The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1865-01-04

ton would certainly be confirmed felons.
Human nature is much the same inside the +
Reform School walls a. outside. What city .
or nation has ever existed in which there
were no criminals: What patent way ior
reforming ALL persons has ever been dis
covered
But let US put our inquiry into q different
and more practical shape and ask" Are
all boys benefited by a residence in the Re /
form school, and if 50. in what way" To I
this it may be safely answered, that every
| boy. considered a. al individual. human
being. who resides the average time in the
institution, which exceeds TWO years, re-
ceives some permanent good.
l. He Is benedttedphysically The health T
and physical perfection OF 2l7 boys Will be
greater By living two years in the School
than they would be II the same boys lived
the same time il the streets and jails. il
filth and frequent destitutiOn. Cleanliness,
wholesome food regular hours and mode
rate industry are favorable to physical per
I lection.
2 Every boy Is benefited intellectually
I oy his attachments in literature. While
some improve much, all know more than
they did when they entered. The boy who
can read and write has all sources Of know
ledge open to him, and bis Individual hap
piness Is vastly Increased, u the same time
ne becomes a better and more useful men-
Der Of society. We say letter member;
because we believe tia, all knowledge Is
conservative and beneficial both 10 the il
dividual and TO society. II every convict
in our State Prison could be educated 10
the tull periecti0n Of his faculties, Ike sec
retaries Seward or Chase l0r instance, we
believe he would be be better citizen
after bis discharge than be would be if be
came out ignorant Ofthe alphabet A Grim
inal who, during his lie, spends thousands
u hours IN reading, spends those hours
innOcently and happily, and in manner
harmless 10 society.
J. The social relations are 10 worse than
they were before they came 70 the school
and with many Of them they are vastly bet
ter. Most OF the boys al home are sur
rounded by social relations not very favor
able 70 virtue, as is shown By the gerry
fact Of their being sentenced here as Grim
inals.
4. In their moral relations, the boys are
much better situated. They learn here the
first great lesson which every good citizel
has 10 learn-that he must subordinate bis
individual will 10 those rules which are fOr
The good Of the whole society; and he learns.
by experience, the advantages of having his
rights ofpersOn and property strictly pro-
tected from the aggressions Of his fellows.
5. A training to habits Of regular and
continuous industry in some useful branch
Of labor, IS one Of the greatest needs OF the
bays A barge nnri ion orthauo have ua,a~
followed any business with regular hours Of
labor; and the influences they receive here
in this direction are most valuable as q
preparation for future activity in society.
). The relations which man sustains t.
the Creator as an immortal being. and
subject Of divine government, are taught
here TO the boys by the Chaplain and in Tie
sunday School, with a force, diligence.
/ system and ehectivenss Elr transcending
the instructions they would elsewhere have
/ received on the same subjects Ii may be
said that in cases where boys continue TO
/ be criminal, it is evident that they are not
Influenced by the lessons they have received.
I Bat this is not in all respects a correct CON
clusion. The result OF such instruction ia
the school is similar to that in a cougregu-
ton. Some of the hearers strive 10 con
/ form their lives fully 10 the teachings OF the
preacher; some are partially affected: some
leave the church, and plunge into the gross
est vices. Are We therefore TO conclude
feet All knowledge Of divine truth is bene-
fetal 10 q man TO some extent, whether he
conforms his life TO that truth or not Il
is better to know than be ignorant It is
better for society that its criminals should
have correct views OF the being and charac-
ter of God and Of their own duties. than
that they should be worshippers Of stone
idols, or SO stupid aud ignorant as to have
no religious faith or knowledge whatever
While, therefore too much should not he
expected from Reform School as modely
which all criminals can certainly be made
over into virtuOus persons, /; should be
favorably regarded as an institution by ,
which all the inmates, during their stay.
are kept from the commission OF crime by
which -ome are permanently reformed. and .
those who are not receive benefits which
add to their own happiness and render
them less injurious TO society.