National Republican., 1876-01-29
eIRLs REFORM SCHOOL BILL
Hearing Before the Senate comni.tss-Emi.
nant women Pregsut.

The Senate Committee on the District Of Cs-
lumbia at II o'clock q. m. yesterday, gave hear
ing to the Board of Trustees Of the Girls Reform
School. There were present the distinguished
ladies now holding convention in Washington,
who desired to lend the aid Of their presence and
sympathy to this worthy work. Mrs. Matilda
Joslyn Gage, Clemence s. Lozier, NJ. D., OF New
York; Mrs. Lille Deveraux Blake, Mrs. LeDrolct
Langdon, Mrs. Sheldon, Mrs. E. A. and Mrs. L.
ID. Wood. Hon. Fred. Douglass, Major A. q.
Richards and many others were present. deeply
interested and prepared to add their testimony If
needed. A letter was received by the committee
from the Department oi Justice, and snethe:
pending bill. A beautiful letter was also re-
eeiyed by Mrs. Spencer from Mrs. NJ. E. z. Bou-
lgny, chairman Of the Women's Centennial COM
mittee, desiring to be on record as an earnest
friend Of this work. Mrs. Sara ]. Spencer, presi.
dent Of the Board of Trustees, presented an ar
gument We should like to report in full did space
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen of the Commit
tee bill sppropriating the conscience fund for
Grafton was introduced in the House OF Repre-
sentatives at the first session of the Forty third
Congress, and was debated in Committee OF the
tees Of the House for one day, the result being
the passage of all the amendments favorable to
the bill 1t was late in the session, and the time
allotted to our committee having been exhausted
in debate they tailed to secure action on the Dill
itself before the adjournment.
The bill now under consideration Dy your CON-
mittee includes all those amendments, ana tnere-
fore expresses the deliberate Judgment OF the
who introduced the bill in the Senate success
fully advocated these amendments on the toor OF
the House; During the debate no member op-
pressed were all in relation to the amendments.
But there were, and are, objections existing in
the minds of men against this kind Of legislation
for this class Of persons objections which do not,
and will not, appear in debate, where they can be
met and answered in the light Of the nineteenth
h,,fx- hfnh hUa haaDf IN ha min and
heart, and sway the Judgment and senses with q
force mighty as the concentrated prcJutices and
A respectable man came to me one day and
asked, with evident anxiety, whether our bill had
passed the Forty-third Congress, and how soJn
any portion Of the buildings would be ready for
us. because" said he, "a young girl OF four
teen, at my house, must be provided for some
where within three months. Out OF my house she
quired. al may as we'll tell you the truth,
madam. She is my daughter mere child, yo1
see and as gentle and modest girl as ever saw
in nv life. We can find no clue TO it whatever.
After her mother had done her utmost to get at
the truth l bought raw.hide-the largest could
ind-and have hung il up where she could see IL
constantly She shall tell who that villain is or
wont leave her alive. There was never a stain on
my family before. and she has been kept as limo:
cent as q baby" 'As innocent as o baby
1 cried out; "you wicked man! And be
cause an innocent Daby is to be born you keep
raw hide suspended over the head OF ths IA
nocent mother, SO cruelty wronge1 by some
coward like yourself, that her whole life is
s9ted even pn SSu dS gOsF Sss' s to
] see the record in your face. When you life the
raw-hide over that suffering child look over your
own past life and see the wrecks you have ade,
and strike her II yCu dare, May God forgive
you" He dropped his head to the table and
sobbcd aloud. ! took his address and tried -
find shelter for the girl. for my own hands were
already full. l went TO the kindest-bearted pso-
pie knew; but there was four months shelter
Of a disgraced girl, terrible, and, perhaps. at
her age, fatal ilIness-an illegitimate child for
nfe-for who would want II? / did not succeed.
At the end Of two months the mother came to me,
pale as ashes and trembling violently. "She
was taken sick this morning" she said; land her
father says that IL we don't get her out OF the
house by dark he will put her on the street. He
had given us plenty OF notice, and we knew what
we had to depend on. He means II; he can hardly
keep his hands of her now, he is so enraged." A
lady physician, me % Der OF our board, went with
me Immediately to the house. All argument and
entreaty proved unavailing. We did not wish to
men in Columbia hospital, and at the eleventh
hour Sister Of Charity gave her bed. week
later word was sent me that If would take the
infant, fine boy, the father Of the girl would per-
nit her to return home. 1t was impossible. Two
other cases were on our hands, and dare1 not
the extreme youth of the mother, tho case will
occasion no surprise. If ruined girl is 80 unfor-
tunate as to have anatural protector, heaven help
her, The rest Of the world may scorn and con-
denim her, but she belongsto him, bears his name,
and has inflicted on him an injury which even
blood cannot etface.
Mrs. Spencer furnished figures and facts TO
prove that not only as a measure OF humanity
should this bill receive kindly consideration, but
that economy and craftsmanship demand re-
formatory institutions rather than jalls and sta
ti0n- houses.