The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-07-04
An Unwarranted Statement Corrected

To the Editor of the VALLEY VIRGINIAN:-
Our attention has been called to a recent edito-
rial in the "Od Commonwealth" of Harrison
burg, in which very severe structures are made
upon the Chidren's Aid Society of New York. 1t
is stated by the writer that after making some
inquiry into the operations of the said organiza.
ticn he finds that it is merely mercenary con-
Germ traficing in human flesh, advertising to fur
nish comfortable country homes to boys and
girls-getting together crowd of the healthiest
of those who apply and shipping them to such re-
mote points that their return is thus prevented
binding them out at fixed animal sum to farm
ers and others who also make down payment on
delivery of the child the society representing
that the children have been inmates of their
Home" fora long time and undergone prepa
ration for assignment to christian homes, and yet
that they would be CONSIGNED ITO homes or mas
child. so long as the Aid Society received the
blood money Of his bondage
The writer started out bysaying that of the first
company of boys brought to Augusta county, $50
remote from N. York; some OF the boys dissatis-
fled with their new W homes left and started to
subsistence. Only two of the first boys sent to
this county ran away and they had been assigned
Alexander, on South River. 1t is useless in this
county to describe the character OF these gentle
men The h two boys BY preconcerted plan left
twenty-four hours; one of them was furnished
means to go back to ew York on the cars by
some charitable person in Staunton, the other
had his board paid here in Stanton land was fur
| nished passage back to New York by the Aid So
ciety.
l
| No farmer who received one of the forty boys
who were distributed first and last in this county
made any down payment Or agreed to make any
annual payments hereafter to the AID Society or
any one else in consideration of receiving such
| boy. The only obligation imposed, and that was
verbal one, to give the child all the advan-
tages of education practicable and train him up
to be good and useful citizen, and no child was
assigned by the agent to home without the en-
dorsement by one of the undersigned committee
OF the Y. NJ G. A. of Stanton, of such home as a
suitable one for the proper training of child.
1t is deemed unnecessary to notice the other
criticisms made by the "Old Commonwealth in
asmuch as the above denial takes away ali mo-
tive of pecuniary character that could influence
a society claiming to be a charitable one.
AS to the local standing of the Aid Society in
New York, it is little surprising that the editor
OF the "Old Commonwealth" failed to see state
ment published a few days since in most of the
papers to the effect that on the occasion of a re-
cent marriage in the Astor family in New York a
bridal present of $500 was made to the Chidrens
Aid Society of said city
The editor having signihed his willingness to
"give ample retraction" if persuaded that his
statements were incorrect, we hope he will ex-
hibit his satisfaction by republshing this article
and do but simple justice to one of the noblest
charities OFF the great American Metropolis.
]. e. GUY.
RO. s. HAMILTON,
OF Com. Y M. c. A.