The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-01-07
CHLLpRENS HOME.


ground of my objection to the location of
the Children's Home near town. 1t is
not because of any annoyance from visi-
tors. On the contrary would encourage
visiting. / regret that our people are not
more in the habit of visiting schools
Parents even, who have children in at
tendance, very seldom, II ever, enter the
schoolroom. Are they more likely TO
visit a Children's Home in which they
have no direct interest? / venture the
opinion, that we're the institution three
or five miles away from Canton, there
would be more visitors than if To-
Gated within the city limits 1t wonld
be pleasant driye-a convenient stop
ping place. Are there not more visitors
to the County Infirmary than to our city
High School? distance lends enchant
ment to the view"
My objection to its location near a town
is the liability of the children coming in
contact with the demoralizing practices
of the day. mean tobacco, smoking
and chewing, beer drinking, gambling in
divers ways, Sabbath breaking, chronic
loafng, and other evil habits. These OBJ
jectionable practices, so easily contracted,
are not common in our rural districts.
On reflection you will concede that the
character of eeemosynary institutions, is
not favorable. Obj ctionabe traits are
likely to have been inherited. Good boys
and girls left orphans have no trouble in
finding homes. 1t is the Japhets and
Topsys that will be your wards. You
should aim to change the bent Of the
twig, To do so the more etlectually,
keep the scions away from temptation.
This enterprise is not a new thing. The
same have been in existence many years,
in the older settled states, under differ
ent names. In fact it lis only combined
small edition of our State Reform School,
and the Industrial School for girls. The
trustees who have been appointed should
regard it as their duty, before involving
the Taxpayers in project so important,
and in which every citizen has common
interest, to correspond with those who
have had experience in the management
of schools of this character. Experience
is worth more than theory. George +.
Howe, Superintendent of the Reform
School for boys, Lancaster, Ohio, and DR..
John Nichols, Girls Industrial Home,
Lewis Center, Ohio, will cheerfullv give
their views on the better location for such
an institution. MORE ANON.
These Children's Homes are a new In
stitution-at least in this region, and the
danger is that a sufficency of plain com
mon sense will not enter into the location,
arrangement and management. As we
understand it, the name, Chidrens'
Home, implies what it is to be. If So
what need of 9htTge iaFm" to the Home?
The children are not to remain at the
Home and be there domiciled till grown
up. The idea is to care for them as in
the family, and as soon as possible get
them engrafted into some private fam
lily and become one of the household
Hence the Importance of proper training,
as to manners, culture, &c, all Of which
would help the little ones to good places.
Hence, too, the propriety and importance
of frequent visitations on the part of the
outside public. Hence, in our view, by
locating the Home in convenient prox-
unity to large town, all these objects
would be greatly promoted.
We beg of the gentlemen who may
have hand in locating the Home, not
to make exiles of these little ones. A
superintendent ofthe Home, ,imbued with
good practical sense will take the proper
steps to induce visitations-all whic" we
regret to say, the teachers of the public
schools neglect to do. He Will be the
wrong man in the wrong place, unless he
gives his whole soul to the work. The
right man will see that the minds of chill
dren are occupied fully and properly, and
that industry is never lost sight of. In
this way they may be kept from tempta-
ton and from bad habits, Idleness is
the great cause OF bad habits and crime.