Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-08-03
House. of Refuge, tkc. Proceedinas OF a
Convention. ~

aAAANANNA
Radical ideas--questions that relate TO the
value of institutional discipline in general,
are inadmissibe Their first governing prin-
ciple win be conservatism of The institution.
They ossume as the beginning that institu-
tions are necessary, and whatever they do or
say will be predcated upon this fundamental
proposition. z
Now il is not, by any means, settled |
point in practice-however firmly it may be
established in theory--that men, women or
children can be improved by restraint. The
records of our prisons prove nothing of the
kind; neither do what is knownof the effects
Of the discipline Of our Houses of Refuge and
Schools of Reform. If these concerns were
under the control of persons who, TO per-
feet knowledge Of the human character,
added feelings of the warmest benevolence,
the case might be different; but experience
has shown that these are not the people who
arrive at such positions In large majority
of instances the management is in the hands
of those who are manifestly incompetent;
and in many, in those whose ncompetency is
the least of their defects. Neither does there
appear to he any means by which better
servants can, with any certainty be secured.
Our jails and penitentiaries are schools of
crime Men are discharged from them to re-
commence the course which brought them
there; with, perhaps, additional skill acquired
during their imprisonment. Nor is the effect
Of the discipline of our House of Refugemuch
more encouraging. 1t is true, we remember,
that before our State Reform Farm had been
in operation year, the hearts of the benevo-
lent were cheered by the information, coming
from high authority, that quite number of
young persons had been released from its
precincts completely reformed but with
those who are better versed in human nature
doubts will not only arise as to whether So
important renovation could acquire per-
manent character in so brief a period, but
whether if it had, there are any certain
means by which il can be ascertained. And
there is still another question: whether the
reform-if such it was-is to be attributed to
the discipline and influences of the institu
ton. or to some cause innate in the party
reformed ......
Directors and managers of reformatory in
stitutions are aware of these difficulties; and,
therefore, while they take no pains to show
the number of those who, after enjoying
period under their superintendent, emerge
apparently worse than they entered, and go
on in bad courses, let few opportunities es-
cape that are calculated TO show the appear
ance of an improvement. Said the Rev. Mr.
Barnard:
~ could point you now if you should
happen to be In Boston on some future occa-
sion, to two intelligent girls, as perfect ladies
as you ever saw in your life who were once
the most abject, miserable, unpromising little
girls ever taken in hand by Christian charity.
They were taken into the institution, and in
short time transferred to some rich people
who having no children Of ther own, adopted
these little girls. They had an excellent
home and have been made, from children OF
the lowest grade, to be as perfect elegant
ladies as ever walked on Gods beautiful
earth" E|#A E'aE E|NN.e
This sounds well, and, at first sight, would
seem to tell strongly in favor Of Institutional
training; but several questions might be
reasonably asked by way of arriving at the
true value Of the anecdote as a matter Of
evidence-as: First, were these children
actually as unpromising by Nature and
have they been made as perfect by education
as is required Pin other words, has there
not been little innocent establishment o.
both their pristine and their present condi-
lions, in order to give interest to the reationi
And second, how much of the change that
has taken place is attributed to the short in
stituticnal aud how much to the long do
mestic experience in the excellent home
which they have enjoyed? Properly read
it may be nationally doubted whether the
tale does not tell much more strongly in
favor Of individual than of institutional be.
neyolence: whether, in fact, its testimony il
not rather in opposition to institutional en-.
terprises. .faai. . a.4 1ss5 $50
Looking at our House of Refuge, and tax
ing the testimony of old and respectable
members of the police force of the city, which
is perhaps the best that can be procured, and
there is reason To believe that majority O.
those who are inmates of that Institution
leave it to beeome,g within short time t.
every appearance, worse then when they en-
tered it. The effect of the Institutional re
straint wears off, and they return to their oil,
CthIec1f hoic ODotlhotcJ anu lSSe alidu U
legal penalties than before Now, ifit coul,
be shown that this apparent change in tn
wrong direction is real one if it is so il
many cases, or even in single case-if ther
Is single human being who has been &C
tually made worse through the disci
pline he has undergone in a reformator
institution, the fact is, of itself, con
elusive against institutional training, a
least of the character Of that to which h
has been exposed, and of the institution
. where it is upholden and practiced,
thousand instances of apparent improvemer
will not do away with the effect of a sing
one of positive injury. We know thu
nature aud experience are continual
striving TO make men hetter--the teaching
of the world, of society, of pleasure and pain
oil tend 10 human ovement-thousand
of thoughts and impulses, acting secret
from within, are pushing humanity forwar
to better things, 10 avoid the evil and choOs
the good; now il We can hud IN institutio
in which, in any single case, the. effect Of a
these motives has been counteraeted, and a
impulse given in the wrong direction, ther
js but one fate that properly belongs to it
to be rooted up as soon as possible q an