The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1861-02-13
For tbs L. asng State Republican.
Refornalory EdpcaQlOa.-NO. 10.

the Reformatory movement, to the discussion Of
the questions, ~ hat is the proper way of COM
hitting to such Schools who the proper SUBJ
jects for commitment are {! and what are the
more prominent causes Of juvenile delinquency?
We now propose TO consider some of those
agencies which reformatories have employed for
the reformation Of the delinquent; also, to show
the relative importances OF these various means
and appliances as reformatOry agencies.
Generally, it is true, that the corrective appli-
ance should be suited to the character Of the de-
linquency. As well might physician think to
cure all varieties of disease by an individual rem
edy. The symptoms in medicine indicate the
neutrality-suspicious. habit suggests depletion,
while low tone Of the system as certainly de-
mandsthe tonic accompanied with generous diet
Now he is STYLED "quack in medicine who
would pretend to cure all kinds of disease with
one kind of medicine, but no less Qusek is he
who would reform bad boy by the use Of the
same appliance in each individual case. The
first inquiry to be made by the Reformer is as to
the nature Of the disease, and where the friction
in lifes machinery is located.
When once the particular propensity revealed,
vigorous corrective adapted to the cure OF the
diseased parts is to be applied.
Take, for example, boy who has never had
constant occupation to employ his time, who in
turn has fshed, hunted, caught drift wood, ped
died apples about the depots and docks-been
news boy, coal carrier, rag picker, or who has
led wandering life, going to this place and that
With no visible means for support-the defect in
the training Of such is apparent to even the SUI
per6cial observer. The disease is idleness and
vagrancy, and the remedy indicated for such is
industrial employment.
The link w, ich is broken is to be repaired and
then the chain will answer the purpose for which
it was constructed.
But this industrial training should aim towards
the accomplishment OF the twO-fold object to
create the industrious habits, and developing the
| resources Of the powers OF the soul
Noindustrial training will succeed as a refor.
matory agency which acts contrary to either one
or the other Of these objects. industrial per.
suits in order reform, must possess a certain
congeniality TO the mind of the one we would
influence to become goOd-!abor viewed only in
the line of duty, trr on pleasure, or a drudge.
~ cannot be followed with beneficial consequent.
ces. Abundance of testimony can be adduced
TO substantiate this point We shall not trouble
the reader, however, with but a single citation,
and that will be from the testimony of Mr. John
Ellis, an Industrial School teacher in London,
.v;y haT, h.
COMMONS, appointed to take testimony "upon
Criminal and Destitute Jnreu;les," page 1873
vol. l, question III "Will you proceed to
state, says the Committee, 4" the way that these
boys were treated in the School first, and after.
words, in your house!" Il thought" says Mr..
Ellis, "that one cause of their crime was want
Of employment; they had never been used to
work, and no one had ever taken them by the
hand to train them in the way of work. l en-
plOyed them at shoemaking, and made that en-
ployment of shoemaking as amusing to them as
l possibly could, and found the boys were very
fond of making things themselves, such as shoes"
| By the above quotation We see that employ.
ments otherwise regarded as mere drudgery, be-
comes but an agreeable past time when properly
pSrsued.
| Here are a few vagrant and criminal boys who
had even been in the lowest prisons for crime,
the hand of kindness and sympathy is extended
| to them by humble shoemaker; he teaches them
how to work, makes his work amusing TO his pu-
pill, and the pupil begins to have love for indus
try, and thus industrious habits are formed La.
Dor, in order to be reformatory agent, must
look twoards an object. Objectless, labor never
was, nor never will be able to reform the idle,
eradicating the habits Of idleness and causing to
spring up in their place habits Of thrift and in
dustry.
Unless the mind IS interested and the will en-
listed in the work, there cannot be profit derived
from the work.
Take the case Of the invalid, Who effected
with morbid condition of the digestive organs,
who eats because he believes that eating is sol.
emn duty which the maker has imposed upon
his creatures " 10 keep soul and body together"
! or every time he eats he regards il in the Sense
of a Tar which he is compelled to pay to necess
ty. Now who would say that food would nour
ish and strengthen such body taken under such
circumstances, as It would do, provided the pa
| tent eat for the love Of eating; for the enjoy
ment superinduced by the qualification of one Of
the senses Of the physical being. So Of labor
when it is performed as a mere matter of duty
or in the light of the payment of tar, or az
servile drudyery-labor SO viewed, so performed,
will fail of the attendant advantages to be derived
from this all important agency in the economy OF
life
Labor, thus, in order to its being reformato.
ry agent, should be performed from an intrinsic
love of labor for its own sake; but this intrinsic
love Cannot exist unless the labor is in harmony
with the agent to be reformed.
Again, some kinds Of labor, az reformstory
agents, are vastly superior to Others As yet
experience has abundantly declared that Agricul
tural labor should be placed first on the list of
reformatory appliances. No species of labor
tends more rapidly to develop the whole man.
his physical, intellectual and moral being, than
work on the farm. This kind of labor seems
natural to boy. No employment, suits 90 well
the activities of boyhood. The superiority which
this kind of work claims over all other branches
of industrial pursuits will appear in one distin.
gushing particular and this particular consists
in the numberless variety which the farm offers
to the boy who soon tires OF one kind of labor
Look at the almost endless variety Of work