the Republic. After a visit 
 to the boys' jail, the door of this cottage is en- 
 tered with a mental picture of more barred 
 cages, but the surprise will be great when noth- 
 ing of the kind is to be seen. Whether it be an 
 injustice or not, the fact remains that the girls' 
 prison is only a prison in name, except for the 
 fact that two or three girls are there dressed 
 in a uniform of brown gingham, and that their 
 sleeping rooms are devoid of furnishings, and 
 that they sit at a table covered with oil-cloth. 
 Aside from this one would think that he was 
 
 * A book entitled " The Young Malefactor " by Thomas 
 Travis, has erroneously stated that forty per cent of Junior 
 Republic citizens have failed to make good. This book I con- 
 sider in most respects of general excellence and trustworthi- 
 ness, but it is greatly in error in this statement. 
 
 268 
 
THE CITIZEN GOVERNMENT 
 
 in one of the girls' cottages. This prison is 
 under the rule of the same government commis- 
 sioners as the boys' prison department. A 
 matron (this by the way is the only place in the 
 Junior Republic where the term "matron" is 
 allowable) looks after the physical wants of the 
 girls. The girl prisoners work about their 
 prison or in the laundry. It will be a pleasure 
 to see that the percentage of girl prisoners is 
 small and here again the visitor will note by 
 consulting the records that it is, the recent ar- 
 rivals who aTe^lKe prisoners. In the girls ^ 
 prison there is also a schoolroom for the use 
 of the inmates, and this is also used for the 
 Girls' Court. 
 
 The school for the boy prisoners is held in the 
 regular court-room of the government building. 
 No prisoner is debarred from his school priv- 
 ileges during incarceration. 
 
 The day passes quickly, and with the evening 
 comes one of the most interesting features of 
 the Republic life. The prolonged ringing of a 
 bell announces the assembling of the Court. 
 The visitors are, therefore, just in time to see 
 one of the famous sessions of the Junior Re- 
 
 269 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 public Court. As they step into the court-room 
 which adjoins the jail, they find the room al- 
 ready crowded to the point of overflowing. 
 They wriggle through the crowd, jammed at the 
 rear of the building. The guide gets the eye 
 of a court officer, nods to him and points to his 
 guests. The court officer beckons to follow and 
 he takes the strangers well down to the front 
 of the room, selects a good point of observation, 
 and motions a group of citizens already occupy- 
 ing the space to relinquish it. Two or three of 
 them had started to give up their seats before 
 advised to do so by the court officer, but one or 
 two evidently yield them with reluctance. 
 
 Directly in front and elevated on a platform 
 is the Judge's Bench, to his left against the 
 wall and a little lower down is the Jury Box, 
 to his right and on the same level as the Jury 
 Box is the desk occupied by the Clerk of the 
 Court. To the left of the Judge and a little 
 below him is the Witness Chair, directly in 
 front of the Judge's Bench is the Bridge and 
 Prisoner's Rail which is used for the Police 
 Court. In front of the furnishings just de- 
 scribed is an open space which is occupied by 
 
 270 
 
THE CITIZEN GOVERNMENT 
 
 the counsels and their clients in the case. A 
 door near the Jury Box leads directly to the 
 prison. All is divided from the spectators by 
 a low railing, passage through which is gained 
 by a gate presided over by a court officer. 
 
 A large portion of the space for on-lookers 
 seems to be occupied by visitors from the 
 big Republic who have come to see the little 
 community of boys and girls. They apparently 
 represent all classes of society, but the schol- 
 arly type seems to predominate, which gives the 
 feeling that the majority of the visitors are 
 there to learn things rather than to be enter- 
 tained. Citizens of both sexes who came early 
 enough to secure seats, are sprinkled about 
 among the outside visitors, and most of them 
 seem to be giving these visitors anecdotes and 
 general information relative to the Court. 
 
 Pretty well down in front are a group of 
 citizens who do not give up their seats to vis- 
 itors. This group it will be learned are the 
 citizens who have been ordered there for jury 
 service. In the aisles to the rear of the well- 
 filled seats is a space for standing room, and 
 every inch is taken by citizens. The citizens 
 
 271 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIC 
 
 in the court-room as a rule with the exception of 
 those who are there on official business, are not 
 the foremost personages; the latter have seen 
 so much of the Court as is also the ease with 
 most of the helpers, that it has ceased to be 
 of the vital interest that it was during their 
 first years in the community. 
 
 If girls are present, having been subpoenaed 
 as witnesses or jurors, their housemother is 
 present in the court-room. 
 
 There is a great deal of talk and moving 
 about incidental to the work in hand; this 
 causes much confusion which is brought to an 
 instantaneous end the moment the official at 
 the door shouts "Order in the court-room; hats 
 off." The Judge is about to enter the room, 
 and at the same time the officer orders every- 
 body to rise. Visitors as well as citizens re- 
 spond and all remain standing until the Judge 
 is seated. There will be no whispers after this, 
 or the court officer will command silence in a 
 loud voice. The company now sits down and 
 the court crier shouts out the monotonous: 
 "Hear ye, hear ye, this Court is now open for 
 business," etc. 
 
 272 
 
THE CITIZEN GOVEENMENT 
 
 The Clerk of tlie Court then begins to call 
 the names of citizens who have been impanelled 
 as jurors, and they respond. If they do not 
 answer one may rest assured that they are ill 
 or Have been excused by the Judge before the 
 court opens. Non-appearance would mean con- 
 tempt of Court, and this offense is not over- 
 looked by the Judge. 
 
 The calling the roll of jurors having been 
 accomplished, the Clerk of the Court shouts: 
 "Police Court now open." He pauses a mo- 
 ment and then glances at the list of names of 
 those who are to appear. This list has been 
 furnished him by the Chief of Police. 
 
 "John Smith, charged with trespassing," he 
 calls out. John Smith works his way out of 
 the crowd of boys standing in the aisle at the 
 rear of the court-room. He walks down to the 
 gate, passes through it and steps up to the 
 prisoner's rail directly in front of the Judge. 
 "Dave Hirschman, officer in the case," adds 
 the Clerk. Hirschman steps on the bridge be- 
 tween the prisoner and the Judge. The Judge 
 glances at a copy of the charge which has been 
 placed in front of him and says : 
 19 273 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIO 
 
 "Smith, you are charged with trespassing 
 in the Carter Cottage, Sunday evening last. 
 Are you guilty or not guilty?" 
 
 George Junior Republic. 
 
 The District Attorney of the George Junior Republic; 
 
 Officer I , to-J«y armted 
 
 „ , charged ■">*' 
 
 upon complaint of^ :_. The crime was commined 
 
 19 by , .1 
 
 , and the details are as followi: — 
 
 The witnesses for the State are as. follows; — 
 
 Signed, 
 
 Chief of Police, Qitotgt Jnslce Kcpsblie. 
 (If UTeit nu nida with vemiiti Slate lo In detiQa.) 
 
 FOEM USED FOB CHAEGE AGAINST PRISONER 
 
 "Not guilty," says Smith. 
 
 Officer Hirschman is then ordered to raise 
 his right hand, and the Clerk administers the 
 following oath: "Officer Hirschman, do you 
 
 274 
 
THE CITIZEN GOVERNMENT 
 
 promise to tell the truth, the whole truth, and 
 nothing but the truth, so help you God?" 
 Hirsehman answers: "I do," in a matter-of- 
 fact way, and then proceeds to give an account 
 of the affair, the details of which I will not re- 
 late, as it is the form of procedure that I wish 
 to describe. While Hirsehman is testifying. 
 Attorney Schneider steps forward by the side 
 of Smith. He has been engaged to appear as 
 his counsel. Schneider now proceeds to cross- 
 examine Hirsehman, after which Hirsehman 
 leaves the stand and calls up the housemother 
 of the Carter Cottage to support his statement. 
 She comes forward and is sworn in just the 
 same as if she were one of the citizens. Then 
 she gives her evidence and is cross-examined 
 by Schneider. Markham, one of the boarders, 
 is next called to the witness-stand by Hirseh- 
 man, and is likewise questioned and cross-ques- 
 tioned. There being no other witnesses for the 
 prosecution, Lawyer Schneider calls witnesses 
 for the defense. They are sworn in, questioned 
 and cross-questioned just the same as the wit- 
 nesses for the prosecution. Perhaps Schneider 
 puts Smith on the witness stand to testify in 
 
 275 
 
■THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIC 
 
 his own behalf, in which case Hirschman, the 
 police officer, takes particular delight in grill- 
 ing him with cross-questions. After listening 
 for a few moments the Judge says: "I have 
 enough evidence, I find you guilty, and will fine 
 you one dollar," and then sometimes with a 
 kindly, and at other times a stern admonition, 
 according to the character of the prisoner or 
 his own humor at the moment, he will discourse 
 to the prisoner on the advisability of respecting 
 other people's rights. 
 
 Smith walks over to the Clerk of the Court 
 and pays his fine if he has the money, if not he 
 looks wistfully about the court-room, displaying 
 signs of distress. If somebody does not come 
 forward at the moment there will be a crisis. 
 He can't return to the company through that 
 gate until that fine has been paid. If he has 
 no money and no friend comes to the front to 
 help him in his emergency, the officer escorts 
 him to the side door, which leads to the prison, 
 through which he passes. He is turned over 
 to the prison keeper and he spends that night 
 and the next day in jail in lieu of paying the 
 fine. 
 
 276 
 
THE CITIZEN GOVERNMENT 
 
 If the Judge after hearing the testimony- 
 says: "I find you not guilty," Smith looks 
 happy, walks back through the gate, presided 
 over by the court officer, and joins his friends 
 in the court-room. 
 
 "Peter Jones, disorderly conduct, complain- 
 ant Officer Hirschman." Peter Jones does not 
 rise from a seat in the court-room or wriggle 
 through the crowd and march to the front, 
 when his name is called, for the reason that 
 after he was arrested he could not get any one 
 to go his bail. He was regarded as being lia- 
 ble to skip by those who had collateral. There- 
 fore, when his name is called, the sidedoor lead- 
 ing to the prison is opened and the court officer 
 leans through it and shouts: "Peter Jones." 
 Then the prison keeper inside the jail says to 
 a turnkey: "Bring out Peter Jones." The 
 visitors in the court-room can plainly hear the 
 creaking of a cell door, followed by a sharp 
 clang as it is slammed shut, and they know that 
 Peter has just emerged from his close quarters. 
 In another moment he shuffles through the door 
 leading to the court-room and steps up to the 
 prisoner's rail, confronting the Judge. The 
 
 277 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 case proceeds in the same manner as Smith's. 
 If he is found guilty and the case is a fine and 
 he is able to pay the same he walks through 
 the gate to liberty. If he can't pay his fine 
 or the order of the Judge is imprisonment in- 
 stead of fine, back to the workhouse he goes. 
 
 So the cases go on imtil all of those properly 
 belonging to the Police Court, have been fin- 
 ished, then the Clerk of the Court rises and 
 says: "Police Court adjourned; Criminal 
 Court now in session." 
 
 The words are no sooner finished than an 
 intelligent looking boy, or perhaps it may be a 
 girl, comes from some place in the court-room, 
 and walks down the aisle through the gate, and 
 up to the Clerk of the Court. This individual 
 is no other than the foreman of the grand jury, 
 which held a session a few evenings ago, and 
 those official looking papers that he is handing 
 the Clerk of the Court are indictments found 
 by the grand jury. This finished, the foreman 
 of the grand jury returns to his seat in the 
 court-room, and that is the last seen of him. 
 
 The Clerk glances at the name and calls out : 
 "James Robertson." James Robertson rises 
 
 278 
 
THE CITIZEN GOVEENMENT 
 
 from his seat in the audience in the court-room, 
 providing he is out on bail, and accompanied 
 by his counsel. Lawyer Kish, moves inside the 
 rail to the place assigned for prisoners and 
 their lawyers. If Robertson failed to get bail 
 then there is the same clanging of doors in 
 the jail as before described, and he appears in 
 
 CRIMINAL COURT of the GEORGE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 me fleople of tlM OeonEis Jqnlor' RcpabUc- 
 
 T1]« Grand Ju^ of the Ocorge JuaM Republic, ottba Town of Oij^deD.lntb* County ol l^mpklni* 
 Stale ol New York, by tbis ImUctment tctiihi 
 
 of tbe aeorge Junior RepubliCt of tho Town of Diyden.' lo ,tfie County of' TompklnSi 5tata of New Vorkt 
 of the crime o f comnittted a* tollowK 
 
 Tbo an l rl , ■ II . . ,0H the dey of • 
 
 IM • at tiM Qcorgc Junior Republic, of tbe Town of Dryden, County of Tompkins, State of Now York, 
 dM 
 
 THE INDICTMENT 
 
 the court-room from the prison entrance where 
 he is met by Lawyer Kish. The District Attor- 
 ney then comes inside the rail and gets actively 
 to work with papers, officers and witnesses in 
 the way of getting things ready to conduct the 
 case for the State. Then the Clerk of the Court 
 reads the following indictment : 
 
 279 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIC 
 
 "The Grand Jury of tlie Greorge Junior Ee- 
 public, of the town of Dryden, in the county 
 of Tompkius, State of New York, by this in- 
 dictment accuse James Eobertson of the George 
 Junior Eepublic, of the town of Dryden, of the 
 county of Tompkins, State of New York, of the 
 crime of larceny committed as follows: 
 
 "The said James Eobertson, on the twenty- 
 first day of April, 1909, at the George Junior 
 Eepublic, of the town of Dryden, in the county 
 of Tompkins, State of New York, did willfully 
 and unlawfully take a pocket-book containing 
 ten dollars from the room of John Miller." 
 
 After the indictment is read the prisoner and 
 his counsel are asked if they wish to read the 
 indictment or have any objections to offer. 
 The prisoner is then called on to plead. 
 Through his counsel he wUl plead "Guilty" or 
 ' ' Not guilty. " If he pleads ' ' Guilty, ' ' the whole 
 affair is ended. He has but to receive his sen- 
 tence and start at once serving it. Circum- 
 stances may be such that the Judge will sus- 
 pend sentence. 
 
 If he pleads "Not guilty," then the work of 
 securing a jury begins. One by one the names 
 
 280 
 
THE CITIZEN GOVEENMENT 
 
 are called from the Panel and examination pro- 
 ceeds as in any case in the hig Eepublic. After 
 a jury satisfactory to both parties is secured, 
 the trial begins. It is conducted in exactly the 
 same form as any court in the land. After 
 witnesses have been examined and cross-exam- 
 ined by each side, the opportunity comes for 
 the District Attorney and prisoner's counsel 
 to make their pleas to the jury and here we 
 have some very clever bits of argument in the 
 way of summing up. 
 
 The Judge's charge to the jury follows. The 
 court officer is then brought forward, and duly 
 sworn to see that no one communicates with the 
 jury during their deliberations. In his custody 
 they pass to the jury room, and there is sus- 
 pense on the part of every one, particularly 
 James Eobertson, until they return. If they 
 say, "Not guilty," that ends the matter and the 
 prisoner is formally discharged. If they say, 
 "Guilty," then comes sentence, and its service 
 begins at once, unless there is an appeal to the 
 Supreme Court for a reversal of judgment or 
 a new trial. 
 
 During an intermission in the session, while 
 281 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIO 
 
 a jury is deliberating on a verdict in an assault 
 case, the visitors are taken inside the rail, and 
 introduced to the Judge. He is dignified and 
 modest. His English is usually perfect. His 
 face shows force of character in every line. 
 One feels assured that it will not be a long step 
 to take for this leader of boys to be a leader of 
 men. If he is talked with about the cases he 
 has tried, it is noted that he does not like to 
 discuss his own judgments, and something iu 
 his manner also conveys a rebuke when some 
 complimentary things are said to him about 
 the decisions rendered that evening. He does 
 not like to be praised for doing what he re- 
 gards as a duty. However, he speaks with en- 
 thusiasm of the work of the Judges who have 
 preceded him. He becomes a little reminiscent, 
 and tells of incidents he has witnessed in 
 that court-room or of others of which he has 
 heard. He tells of that day when Lawyer M's 
 client, for whom he had struggled manfully to 
 secure acquittal, was found guilty. When M. 
 heard the verdict he grasped the prisoner's rail 
 to keep from falling, then turned to the Judge 
 and bursting into tears he exclaimed: "Oh, 
 
 282 
 
THE CITIZEN GOVERNMENT 
 
 your Honor, that jury is absolutely wrong. I 
 know they have made an awful mistake. I am 
 sure that Sam (his client) is innocent. If some 
 punishment must be given, please sentence me 
 in his place and let him go free." 
 
 Then he tells of another case where Frank A. 
 was sitting as foreman of the jury deciding 
 whether Harry Q., his best friend, was guilty or 
 not of a serious charge. Frank had sworn that 
 his personal friendship for Harry should in 
 no way influence him in rendering judgment 
 according to the evidence brought out in the 
 trial. "When the jury returned after lengthy 
 deliberation, the Judge asked Frank as fore- 
 man for the verdict. White as a sheet he arose 
 and said sternly: "Your Honor, we find him 
 guilty as charged in the indictment." Then he 
 turned to the prisoner as the tears coursed 
 down his cheeks, and said: "0 Harry, I had 
 to do it! I had to be true to my oath." 
 
 Humor occasionally creeps into the proceed- 
 ings of the Court ; but laughter is instantly sup- 
 pressed by the demand for order from the mat- 
 ter-of-fact Judge. On one occasion, at least, 
 even His Honor momentarily lost his dignity, 
 
 283 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIC 
 
 and nearly went into convulsions of laughter. 
 The case happened some years ago. 
 
 Jack C, like sundry other male citizens of 
 the Eepublic, was impressed with the vivacious- 
 ness and beauty of a little Irish lass by the 
 name of Katie, She was about sixteen years 
 of age. One day Jack in a fit of good humor 
 in the presence of several citizens seized Katie 
 about the waist and planted a kiss upon her fair 
 cheek with a resounding smack. Katie indig- 
 nantly flew to the police ofScer, and demanded 
 his arrest. Moreover, she appeared in court 
 and pressed the case against him. Of course, 
 there was nothing for Jack to do but to plead 
 "Gruilty," The Judge looked at him for a mo- 
 ment and said sternly: "I'll fine you five dol- 
 lars," Jack smilingly nodded assent to this 
 announcement of the Judge, jammed his hand 
 in his pocket, pulled out the money, tossed it 
 to the Clerk, then turned to the young lady com- 
 plainant who stood a few feet away, and ex- 
 claimed enthusiastically: "Katie, that was the 
 bargain of my life. It was dirt cheap at any 
 price. ' ' At which everybody in the court-room, 
 including the Judge, lost his dignity, 
 
 284 
 
THE CITIZEN GOVERNMENT 
 
 The Judge is asked some questions about the 
 Supreme Court and its decisions. He speaks 
 of it in glowing terms and pays tribute to 
 its fair decisions. He assures the visitors 
 that they have not fully seen the Eepublic 
 until they have attended a session of that 
 august body. He then gives to one of the visi- 
 tors a book of Supreme Court decisions, two 
 of which follow. 
 
 Case 4 
 
 Gbobge Junior Republic 
 
 vs. 
 
 Walteb Fbeckleton. 
 
 Jacob Smith for the State. 
 
 I. The facts in this case are as follows : 
 Freckleton was serving as Chief of Police. 
 Some prisoners escaped, owing, it is claimed, to 
 his negligence. The case was brought before 
 the lower court; Freckleton was found guilty, 
 and sentenced to a term in prison. 
 
 285 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIC 
 
 II. Appeal is based on the following ground : 
 
 That upon the jury which convicted Freckle- 
 ton there sat two of the grand jury that brought 
 in the indictment; so that the trial was not a 
 fair one. 
 
 in. It is urged on behalf of the State that 
 by reason of the number of citizens subject to 
 jury duty being small, it was found necessary to 
 call upon two of the grand jury in order to make 
 the panel complete. 
 
 IV. It is forbidden by the law of the New 
 York State that members of the grand jury 
 which indicts shall sit upon the trial jury in 
 the same case. It would be contrary to public 
 welfare were it otherwise. The statute fixing 
 the exact number of a jury is obviously of less 
 importance than this law. 
 
 The Court therefore decides that the appeal 
 is well taken, and reverses the decision of the 
 lower court ; and sends back the case for a new 
 trial. 
 
 The Court calls attention to the fact that the 
 true way to deal with this difficulty is to pass a 
 law reducing the number of persons necessary 
 to sit for a jury. As the number of citizens in 
 
 286 
 
THE CITIZEN GOVEENMENT 
 
 the Eepublic increases, the jury can be restored 
 to its present number if desirable. 
 
 T. M. OSBOBNE, 
 
 J. W. Jenks. 
 
 Case 9 
 
 Geobge Jukiob Eepublic 
 
 vs. 
 
 Geoege Oppeb. 
 
 Samuel W. Silver for the Appellant. 
 Eichard Feinberg for the State. 
 
 I. The facts of this case are as follows : 
 On the evening of January 1st, after the 
 prisoners had retired for the night, James 
 Drowne, who had been placed in charge in the 
 absence of the regular policeman, allowed the 
 amusement of story-telling. Among others, one 
 story was told that was not decent. This cir- 
 cumstance was discovered about a week or ten 
 days afterward, and in accordance with the in- 
 formation furnished by some of the prisoners, 
 
 287 
 
THE JUNIOB EEPUBLIO 
 
 Drowne was arrested for obscenity. After- 
 wards the crime was charged upon the defend- 
 ant. The President of the Eepublic deputed 
 William Cleghorn to make investigation of the 
 matter, and following his investigation the de- 
 fendant was held by the Judge, tried, convicted, 
 and sentenced to two months on the gang. 
 
 II. The appeal is made on two grounds: 
 First, That the proceedings were illegal, Cleg- 
 horn having no proper authority to conduct a 
 prelimiuary examination, and Second, That the 
 evidence given by the prisoners was insufficient 
 and illegal, inasmuch as, being convicts, their 
 evidence is inadmissible. 
 
 in. The Court finds as follows : 
 
 First. The proceedings, while not in the most 
 desirable form, can hardly be held to be illegal. 
 Citizens are frequently called upon in special 
 cases to perform police duty, as in this case. 
 Cleghorn was called upon by the Executive of 
 the Eepublic to perform the duty of police mag- 
 istrate, the judge at that time being away from 
 the Eepublic at school, and Cleghorn, as one of 
 the police commissioners, was a proper person 
 to perform the duty. (The Court desires to 
 
 288 
 
THE CITIZEN GOVERNMENT 
 
 point out, however, that it would be extremely 
 desirable to have a definite officer appointed for 
 the purpose of giving preliminary hearing and 
 suggests that the old custom of having a police- 
 man do this seems to be desirable. It does not 
 seem wise to allow the Judge, who is ultimately 
 to try the case, to conduct the preliminary hear- 
 ing; for it is essential that a Judge should not 
 only keep himself strictly unprejudiced but that 
 he should avoid every appearance of prejudice.) 
 Second. The Court finds that the evidence of 
 the prisoners is not illegal, and would have been 
 necessary in any view of the case; and the 
 Court does not see how a new trial, for which 
 the appellant has asked, will be likely to be of 
 any benefit or use. The decision of the Court, 
 therefore, is against the appellant and the deci- 
 sion of the lower court is sustained. 
 
 G. S. MiLLEB, 
 
 F. W. ElCHAEDSON. 
 
 The undersigned, not agreeing with a ma- 
 jority of the Court, begs leave to submit the 
 following dissenting opinion : 
 
 It appears that no proper record of the case 
 20 289 
 
THE JUNIOE REPUBLIC 
 
 in the lower court was made, — that is, no proper 
 record was kept by the clerk of the court in the 
 case. The Judge admitted that the only rec- 
 ords were some slips of paper upon which were 
 written the testimony of the witnesses, and that 
 these were destroyed after a private hearing 
 by himself of the witnesses. The undersigned 
 wishes to point out that a proper record, in a 
 bound volume which has been provided for the 
 purpose, should be kept of every ease as it 
 comes up, including the names of the witnesses, 
 the verdict, sentence, and all the important de- 
 tails of the case. In the absence of these no 
 satisfactory decision can be reached by the 
 Supreme Court. In the judgment of the under- 
 signed the proper disposal of the case would 
 have been to refer it back to the lower court 
 for a new trial. 
 
 T. M. OSBOENE. 
 
 The arrival of the jury brings this pleasant 
 talk with the court officials to a close. The 
 jury, unable to reach a verdict, come out of the 
 jury room for instructions. These were given 
 
 290 
 
THE CITIZEN GOVERNMENT 
 
 by the Judge, after which they returned for 
 further deliberation. 
 
 The Judge, concluding that the jury might 
 be out for some time, orders the court re- 
 opened, and tells the District Attorney to pro- 
 ceed with another case. 
 
 As the prisoner, whose name has just been 
 called, marches up before the Judge, the vis- 
 itors give a start of surprise for it is no other 
 than the young fellow whom we saw in the 
 office that very morning, who had come to the 
 Eepublic in charge of the Deputy Sheriff. The 
 indictment is read charging him with larceny. 
 In those few brief hours he has committed a 
 theft. A boy who is seated near, says that the 
 young man, during the noon hour, had told 
 some of the citizens what a terror he had been 
 in the city from which he hailed. He also told 
 them how he had "done time" in a reform 
 school. He had evidently thought that the 
 group he was addressing would be agreeably 
 thrilled with the accounts of his dare-deviltry, 
 just as gangs in the city whom he had known 
 had felt about such episodes. Those fellows 
 back in the big city had always looked upon 
 
 291 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 him and others of his kind who had "done 
 crooked things," as heroes, biit these boys here 
 in the Republic, after hearing him enlarge upon 
 his unsavory exploits, had concluded they would 
 shun him. They at once said to one another: 
 "We have got to look out for that fellow. If 
 he has stolen outside as much as he declares, 
 he will be looking around for an opportunity 
 to relieve us of the extra cash for which we 
 have been working." 
 
 Of course they said nothing to the new boy 
 regarding the opinion they held of him; but 
 their manner was such that he felt he had made 
 a wrong start. He had not gained popularity 
 by his remarks as he felt ought to be the case, 
 when his record was to be considered. Evi- 
 dently these Republic fellows didn't appreciate 
 heroes, as they were regarded by the standards 
 of the gang, and it made him feel queer. Per- 
 haps they thought he was just giving them fairy 
 tales, and was not the hero he declared himself 
 to be. Very weU; he would prove it to them. 
 He would seize the first opportunity to steal. 
 It came within a few hours. A prosperous citi- 
 zen owned a watch which he carelessly dis- 
 
 292 
 
THE CITIZEN GOVEENMENT 
 
 played in his vest pocket. This the prisoner 
 had deftly picked while the unconscious victim 
 was engaged in conversation with a visitor. 
 Straightway he went to a group whom he 
 thought by their manner would approve of his 
 achievement, but one of theim went off quietly 
 and told the policeman. To the new boy's sur- 
 prise, within a space of fifteen minutes after he 
 had committed the crime, the boy policeman had 
 him in custody and on his way to the jail. He 
 had been able to spend the afternoon in reflec- 
 tion in his cell. Evidently the more he had 
 thought, the more bewildered he had become, 
 for now, as he stood there before the Judge, he 
 was the personification of bewilderment. His 
 face was a study as he stood there looking about 
 him, and realizing that boys of his own age 
 were handling his case. 
 
 A young lawyer was secured to take his case ; 
 and for a few moments these two individuals 
 held a subdued conversation. The lawyer told 
 him in an undertone: "Those sort of things 
 don't go up here, as you will very soon learn. 
 You can console yourself that you are not the 
 first one to learn this lesson in the Junior Ee- 
 
 293 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 public. I know personally what it means to 
 have the feeling that the fellow who gets the 
 best of the authorities is a hero. I advise you 
 to plead 'Guilty.' " 
 
 So the new boy goes back in front of the 
 Judge, and when his Honor asks him whether 
 he is "guilty" or "not guilty," he says: "I am 
 guilty." Then the Judge sends him to the 
 reformatory for one month. This is the min- 
 imum sentence for such a crime. He is then 
 turned over to the prison keeper, who at once 
 orders him to take off his citizen's clothing and 
 don the prison garb, which he hands him. He 
 puts on the rough suit of blue jeans, looking 
 rueful all the while ; after which he is escorted 
 to the prison cell, locked inside and told to get 
 all the sleep possible, for he will have to be up 
 early in the morning in time for breakfast, as 
 the prisoners must be in the ditches by seven 
 A. M. The keeper then leaves him and the new 
 boy leans up against the cell door and solilo- 
 quizes: "Outside I was the whole thing when 
 I 'crooked.' The more I worked the game, the 
 bigger fellow I was with the 'bunch.' I 
 thought it was great to 'do time,' and so did all 
 
 294 
 
H 
 H 
 
 ■n 
 
THE CITIZEN GOVEENMENT 
 
 the guys, but in this 'joint* the fellers don't 
 seem to feel in that way. I feel like cryin' here 
 just like a woman, but I never felt that way 
 when I was in the *Jug' outside. I wonder 
 what's the matter?" 
 
 What was the matter? Outside he was pop- 
 ular with his kind because he was a terror, 
 and therefore there was romance in performing 
 dare-devil acts even when accompanied by law- 
 lessness; but here in the Republic he was not 
 a hero, when he was arrested, tried, convicted 
 and sentenced, and placed in charge of a boy- 
 keeper, by the boys themselves. 
 
 The fact that the boys had locked him up be- 
 cause they couldn't trust him had taken all the 
 romance out of wrongdoing. 
 
CHAPTER XrV 
 
 THE VISIT CONCLUDED 
 
 IT is not too much to say tliat when the 
 Court closes and the visitors leave the 
 building it is with a feeling akin to 
 awe. If they have ever for a moment harbored 
 the thought that Junior Republic Citizen Gov- 
 ernment was only on paper, their minds are 
 changed for all time. Any one hereafter who 
 hints to them that self-government does not pre- 
 vail in the Junior Republic, will be confronted 
 by an emphatic assertion that he doesn't know 
 what he is talking about. Thoughtfully they 
 walk toward their hotel, but sleep may be far 
 from their minds. 
 
 They pass a cottage. It is brilliantly lighted. 
 They hear shouts of laughter. It is a strange 
 sound coming so closely after the silence of the 
 court-room. The guide smiles and says: 
 "Would you like to go in there? I guess they 
 won't put you out." 
 
 296 
 
THE VISIT CONCLUDED 
 
 The visitors enter the hallway and receive a 
 cordial greeting from Mrs. Greene, the house- 
 mother, who is giving her time and services to 
 the Eepublic citizens. The young girl whose 
 birthday is being celebrated also comes up and 
 extends greetings, as well as other girls con- 
 nected with the household. Everything is in 
 a buzz. There is happiness written in every 
 face. The boys are well dressed and display 
 as good manners as one could find in any 
 boarding school in the land. The girls, tastily 
 dressed and bedecked with ribbons, look as 
 wholesome and pretty as any group of seminary 
 girls in the country. The rooms are decorated 
 with evergreens and flowers and the spirit of 
 the whole place fills one with enthusiasm. Be- 
 fore the stranger is aware of the fact he is 
 entering as heartily into the old-fashioned 
 games as any of the company. One of the 
 most active participants in these games is Miss 
 Edith H. White, a young woman, whom all the 
 boys and girls call "Auntie White." They are 
 spinning the platter, and she is moving about 
 busily engaged in collecting the forfeits. She 
 was the first volunteer worker who came to the 
 
 297 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 Republic for a longer period of time than a few 
 weeks during the summer vacation. Her fond- 
 ness for social life made her the natural leader 
 of entertainments in the Republic. For several 
 years she has spent the larger part of her time 
 in the Republic. It will be learned also that 
 other women and some men who are worth whUe 
 spend a portion of their time in the Republic. 
 It is their testimony that the young citizens 
 have been more to them than they have been 
 to the citizens. However that may be, the com- 
 ing together of these people and the citizens of 
 the Republic on terms of social equality, has 
 been a tremendous advantage to the general 
 progress of the Junior Republic idea. It is the 
 purpose of directors of the Republic to use the 
 right kind of men and women, who have time 
 at their disposal for purposes of this sort as 
 the Junior Republic extends to other parts of 
 the country. But to return to the birthday 
 party. 
 
 After refreshments there are more games. 
 Then some one asks "Mother" Greene if she 
 cares if they dance a little while. We learn 
 that some of the housemothers object ; but this 
 
 298 
 
THE VISIT CONCLUDED 
 
 one does not and chairs are straightway cleared 
 from the room. One of the girls takes her place 
 at the piano, two of the boys open up violin 
 cases, tune their instruments, and in a few mo- 
 ments everything is ready for one or two 
 waltzes and two-steps; then as a final number 
 they have a Virginia reel for those who cannot 
 dance the waltz or two-step. After the dancing 
 all gather around the piano and sing the Ee- 
 public Alma Mater, which is followed by ' ' Good- 
 night, Ladies," and then the Republic "yell" 
 is given for the hostess and the girl with the 
 birthday, and with cheery goodnights all around 
 everybody starts for home. Some of the boys 
 escort the girls, but it is done under the 
 chaperonage of the housemother of the cottage 
 ia which the young woman resides. 
 
 The next morning, after a night at the cozy 
 little inn, the guide meets his charges and con- 
 ducts them through the rest of the Eepublic. 
 The pleasant relationship of the previous day 
 has caused him to be quite confidential. In no 
 uncertain tones or manner, he gives utterance 
 to his allegiance to the little Republic. Was it 
 always so? No, he tells his hearers that, in 
 
 299 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 the early days of his Republic life, he ran away; 
 that he got in jail; that he wrote letters to 
 friends declaring he was being starved to death 
 with the hope that they would secure his re- 
 moval from the Republic; he adds that his 
 hatred toward the little community at one time 
 was intense, but by degrees he settled down to 
 hard, muscular work in the ditch and mental 
 tasks in school. Little by little he bettered his 
 condition, he became interested in the govern- 
 ment, athletics, services in the little Chapel, and 
 various other things that changed his attitude 
 completely. 
 
 "I'll tell you what the Republic is like," he 
 says with a stem look in his face. "There 
 isn't a worse place in the world, if you don't 
 behave yourself; on the other hand," changing 
 his tone and expression to one of cheerfulness, 
 "there isn't a better place, if you do." 
 
 Some one asks him if he had smoked before 
 he came to the Republic. He declares that this 
 had been the case, but that he has now given 
 it up completely. He admits that he first "cut 
 it out" in the early days of his career because 
 he didn't wish to be arrested, but that he had 
 
 300 
 
THE VISIT CONCLUDED 
 
 finally lost the desire to smoke. When asked 
 if the cigarette law had not been instigated by 
 some adult, he scorns the idea and says that one 
 of the boys away back in the early days, who 
 had been elected to the legislature, had said: 
 "I've got a bill to have you chase out ciga- 
 rettes, because I know cigarettes put a feller on 
 de bum. I'm an example of it myself; there- 
 fore when it's up to me to make laws for the 
 fellers, if I'm on the square, I'll put things out 
 of business that hurts de bunch." And the 
 cigarette bill was straightway passed. 
 
 "Could the citizens vote to reinstate ciga- 
 rettes?" "Yes, I think we could," he replies; 
 " but I don't think that we would. I remember 
 I had some talk with a lot of fellows about it 
 once when I was a prisoner. I'll tell you about 
 it." And then he tells the following story. 
 
 "One day in the winter time several years 
 ago, when the thermometer was 'way down to 
 zero, and a blizzard was howling outside, the 
 janitor of the school-house, a shiftless sort of 
 fellow, got us prisoners and took us in the 
 sehoolhouse to do up his janitor work. There 
 were so many of us that we got it cleaned up 
 
 301 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIC 
 
 in a hurry, and then we got around the stove 
 to get warm. There were two or three citizens 
 of the crowd who were not particularly indus- 
 trious, who came in and sat down by us pris- 
 oners. There were no keepers or officers about ; 
 just the janitor who was in charge of us. 
 While he was a straight fellow to the extent 
 that he wouldn't let us run away and would 
 keep us from rough-housing, he didn't exercise 
 much care over our talk. We knew he wouldn't 
 'snitch,' and so we all got rather chatty and 
 confidential and expressed our sentiments 
 clearly and freely. 
 
 "One said : 'Hang it, I don't like the Eepublic 
 because you can't smoke cigarettes. Now, if 
 this is a Eepublic, why can't the citizens pass 
 a law in Town Meeting saying we can smoke?' 
 All the rest of us thought it would be a good 
 thing. Then the fellow who had brought up 
 the idea said: 'Let's just start a party right 
 now to do the business. A few of us are voters, 
 and besides you fellers will all get out of jail 
 before long, and you can join our party; then 
 we'll get some more votes in other places 
 around the Eepublic, and we'll go up in Town 
 
 302 
 
THE VISIT CONCLUDED 
 
 Meeting, and you bet we'll get in our fine work 
 and see to it that that cigarette law is kicked 
 out.' They seemed to grow quite enthusiastic 
 with the idea, until some fellow said: 'Say, 
 even if we did pass a new law that we should 
 have the right to smoke cigarettes, Daddy 
 George wouldn't let it go through, so what's 
 the use.' Then up spoke the janitor: 'Fel- 
 lers,' he said, 'I'll join your party, for no- 
 body likes to smoke better than I would, and 
 I'll just encourage you a bit by saying I know 
 Daddy George pretty well, and although I know 
 he is down on the boys smoking, he is so stuck 
 on the Eepublic being the real thing that I 
 don't think if the citizens passed the law he 
 would do anything more than say : 'I am awfully 
 sorry you did such a fool piece of business.' 
 So I don't think that his interference would 
 bother us, but I'll tell you where I really think 
 the difficulty would be, and that is to get the 
 majority of the citizens themselves to vote for 
 it. Let us see, there is John Hurley, the Presi- 
 dent; you know he wouldn't sign the bill, even if 
 it passed the Town Meeting, because he is down 
 on smoking, and it would take a two-thirds vote 
 
 303 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 of the citizens to upset his veto. So there's a 
 handicap right at the start, besides there is the 
 Judge, the District Attorney, and a few of the 
 other leading citizens who would oppose it, and 
 each one of those fellows has got some guys who 
 will vote just the way they do, and then there 
 are those confounded girls, every one of them 
 would vote against it and I'll tell you what, in 
 a straight oiit and out fight, we wouldn't even 
 get a look in with such a bill.' 
 
 "We sat there looking deep into the fire or 
 out of the window at the snowflakes while the 
 janitor was throwing that argument into us. 
 We knew that what he said was perfectly true, 
 and when he got through one of the prisoners 
 said: 'I guess you're right, Charlie; there 
 surely hain't no show.' Another prisoner said: 
 'I guess we'll have to wait a while before we 
 smoke to any extent;' and then Charlie said: 
 'Yes, what smoking we do we've got to do on 
 the sly, and when we get caught, 'do time,' 
 just the very thing some of you fellers are do- 
 ing now,' and he got up from his seat and said: 
 'Get in line, you prisoners,' and then he 
 marched us back to jail." 
 
 304 
 
THE VISIT CONCLUDED 
 
 "It's funny," said the guide after this story, 
 "but my whole ideas have changed since that 
 day, for now if the prisoners were holding a 
 conference as we did that blizzard day they'd 
 mention my name and say : ' Confound that fel- 
 low, he'll fight any bill that would let smoking 
 in the place.' " 
 
 This interesting bit of conversation has taken 
 place while walking from the Inn to the Hos- 
 pital Building. As there are no patients at the 
 present time within the Hospital, who will be 
 disturbed by the visit, the party enters and 
 glances about. The room in which they are is 
 the reception room, light and airy; across the 
 hall is the operating room, looking business- 
 like enough with its adjustable operating-table, 
 and other fittings. In the right wing of 'his 
 building we find a ward for girls on the first 
 floor; the second floor corresponds to the first 
 and is reserved for contagious diseases. On 
 the opposite side of the building is a corre- 
 sponding wing for the boys modelled exactly 
 as the one for the girls; a diet kitchen and 
 nurse's room is found in this building between 
 the girls' and boys' wards. If a boy, or girl, 
 21 305 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 is sick and has money he must pay for medical 
 attendance; if he has little money at hand he 
 is trusted to repay it as he can. Dr. Homer 
 Genung, the village physician, who has been one 
 of the most helpful and faithful friends of the 
 Republic and who is also one of the members 
 of the Executive Committee, is the physician 
 in charge. 
 
 This next large yellow brick and stucco 
 building is the school-house of the Republic, 
 known as "The Hunt Memorial." Large as it 
 seems, even at the present time it is quite too 
 small and the donor has given funds to add 
 two wings, each of which is to be as large as 
 the original building. This will work marvels 
 in the Republic, for the school is one of the 
 features to which special emphasis is given. 
 The new additions to the building will fur- 
 nish us a structure that will give ample ac- 
 commodations for years to come. In this 
 building is a large study-hall almost surrounded 
 by windows, a view from which shows a land- 
 scape including many hills and a most beau- 
 tiful country miles in extent. There are also 
 class-rooms for the various subjects, and a 
 
 306 
 
THE VISIT CONCLUDED 
 
 chemical and physical laboratory. The pupils 
 in this school are doing either high school work 
 or are in the advanced grammar grades. There 
 are two sessions each day from eight till twelve 
 A. M. and from one to five P. M. At the pres- 
 ent time there are eight teachers including the 
 principal. The school is thoroughly organized 
 and is conducted on the same lines as a high 
 school outside. The citizens have practically 
 nothing to say about the conduct of the school 
 or its discipline. The Eepublic receives $100 a 
 year from the State for the services of each 
 teacher; the Junior Eepublic Association pays 
 the balance of the expense for the support of the 
 school with the exception of the money paid by 
 the two or three tax-payers within the district. 
 Probably the Junior Eepublic School District 
 has the smallest number of tax-payers of any 
 school district within the State. Students may 
 be prepared in this school for entrance to the 
 leading colleges and universities. Each year 
 the list of Eepublic citizens who enter college 
 is increasing. Boys from the Eepublic have 
 entered Cornell, Harvard, Columbia, the Uni- 
 versity of Pennsylvania, and some of the 
 
 307 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIO 
 
 smaller colleges. In most cases the reports of 
 their work are satisfactory. In one or two in- 
 stances they have done unusually well. Their 
 Eepublic training seems to fit them particu- 
 larly for the study of economics. A professor 
 in Cornell said some years ago, that the stu- 
 dents and he were quite amazed at the logic 
 of a former Junior Eepublic citizen when prob- 
 lems of political economy were presented for 
 discussion. One day the professor asked the 
 young man how it was that he got at the 
 logical method of solving the economic diffi- 
 culty so clearly, "Why, professor," he replied, 
 "it's the easiest thing in the world. I simply 
 call to my mind what would happen in the 
 Junior Eepublic, if that economic problem pre- 
 sented itself, and that gives me the cue to the 
 whole situation." 
 
 The assembly hall of the school building is 
 used for lectures, entertainments, town meet- 
 ings, and until the gymnasium is completed, it 
 is used as a ballroom at the presidential inau- 
 guration and the annual celebration on the 
 Tenth of July. 
 
 A short walk brings the visitors to the Wil- 
 308 
 
TEE VISIT CONCLUDED 
 
 liam F. Miller Memorial Library. This build- 
 ing was presented by the Hon. Gerrit Smith 
 Miller and his wife in memory of their son. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Miller came to the Eepnblic from 
 time to time in its early days and rendered 
 valuable aid. They were like a relief expedi- 
 tion to a besieged garrison. 
 
 The books of the library are all carefully se- 
 lected by Mrs. Miller. Experts who have ex- 
 amined the library declare it to be one of the 
 best equipped libraries of its size in the State. 
 It is open at all hours of the day, and in the 
 evening, until nine P. M. It is not a circulat- 
 ing library. The librarian is one of the girl 
 citizens and receives three and one-half dollars 
 a week. Many a pleasant hour is passed by 
 the citizens of the Eepublic in the library ; par- 
 ticularly is this the case during the long winter 
 evenings. 
 
 The guide conducts the visitors through a 
 beautiful wooded path which finally opens upon 
 a lawn covered by one of the greenest of 
 swards. On a little rise of ground in the cen- 
 ter stands the House-m-the-Woods, a home 
 whose doors stand open to every citizen. Here 
 
 309 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBIJO 
 
 live one of the dearest friends of the Republic; 
 known to the citizens as Sister Anne, and her 
 two cousins called Sister Jane and Sister Fran- 
 ces, all three happily absorbed in being "help- 
 ers" along various lines. A description of the 
 Junior Republic would not be complete without 
 recognizing the influence of these friends and 
 their home upon Republic life. Fortunate will 
 every new Republic be if it secures as an ad- 
 junct, a home, practically within its borders, 
 approximating the House-in-the- Woods. 
 
 The chapel of the Republic is a beautiful lit- 
 tle building with a seating capacity of about 
 three hundred. Services of all faiths are held 
 within this building. The pulpit and altar 
 furnishings, and baptismal font are memorials. 
 There are three beautiful memorial windows. 
 In the bookraeks of the seats are various ritu- 
 als, catechisms, gospel hymn books. Bibles and 
 a manual of devotion, prepared especially for 
 the Republic by the late Bishop Henry D. 
 Potter, who frequently visited the Republic 
 and was one of its trustees, and Bishop An- 
 drews, Charles Cuthbert Hall, and President 
 Faunce. 
 
 310 
 
THE VISIT CONCLUDED 
 
 Institutions in general are usually classified 
 as Catholic, Protestant or Jewish, but the 
 Junior Eepublic, being unlike an institution, 
 but rather resembling a village, it follows that 
 church and state must be absolutely separated. 
 The Eepublic officers, like the founders of the 
 American Commonwealth, do not officially rec- 
 ognize any particular faith, but encourage all 
 faiths, in their work with the young people. 
 Therefore, to be consistent, if a Presbyterian, 
 Jew, Catholic or Unitarian boy or girl, comes 
 to the Eepublic, it is not for the Junior Ee- 
 public officials to provide a service or minister 
 of such particular faith for the youth, any 
 more than it is for the mayor or officials of a 
 city to provide officially for services of the re- 
 ligious faiths just mentioned. Who, then, is to 
 look after this matter? Why it is for the Pres- 
 byterians, Jews, Catholics, or Unitarians, in 
 the Junior Eepublic and in the big Eepublic 
 to see that those of their faith who are citi- 
 zens of the little community receive instruction 
 according to their belief, and every encourage- 
 ment for the different religious sects to do 
 this work is offered by the Junior Eepublic 
 
 311 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIO 
 
 Association and the Junior Republic citizen 
 officials. 
 
 Thus, the citizens of the Eepublio are al- 
 ligned under the standards of their particular 
 faith in the Junior Eepublic village to the same 
 extent that the representatives of these faiths 
 have taken advantage of their opportunities. 
 Following is the order of services usually car- 
 ried out in the Junior Eepublic chapel. 
 
 Nine A. M. Catholic Sunday School or Mass. 
 
 Eleven A. M. General service presided over 
 by some minister or priest. 
 
 Twelve M. Sunday School. 
 
 Eight P. M. Evening Service. 
 
 Mid-week Prayer Meeting at eight P. M. 
 
 There are no Jewish Eabbis nearer than 
 Syracuse or Elmira, but whenever a Jewish 
 minister comes he may hold a service for the 
 Jews. 
 
 Eepublic citizens have been confirmed in the 
 Catholic and Episcopalian Churches while they 
 were in residence at the Eepublic. Some of 
 the citizens who have wished to be Baptists 
 have been immersed, others have been baptized 
 by various Protestant ministers. One of the 
 
 312 
 
THE VISIT CONCLUDED 
 
 Eepublic citizens is now studying for the min- 
 istry. 
 
 One thing that is especially to be noted in the 
 religious affairs of the Eepublic is the good 
 feeling of each particular faith for the other. 
 There has never been a religious controversy 
 in the place. The Catholic, Jew, and Protest- 
 ant get on just as well and perhaps better than 
 the Methodist, Presbyterian, and Baptist get 
 on in the big Eepublic, and yet each is true to 
 his particular faith. 
 
 The visitors are now escorted to a little green 
 cottage about a third of a mile from any of the 
 other buildings. This is the last building that 
 they shall visit, but its mission is significant, 
 and makes a fitting ending to this tour of the 
 Eepublic buildings, although in appearance it 
 is the most humble of the lot. It is located 
 in the midst of a little group of apple trees. 
 This is the cottage where colonies receive a few 
 months preliminary training before they mi- 
 grate to some new part of the country, which 
 has decided to have a Junior Eepublic. The 
 house is very simple in its furnishings. There 
 is not a single vestige of modern improvement 
 
 313 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIC 
 
 about it. Water has to be carried from some 
 distance, and wood has to be collected for the 
 fires. The young people must not have luxu- 
 ries; barely comforts at this cottage for it is 
 quite possible that in their new home, they will 
 find crude conditions, and they must be trained 
 to encounter hardships. About a dozen sturdy 
 boys are working about the place, and right 
 among them, with coat off and sleeves rolled to 
 the shoulders, and swinging a pick axe as lustily 
 as any in the lot, is the man who is to be the 
 Superintendent of the new Republic. His wife 
 or a housekeeper with the aid of two boys is 
 doing the work of the household. After this 
 colony has been transplanted to its permanent 
 home, another will take its place in the cottage 
 and train, preparatory to going to some other 
 state, which is desirous of having a Junior Re- 
 pubhc. 
 
CHAPTEE XV 
 
 METHODS OP STABTING A EBPTJBLIO 
 
 THE Juiiior Eepublic idea was worked 
 out during the summer of 1894. On 
 July 10th, 1895, it was put into opera- 
 tion. It immediately became the center of at- 
 tention throughout the country, undoubtedly 
 due to the novelty of boys and girls carrying on 
 a well-organized Eepublic by their own efforts. 
 Nearly everybody was well disposed, perhaps 
 because the idea furnished them amusement 
 and one always feels kindly toward the thing 
 that amuses him. A few recognized the great 
 underlying principle but regarded the scheme 
 merely as an experiment. An inner circle be- 
 fore many months regarded it as past the ex- 
 perimental stage and instead of wasting time 
 worrying over the question whether the idea 
 would succeed or not devoted efforts to develop- 
 ing the idea so that ultimately it might be es- 
 tablished in other states and perhaps nations, 
 
 315 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIC 
 
 and thereby become of untold benefit to the 
 world. 
 
 In the meantime individuals from a few other 
 centers began to express a determination to 
 start Eepublics in their localities. Efforts 
 were made to dissuade them from so doing 
 until the Republic at Freeville had been gener- 
 ally regarded as past the experimental stage. 
 However, in two places the work was com- 
 menced ; the Carter Eepublie at Eedington, Pa., 
 and the National Eepublie at Annapolis Junc- 
 tion, Maryland, this latter supported by the 
 people of Baltimore and Washington. A few 
 years later a farm located at Litchfield, Con- 
 necticut, was given to the Freeville Eepublie. 
 This was afterward used for boys below the 
 age of fourteen years. 
 
 At the end of a dozen years the Eepublie at 
 Freeville was on a substantial working basis 
 and had grown to a good sized village. Cer- 
 tain boys who had been regarded as "prob- 
 lems" had not only turned out fairly well, but 
 had gone still further and achieved brilliant 
 success. Individuals opposed to the Eepublie 
 idea had been obliged to admit that so far as 
 
 316 
 
STAETING A EEPUBLIO 
 
 the Kepublic at Freeville was concerned it was 
 successful beyond doubt, but would it be in 
 other climes ; was it not after all a one-man af- 
 fair? The founder of the Eepublic together 
 with a gradually increasing number of people 
 believed in the principle and held that the prin- 
 ciple was greater than any one man. To that 
 end it was finally determined to demonstrate 
 their faith in the principle and establish an 
 organization whose purpose should be the es- 
 tablishment of at least one Junior Eepublic 
 within every state of our union which should be 
 open to all boys and girls who were physically 
 and mentally sound from all classes of society, 
 preference, however, to be given to those who 
 most needed its benefits. 
 
 On February 1st, 1908, the National Associa- 
 tion of Junior Eepublics was formed in New 
 York City. The Eepublics then in existence 
 united together as a nucleus for the work. 
 From that day forward the establishment of 
 Eepublics was in order, and it did not take 
 very long to discover that the work was not 
 devoid of difficulties. The introduction of the 
 idea and the getting the cooperation. of people, 
 
 317 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 the securing of land, and such matters were 
 easy compared with the task of securing suita- 
 ble men as superintendents or head workers, 
 men who realized that the great art of running 
 the Republic was not to run it at all) and suita- 
 ble helpers to cooperate with him, for it is a 
 well-understood fact with Republic workers 
 that the helpers are quite apt to be greater 
 problems than the boys and girls. Of course 
 there are decided exceptions represented by 
 those who have common sense and have had 
 extensive experience in some one of the Repub- 
 lics, and this especial difficulty will be obviated 
 as we get more people trained in the Republic's 
 methods. For they must have training for the 
 work to be efficient. No matter how well 
 equipped or experienced they may be in work 
 for boys or girls in other fields, it is quite 
 possible they will be complete failures in the 
 Junior Republic. 
 
 The policy pursued in starting new Junior 
 Republics is to make haste slowly. There is a 
 good deal of general interest in the work in 
 every State. I believe we could start out, or- 
 ganize this interest, and in less than five years 
 
 318 
 
STARTING A REPUBLIC 
 
 have Republics started in every one of the 
 States and Territories, but most of them, be- 
 cause of the lack of knowledge of the fundamen- 
 tal ideas and likewise lack of experience, would 
 fall to pieces within a short space of time, or 
 retrograde into private institutions with little 
 or no self-governing features, and would sim- 
 ply be Republics in name. How to avoid this 
 disastrous result is foreseen to be one of the 
 grave problems confronting us. 
 
 After an organization is formed within the 
 State much care must be given to the instruc- 
 tion of the pioneers, composed of the citizens 
 and helpers, on a farm set aside for that pur- 
 pose at Freeville, N. Y. The same practical 
 training that would be given to a colony about 
 to migrate to a new country would be given to 
 this group in addition to the self-governing 
 features. After their training they would go 
 to the new State, and then the battle would be- 
 gin. And let me assure the reader that it 
 would not be a skirmish merely, but through 
 much tribulation alone it would finally suc- 
 ceed, if it so deserved; if not, it would very 
 properly cease to exist, and then we should 
 
 319 
 
THE JUNIOR EEPUBLIC 
 
 start all over again at some later day. Yes, 
 Junior Eepublics have had their troubles. 
 Some of them have seemed to be on the point 
 of collapse but none of them has yet hauled 
 down its standards and it may safely be pre- 
 dicted that the weakest of them will ultimately 
 prevail, providing it sticks closely to the great 
 underlying principles of government. 
 
 Thus far the Republics have been organized 
 in one of two ways. 
 
 First. A group of people within a State have 
 got together and organized a Junior Republic 
 Association, with a Board of Trustees. They 
 are then incorporated under the laws of the 
 State. During this time they have looked 
 about for a suitable location and secured a farm 
 by purchase or gift. 
 
 Second. Some individual or individuals 
 have given a farm for the establishment of a 
 Republic and thereafter the Board of Trustees 
 has been formed, the Association incorporated, 
 and the work then begun in just the same man- 
 ner as in the first instance. 
 
 Application is made by the Junior Republic 
 Association in each State for admittance to the 
 
 320 
 
STARTING A EEPUBLIC 
 
 National Association of Junior Republics, and 
 if they are carrying out the Junior Republic 
 principles, they are admitted to, and will have 
 the benefits of the federation. 
 
 Of course I claim no patent right on the Jun- 
 ior Republic idea, but I earnestly entreat in- 
 dividuals or organizations not to undertake the 
 work unless they are to carry out the idea fully 
 and conscientiously, and in no event until they 
 have carefully studied the Junior Republic in 
 actual operation. 
 
 When I commenced this book it was my in- 
 tention to have a second part beginning at 
 about this point and devoted entirely to the 
 discussion of boys and girls of all classes of 
 society, based on my observations of the young 
 people with whom I have been so closely as- 
 sociated in the Junior Republic, and also from 
 my experiences with young people in various 
 places and divers social conditions; but there 
 was so much to be said, that I have concluded 
 to reserve the discussion of this subject for a 
 later publication. I will, however, outline un- 
 der ten headings a few facts and theories, based 
 22 321 
 
THE JUNIOE REPUBLIC 
 on experience, which. I hold tenaciously to-day. 
 
 First. That every normal boy with a healthy 
 body has certain characteristics in common 
 with all other boys of every class and condi- 
 tion of society. 
 
 Second, That hero-worship, dare-deviltry, 
 love of praise, curiosity, comradeship, and law- 
 lessness, particularly in the son of our neigh- 
 bor, are some of the principal characteristics. 
 
 Third, That physical energy, vitality, su- 
 perabundance of spirits, in the normal boy, is 
 bound to have some outlet. 
 
 Fourth. That the traits enumerated under 
 the second heading, bundled together and placed 
 in the organism of a youth possessing the qual- 
 ities under the third heading, who is irrespon- 
 sible and care-free, because he has parents, 
 friends or some society to furnish food and 
 comfort, is liable to result in a vigorous crop 
 of wild oats during the "teens," 
 
 Fifth, That relief comes finally to the aver- 
 age boy as described in the fourth heading, 
 during the transit of "fool's hill," in the form 
 of responsibility for his own support or that of 
 
 322 
 
STAETING A EEPUBLIC 
 
 others, or for the responsibility of property, 
 earned or inherited. 
 
 This revolution in his course of life results 
 in his using his stock of characteristics, de- 
 scribed under the second heading, and his en- 
 ergy under the third, as potent forces in the 
 commercial or professional world. I will de- 
 scribe him under this heading as a World's 
 Worker. 
 
 Sixth. That the World's Workers are di- 
 vided into two groups : 
 
 (a) The better sort who do right for right's 
 sake. 
 
 (b) The other sort who do right for policy's 
 sake, who believe in and uphold laws only to 
 the extent that the law is beneficial to their 
 personal interests. 
 
 But a and b, however different their stand- 
 ard of ethics, unite together as possessors of 
 property and make laws for its protection 
 against the lawless. 
 
 Seventh. That the lawless are quite gener- 
 ally composed of youth in their "teens," con- 
 ducting themselves as outlined in the fourth 
 class, and in addition those of more mature 
 
 323 
 
THE JUNIOE EEPUBLIC 
 
 years, who have not had the good fortune to 
 have the shock of work or starvation come to 
 them as described under the fifth heading. 
 
 Eighth. That the World's Workers forget 
 the point of view they held when a few years 
 earlier they were grouped under the fourth 
 head or the conditions which caused their 
 change of life as described under the fifth. 
 Therefore, when some injury befalls their prop- 
 erty or person, by the act of the lawless, as de- 
 scribed under the seventh, who are naturally 
 undisciplined and unsystematic, they cry out: 
 "The criminal needs discipline; we must de- 
 vise a System for his reformation. 
 
 Ninth. That the System is put in operation 
 by law of the World's Workers, and bears the 
 various names of Prison, Eeformatory, Eeform 
 School, or Industrial School ; but it fails in its 
 purpose because the System is given the right 
 of way, the individual for whom it was devised 
 is a secondary consideration. Life under the 
 System is unnatural and un-American. 
 
 Tenth. That the only way to remedy the 
 defect is to organize a community or village, 
 like unto any other town or village, and intro- 
 
 324 
 
STAETING A EEPUBLIO 
 
 duce the conditions as described under the fifth 
 heading and it is fair to suppose that the re- 
 sults will be beneficial, even if in some cases 
 nothing more is accomplished than the standard 
 of b, under the sixth head. 
 
 While I think it is possible in course of time 
 to make this method apply to all ages of the 
 lawless, I advocate its immediate application 
 to boys as described under the fourth heading. 
 Moreover, I would not limit it solely to those 
 boys but would suggest giving every boy in 
 the country an opportunity at some tim6 dur- 
 ing his "teens," to have a bit of this practical 
 training in citizenship. 
 
 A few final words in closing this book. No 
 one can be more keenly aware than I am my- 
 self of the task confronting me in the winning 
 of permanent success for the Junior Republic 
 idea, but it is a task that I have taken up with 
 full knowledge that it will sooner or later tri- 
 umph and be a benefit to many boys and girls, 
 instead of to a comparative few. I know that it 
 will succeed because underneath the idea rests 
 the principles that have caused our country to 
 
 325 
 
THE JUNIOR REPUBLIC 
 
 become a great nation and I believe in our coun- 
 try and its ideals. If our Republican form of 
 government is wrong, then the Junior Republic 
 is wrong. If our Republican form of govern- 
 ment is right, the Junior Republic is right, for 
 they are identical. Grranting this fact, the only 
 opportunity for difference of opinion is that 
 some may say young people are not capable of 
 assuming and fulfilling such responsibility as 
 devolves upon them in the Junior Republic. I 
 reply that a long experience has taught me that 
 they are absolutely capable. 
 
 (1) 
 
 THE END