Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-01-20

The first day was spent in discussions, which
resulted in limiting the range Of legislative
action to matters pertaining to the reform
school and state prison, and IN deciding, by
large majority. 20 visit Nergcuues, cn massc,
on Thursday. The next morning, the legis-
laturc LEFT the Capital ou a special train, for
the d" first city Of the state" They were
cordially greeted by the citizens Of that no
moan city" and were transported from the de-
pot to ths United States arsenal grounds, the
terminal object of their journey and Wis
itation.
1t is usually the case ia Vermont, when a
school house, or court house, or jail, or State
House, or any other public building, burns
down, for the people interested ia rebuilding
the particular cdifce, TO come together i'm
mediatoly, and make provision, If possible
TO locate or construct it somewhere else
The aesthetic sense is finely developed in
our commonwealth, aud we like to have
good site" for our public buildings. II by
any mistake and it is of constant occurrence,
we have, in the frt instance, selected
poor site for our structures. we improve
the opportunity Of the first confartation 10
get better site next time. Vermont is
so filed with natural beauties that we have
no difficulty whatever in always finding
new location superior 10 the old one. was
so in this case. Yergenncs had the bdst
site" Aud We are obliged TO admit that the
4" site is a good one 1t is a very fine one.
and we hope that if the new reform school
should burn down again our people will be
conteuted with it, and that the legislature
will not have another spasm of aesthetic
frenzy and leave the capitol on an excursion
TO discover and examine stil other situations
for reform schools. II would be pleasant to
have a reform school on every line site in
the state but it is out Of reason to attempt
to occupy them simply for that cause.
The Vermont legislature is also prudent
and economical Il has a just dread Of
spending the public money. Vergennes was
fortunate in tha, its friends dill not ask for
but little motc than half as much money
to build as thu friends of Waterbury asked
to rebuild. Waterbury needed for recon.
struction tiiyfvc thousand dollars Yer.
gennes was contentod with Thirty thousand
This with the site settled the question with
large majority Of the members. They
passed a bin approwiating thirty thousand
dollars to purchase and equality" the United
States Arsenal in the city of Vergenues for
the purposes of reform school. After
ward they Appropriated the ayails of what
is left Of the Waterbury property to the
same object, and five thousand dollars addi-
tional to provide for school of industry
for girls in connection with the reform school
for boys.
We regret very much, on general princi-
pies, and also ON account of our friends at
Waterbury, that the legislature had the |
asthetic faculty so ahnoimally developed |
We have fancy for things that are settled
and though it is necessary to have schools |
for Migrants, it has seemed TO us wise not to |
have any yagrant schools, or any vagabond !
public institutions, that wait only accident /
or caprice to set out on their travels though !
the state. One of the first budding proofs |
of civilization is recovery from these nomndic |
ideas. We therefore hope that the reform
school is now permanently located, and that |
We can forever associate it with Vergennes
in our thoughts and speech
Some men know things beforehand: some
men know things after they have com, to
pass, and other men never know them at ALL |
To the first class belonged those prudent |
and sagacious representatives and senator's |
who objected to connecting the school for |
girls with the school for boys. 1t is even a
question whether our coll ciat, institutions
can safely co-cducate the sexes. II it is wise |
to doit at all when the student, aui pupils are
away from the restraints Of home, it is wise
to do it in the case OF such scholars. OF high |
intelligence and excrll,uce Of character. as
are drawn to these higher institutions Of |
learning. But it can hardly be question |.
ut all in any mans mind, Who is acquainted
with history or human nature, that it is not |
wise to take yagrant and abandoned chill |
dren Of both sexes and bring them togeth ar
in reform school; where, though separated |
for the most part, they will be together as one |
OF the leading members of the house said
"at prayers, in the school and in their rccrca- |
tons" The bringing together the lawless of |
both sexes, when both sexes have the maxi |
mum Of passion and the minimum Of the iudc- |
ment and self-control that come only by the /
early and constant training of the moral
powers, is a mistake, a. blunder in our legisla-
ton, that almost amounts to a crime The .
close proximity Of these two classes will rem
der, in order to their security and morality, /
the utmost surveillance and restraint; re-
straint and watchfulness which will be alb
solutely fatal to the best interests of both
the schools The boys and girls should be
placed 50 far apart that the restrictive dis
oipline which will now be required, would
not have been needed. Vigilance and restraint
will now have to take the place Of confidence
and trust in the care of both boys and girls.
The members who saw that, were the wise
men of the legislature. 1t is sorry thing
for the new school that majority did not
see it,
The morality of the reform school, as it is
now constituted by the legislature, can only
be secured and protected by a restrictive
discipline of so great severity and watchful-
ness as to impair, il not wholly neutralize,
its value as a rcformatory and educational
institution. II has been part of the sys-
tenn at Waterbury, to give the freedom Of
the premises to the lads who had conducted
themselves so as to win aud deserve the con.
hdence of their teachers. The present sys-
tenn will make such freedom difficult or i'm
possible, and thus one of the finest and
strongest motives TO life of honor and vir.
tue will be eliminated from the training of
the new school 1t would have boon far
better, both for the boys and girls, that the
addition of girls department had not been
made.
1t is hard forthe legislature to rectify
mistake and for this reason, while we have
most earnestly advocated school of indus
try for girls, we would have preferred to
wait for years rather than begin II wrongly.
Legislatures never learn anything from ex.
perienee They change their members too
much for that, If the present superinten-
dent should have the management of the