Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-01-08

in place OF those just destroyed, will have
no more cficlont co-workers than the men
who have the school in charge.
There Is, however, mistaken impress
sion abroad as TO the aim and results OF
making the sentence to The school "durlng
minority" Tho reason Of passing the law
of $50, which made the sentence til tho
boy should reach full age, was not 10 fill
the school, nor has that been It's effect.
The trustees Of the school, by the origin
a! law Of 1sGG, have power to discharge
boys when the boys are reformed-when
the object OF their being sent to Waterbury
is accomplished. In practice 1t was found
that short sentences tended TO defeat the
very object for which the boys were there
at all. The sentence OF few months had
the effect Of making boy feel entirely in
dependent, and If he could temper his dew
iltry with just enough sense to keep from
being sent to jail it was all he cared for.
In few months he would go out anyway,
aud what was the use Of trying to behave
or become better when it suited his loose
notions to continue in his old wayg
The result in such institutions has been
found TO be this, -when short sentences are
hitting authority 10 great extent the
boys so sent look to their stay as definitely
bounded and continue in the school with
their eyes aud hopes liked on that time and
not on mending their ways; thus It is that
short terms are almost invariably fully
served out Sentences during minority on
the other hand turn the attention Of the
inmates to the fact that conduct Is what
tellSi they are more amenable to rules and
to good influences, and large numbers OF
them so conduct themselves that in effect
their minority sentences arc very short
ones. There are many people who do not
realize that sentence 10 reform school
during minority will not necessarily keep
boy there till he il twenty one the truth
is, it merely keeps him till he shows the
officers he is fit to go, oruntil he is twenty
one, if he persistently refuses 10 show by
his conduct that he is lit to he discharged.
Minority sentences are then not harsh,
10 not of necessity teud 10 crowdng the
school, and do aid greatly IN the accom-
pllshnent of its purposes.
There Is one thing, however, that does
decidedly tend 10 increase the number Of
boys at Waterbury, and that should
s,raightway be knocked in the head when
the legislature meets. Tho vagrant act of
1861, which was introduced the day after
the ST. Adams raid, and framed by Luz
clus b. Peck for the purpose of catching
possible rebels, has become Il source OF
evil. Towns have poor boys on their
hands, or there is poor boy who may be-
come Troublesome 10 somebody-wha ca
Sier way than to have them sent to the Re-
form School, where they twill be taken
care Of, and where, besides, the State will
have to pay for keeping them? Boys have
been sent to the Vermont Reform school,
whose crime, in reality, was poverty and
whose transfer 10 Waterbury was caused
10y the desire Of towns TO get rid Of paying
for their support. This school is not q
State poor-hOuse; TO prevent its being
made such the vagrani act of 1864 should
be repealed, and further, the State should
be ON the watch that no other laws are
stretched for the sake OF allowing towns 10
get rid of paying for the care of their own
poor boys.-Mohfpelie Freeman.