Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-03-07

| he continues an apprentice he is allowed
no share III his earnings; but rs soon as he
| has mastered his business, part of the
| income from what he produces, by no
means inconsiderable, is his own, but is
| not given to him till the time of his liberia
| ton. Count Sollohut assures me That the
| intelligence and zeal of the apprentices in
mastering their several trades, are such
that instances are not rare, in which it is
| accomplished in two months! SO potent
a thing is hope, and the prospect of better
| ing their condition, even to criminals.
! The first general result of this system is,
| that fully nine-tenths of the prisoners in
| this Jail master q trade so completely, that
on their discharge they are capable of
| taking the position of foreman in shop !;
and the second is that there are scarcely
any relapseS; but, on the contrary, those
| who have been subjected to its discipline,
| are, almost to man, through the trades
| they learned in prison, earning and eating
| honest bread,
You will agree with me, my dear sir, that
| the second of the facts related above, is as
cheering and hopeful for fallen humanity,
as the first is deplorable and dishearten-
ing. If prison officers, by wise applica-
ton of energy, can accomplish such re-
suits as those recorded by SollOhut, surely
| society, by the use of like wisdom and
zeal, may so adjust its arguments as to af-
! ford q substantial remedy to the state of
! things alleged by Mr.. Hill to exist at this
| moment in England.
Much to bear directly upon this
topic might be drawn from various
countries, by making comparisons of
the means of education and the number
of crimes which are known, also the
| peculiar kinds of crime which specially
! characterize certain countries. The so
called heather nations would furnish
large reports of the killing of infants
and of the aged, of the low estimate of
human life, of the disregard of the
rights and property of others. The half
civilized and partially enlightened ma
| tons would furnish father material,
| and would show that as education is eX-
tended, crimes diminish not only in
number but in degree. And such les
! sons would not much interest us, for
! they do not come near enough to effect
us sensibly. OF course they should i'm
press every lover of his country to strive
! to maintain the position we have, both
| because OF our present greater privil-
eyes, and lest we descend ever so little
down towards those where crime so
abOunds as to make them notorious for
their low vices, their unsettled society,
their rampant anarchy.
From our own country, not merely
from the Ku KluX Klans, but in Ger
tain sections education is less and crime
is more yes from our own loved New
England we may gather facts enough to
make us realize that as efforts for the
| education of the people are successfully
made, so will our people be rescued
from dangers and from i'll, and crime of
every name be so far banishcd from our
streets and our homes.
The Commissioner of Education, Gen.
J. Eaton, Jr., has obtained, after a care
full examination, by an able and com
petent observer, some results which de
serve serious consideration. Personal
visits to prisons and rcformatory insti-
buttons and extended observations fur
nish the means of giving many facts.
Some of these facts are as follows:
|. At least 50 per cent. OF the crime of
New England Is committed by those who
have no education, or none sufficient to
serve them valuable purpose in life. In
1868. y per cent OfaIl the prisoners i'm the
country were unable to read or write.
from to per cent. of the population Of
the United States commit 80 per cent. of
all our crime, and less than Onc-tifth of
one per cent. is committed by those who
are educated.
. Not far from - per cent. OF New Eng
land crime is committed by persons of
foreign extraction. Therefore % per cent.
of the population furnishes IS per cent. of
the criminals. 1t Is noticeable. however
that the immigrant coming hither with
education, either in schools or labor. does
not betake himself to crime.
). FROM so to 30 per cent. of our Crimin-
ais connect their courses Of crime with in
temperance.
In all Juvenile reformatories % per
cent. of the Offenders come from idle, ig-
nOrant, vicious homes. Almost AL chill
dren are truant from school at the time of
their cOmmittal; and almost all are the
children of ignorant parents. These chill
dren furnish the future inmates of our
prisons for ''CTiminals are not made i'm
SOME n.ali%n hour, they grow" I'm the
face OF THOSE t4cts, what can he said but
this: "lgnOrHncc D}GEdS crime education
is the remedy for the Grain" ,hat imperil4
us"
;. As in New England. 20 throughout al
the country, from 50 to 20 per cent. have !
never learned amy trade or mastered amy
skilled labor, Eblch leads to the cOnclu-
sion that ''eduCation in labor bears the
same ratio to freedom from ArjnC a5 Cdu-
cation in schools"
Permit me to emphasize one or two of
these facts and ask YOU to carry them on
in the years Of yobt working. Less
than onc-tifth Of one per cent of all
our crime is committed by those who
are educated, or, Of 500 criminals in
our land not as MANY rs one to each 500
bss been educated in other words. uni
r. >rsai education would reduce Cfiur 499-
500 s>pd more.
In 70, srencc to children and crime by
-hn,,, on pcr cent. come from idle, i9-
1orant viciourr bones. and are truant
from school at the, tin3e Of their commit
al, and almost all a -" children OF
gnorant parents.
There is another view III which this
subject is to be regarded. As vet only
he amount of education has been con
idcred. An inquiry might Maturity
arise, whether the kind of education has
my bearing here.
The system of school marking and adj
Of scholars from class to
lass, or grade to grade, is largely for
recitation, for acquisition Of knowledge
md readiness in reciting. And to this
md the efforts of most teachers are
argely if not mainly directed. And in
hus directing our efforts, is not a more
object very much overlooked |
3 the acquisition of knowledge the great
hing, or the best thing in the training
# a human being. Is intellectual growth
worth more than moral character, and
an we raise our pupils to perfect man
loOd without equal pains In implanting
light principles as well as strengthening
heir powers If we give them more
and only science. how is it
hat they are only more competent in
rhine If we praise and reward for
martncss in class, do we not run great {
isk Of intoxicating in them the idea that ,
ust this smartness is all they need, not
My Cor school life, but in after life
BY their knowledge of science they :
will be made more expert in deyising
plots andschemes Of crime.
With many of our teachers | know these
nay seem idle words. But with some
n their intense devotion to science, ,
hn tn.-t on. tonic Of ccinrcn Snnrns To ON !