Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1877-10-04
URGE your i1adWer-
ent Republican neiehbo7
to attend the election on
TUeSd0U.
The ChiIdren's Home.
IUeSd0l

A writer to the I1tellige,acer of Tues
day, whom we take to be DIR. Todd, of
Bridgeport, has this much to say of the
proposed Children's Home in this
county:
At the election next week PROPOSE
ton to build Children's Home in
Belmont county, for its INDECENT chill
dren will be voted on, and, if it is car
ried, the County Com N issioners, under
the law, will provide the means tor
caring suitably for these poor ones.
Our object is to appeal to the good men
of all parties to come up to, the sup
port of The measure, and try and Sc
cure its adoption. Itsurely seems on
ly necessary to remind the voters of
Belmont county OF the object of this
measure to sesure their unqualified ap-
proval. r
First, let US meet an objection that
may be urged against the measure,
viz: its expensiveness. From statisti-
Cal tables it appears that the aggregate
number of people under care or re-
straint in the State Of Ohio is
IN charitable aP d benevolent institu-
In penal and reiormaiory INSTITUTIONS 1856
| hdhiuS tOtal Ol SZS,oUo
The rate of taxation for the main
tenance of these classes is one and six
huudredths of y mill Q.O6) on each
dollar of taxable property in the State;
so that the citizen paying taxes on one
Thousand dollars worth OF property
pays ten cents and six mills for the
support of charitable, penal and re-
fOrmatory institutions, State, county
and city. Here we see what a small
pittance indeed the cause of benevo-
lence in this direction costs the people.
The object of the present movement
is to take the sixty children now in
our County Infirmary, and have them
transferred to home of their own,
where, under proper restraint and care
iul and kindly instruction they may be
trained up 70 be useful men and wo-
men, contributing In their day, with
their best energies, towards the help
ing of others in need in the great bat
tie of life, rather than themselves
growing up amidst their present un
fortunate surroundings however CON-
Portable they may seem), in little
while to be turned loose upon society.
alas, too often, to find the road to ruin,
land contribute other unfortunates to
the same system of education. We ap.
peal to every voter in Belmont county
Suppose you were so unfortunate as to
have child placed in our county in.
| firmary? (snd we nave one of the best
conducted and most comfortable in the
State, and the question was then sub
mitted to you, would you like your
child t:ken from among the miserable
uniortunates in that institution and
placed where it would be free from the
the sight Of prison bars-from among
the weak minded and the insane, and
be forever free from their terrible
grimaces, and placed where the kindli-
est care and most watchfui regard
would be exercised over them, with
all the comforts of home about them
and proper instruction afforded them?
We repeat the question, which would
you prefer?
Well, the children in our Infirmary
are somebody's children, and we owe
them great and solemn duty, and as
good citizens we should not hesitate to |
discharge it manfully and promptly.
The cost of providing "Home" for
them will be but trifiing-indeed it is |
declared that they can be cared for in |
seprate "Home" as cheaply as they are
now kept in the Infirmary. There will |
be but little difference at any rate, and |
| if even there was greater expense
than experience has taught US is neces-
sary. to keep them seraratly, the differ
ence, we hesitate not to say, in the ag-
gregdte will be more than counterbal-
anced by the prevention of the un.
happy causes which brought them to
our doors of paupers.
In word, it is vastly cheaper to
make good men and women Of them
through the wholesome influence OF the
Home than to raise them up sur
rounded by their present deinoralizing
influences, from which they may GO
,ut to soon return again more of q
change than ever. Then, too, tho in
iunction: "The poor We always have
with you," comes with unusual force
to US for observance of duty toward
them when the innocent and unoffend.
ing child appeals to us for help and
guidance.
n r. 4D 7<o7yr fTob ofoI