The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-12-17

Our W A5nlnRton county, fA.1 nelVnDorh
are preparing to follow the good example
Get them by the people Of Belmont county,
Ohio, in the matter OF providing Home
for the INDECENT children Of the county,
outside OF the regular Poor House where
adult indigents are cared for. They have,
It seems, been led to agitate the matter by
the action OF State Convention Of Direc-
tors Of the Poor, Of Pennsylvania, at
which the Importance Of guarding children
against the demoralizing and contaminat-
iug influences Of Poor Houses was fully
discussed. So impressed was the conven-
ton with the necessity Of rescuing the
children OF each county from such inlu-
enCes that they appointed committee to
prepare the draft Of an act on the subject,
10 be submitted TO the Legislature, which
reads as follows:
SECTION /. Bel enacted, de-, That II shall
not be lawful for the overseers, or guar.
Jians, or directors OF the poor, or other
persons having charge OF the poor, in the
eralcounties, cities, ,boroughs and town.
ships OF this Commonwealth TO receive
into, or retain in, any slms-house, or poor.
house, any child between two and sixteen
wears OF age, unless such child be an un- |
teschable idiot, an epileptic, or q paralytic,
or otherwise go disabled or deiormed as
10 render it unfit for family care.
SEC. 9. 1t shall be the duty OF said |
oyerseers, or other persons having charge
Of the poor, to place all pauper children
who are In their charge, and who are over
two years OF age. with the exception
named in the first section OF this act,) in
some respectable family in the State, or in
some suitable institution or home for
children; and the said officers shall visit
such children, In person or by agent, not
lsss than once in three months, and make
All neediul inquiries as to their treatment
and welfare.
SEC. 3. In case said overseers, or other
persons having charge OF the poor, shall
themselves establish and maintain an in
sitution or home for children, such a
house shall be remote from any almshouse
or poor house, and entirely disconnected
from the same.
SEC. 4. Any person violating the pro.
visions OF this act shall be deemed guilty
Of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction
thereof shall be punished for every viola
ton Of the same by fine not exceeding |
one hundred dollars.
It is proposed to have some .such act as
this passed at as early day as possible, 30 |
that it msy.go into operation in the coming
year. We have no doubt but that it will
pass the Pennsylvania Legislature. Amy
man who Is tit to be in legislature will at
once see the importance OF q provision OF
this character. It is a measure that deep.
ly concerns the welfare Of society in every |
State in the Union. There Is no surer
way 10 multiply paupers, criminals and all
sorts OF worthless and dangerous charact-
srs, than to associate children with the in
mateS OF aims houses. They grow up
without any sense OF self respect and
without any OF the elements OF true man
hood or womanhood, and soon 60 from bad
to worse, and unless rescued by some for
tuuAte accident become curse to society.
The whole case in respect to INDECENT
children was never more iorcibly stated
than in the speech made by the late Gov.
ernor Stanton, st the time the project OF q
Children's Home in this city was under
discussion. He said that the proposition
to be decided was simply whether We were
willing to rescue children from contami-
nation and make virtuous and useful ciIi-
zsnS out OF them, or suffer all the expense
Of supporting them as worthless paupers
or destructive criminals when they grow
up. This view is really the whole propo.
sition in nut shell, leaving aside all
questions OF humanity and Christianity.
We are therefore glad to see the present
movement in Pennsylvania, and we hope
that our Washington county neighbors
will not wait for coercivo act on the part
Of their Legislature before taking steps to
do what they should have done years ago
ssaa matter OF selI.interest and selt'pro-
lection.