The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-02-19
THE HOUSE OF REFUGE.
Yd 4 u III G9H
Speech Of Hon. WiH.-CHmbaek.

/ .&bek ksEAN#-
The House of Refuge Bill being un-
der discussion nthe Senate rof Indi-
ana, on Friday, the 10Th instant, Hon
Will. CuMBAcK, Of Decatur, in sup
port Of the measure, spoke as follows
As I have the honor to be member
Of the committee who prepared and
reported this bill, Task the Indulgence
Of the Senate to say a few words in
| favor Of the general objects sought to
be attained by it. / leave to others to
speak as to the details Of the measure.
| If seems to me that unless we pass
this bill, we shall have done nothing
more than many 4 preceding General
Assembly has done Il ez9g1i
Let us show, by our broad and lib
eral views, that we have caught the
spirit of progress, and are prepared to
look beyond the mere temporal wants
| of the people-that so far as we can,
as legislators and Christians, we will
encourage virtue and suppress vice
and wrong = that we viii inter-
pose the strong arm of the State to
arrest the torrent Of crime that is
sweeping so many of the young into
the prisons and jails of the country.
That something has not been done
long ago, is a matter of both regret
and astonishment. '3 ~ -qDa
A conscientious regard for faith
full discharge of our duty, and the i'm
perative necessity for prompt and
effective action, absolutely forbid that
we should longer postpone the adop-
ton of this most beneicent measures.
The streets of our cities and towns
are filed with boys uncared for by
any one, who are pests and outcasts in
society, and who are living and NOV
ing opponents Of pauperism, idleness,
and crime. ~ t'.. D aa9h5o
Withdrawn as they are from all
wholesome moral influences, they
each day make the chances more GER
tain that their manhood will be infa-
nous, that their whole life will be- a.
curse and not a blessing to the world
Can they be reclaimed? Is it in our
power to remove them from the vic,
ious influences that now surround
them, and ainstih into their young
hearts comprehension of their duty
to God and man, and implant in them
a desire for higher. a purer and al
God has stamped his own glorious
image upon every one of these living
souls, May we not burnish and make
bright this seal Of Divinity that vicg
ious habits and evil COMMUNICATIONS
have. so deeply corroded and almost
obliterated2 ~ vs. vs. 94ie a
Left as they are, with no moral ia
1uences thrown around them-shut
out and excluded from the society of 4
the good and the virtuous, and hour
ly exposed to the influence of the
grog-shops, the gambling bells, and
other dens of iniquity, there is posi-
lively no hope for them. They are
lost, irrecoverably lost, unless by
some such measure as this we save
them, satsE n t.5s..-osT - inaI
Our criminal laws do not meet the
evil, but rather aggravate than cure it.
These juvenile offenders are arrest
ed and thrown in prison with pardon
ed criminals and abandoned wretches,
and when they come forth they are
hardened in. their purpose to lead a
life of crime-they are graduates in
and adopts in sin, and COM
mence anew their life Of lawlessness.
1t is scarcely, possible to find a single
case of reformation in young criminals |
by this sort of means. This having
failed, let us try, this mode Of dealing
withthem. Let US substitute the laws |
of kindness and love, instead of the
harsh penalty of the law. Let us
make them. feel that we have an ifrtera
est In them, and for them, and that
they may not say like one Of old, mo |
one careth for my soul. 30 be -nid Rf
The Institution contemplated { ih9t
this bill rs not an experiment: new and
unified. Other States have long since 4
va Ike up to thelmportance 6f the sub
iect,, and. have BY their wise and be- |
nificent legislation adopted the remedy 4
here proposed, and with the most
happy and, satisfactory results, We
haveat heirnexample before us and the |
light of their experience to guide as. 4
d Tits a, fact that cannot be denied
that kindness has reclaimed the most
criminal of mature years.
These cases, grant, are few, but they
do sometimes occur. But if we will |
surround these boys before their
minds are matured with a pure moral |
atmosphere, brace up their PROSTATE
self-respect, aud make them feel that
they, too, may stand in the front rank |
among men, the very best results will
follow; and if we do not succeed
in reclaiming all, we will be
the instruments of saving many
From a careful investigation of the |
reports from the institutions Of this |
kind from other States, I find they
bear united testimony to the fact that |
the great majority who have the cbene-
fit of these institutions are entirely |
reformed Many who go from these
institutions are taken from thence
intoI the bAndSb0f Ehristian ;i;aasi