Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-10-15

them there wholesome instruction and tram
ing to strive to awaken the conscience and
better purpose of the boy or girl; to instil
habits of honest industry, and when there IS
reason to hope that reform has been thus
effected, to place them in wholesome homes,
keeping still a hold over them, for their
good and thus striving to fit them for hon.
est and useful citizenship. 1t costs some
thing to do this; but it is an expense Of
which every taxpayer ought to be willing to
bear his share.
When these foundation principles are &C
cepted, the question of details, of how the
desired results can be best reached at least
expense-whether the congregate or family
system is preferable what is the best in
dustrial occupation for the inmates of the
school; whether they should be bound out
till of age or for shorter terms, and the like
are all matters for fair discussion, in all the
light that experience can throw upon them =
and for the exercise of the sounGest practi-
cal Judgment that can be secured.
Some things are pretty clear. One is that
the congresate system, having been adopted
by the State, will be likely TO be retained for
while, and must he made the best Of. That
one effect of the very interest felt by the si-
perintendent in the boys unlCr his charge
may he to retain them longer than is ncces-
sary in the school, before binding them ont,
is altogether probable. That there was need
of the pressure which Gov. Proctor has eX-
erted, to secure the finding of proper homes
and the sending ont of more of the boys TO
them, we can easily believe, But whether
the family is a better place for the boy than
the Reform School. depends upon what the
family is The families from which many
of the children 20 to the school, and to which
if discharged they must return, are no
doubt much worse for them than the
school The boy, when taken under
the care OF the State, if a proper subject for
such care, we think should he kept in the
school till he has some of the ruiiments at
least of a common education, which he might
be long in acquiring in some families to
which he might be sent, and TIL his vicious
habits are so far modified that there is hope
that he will lead an honest life. For all
such hopeful cases good places should be
found outside the school as soon as possible.
Whether it is wise 10 largely increase the
share which the towns bear of the expense
of maintaining the boys in the Reform
School. is a question 1t is well 10 have the
share borne by the towns large enough to
prevent improper commitments. But TO
make the towns chargeabc with most of
the expense of maintaining the boys sent
from them to the school, would be, we fear,
to defeat the purpose of the school. One
reason why the whole system of criminal
Justice is made State charge, is in order
that the ends of Justice and the protection of
the community may not be defeated Ivy the
limited means and parsimonious habits OF
smaller communities - and such habits
would be more likely TO defeat the ends OF
philanthropy than of justice. If the towns
must pay the bigger part OF the cost oil
boys, and those only uncomfortable and in
corrigibe Offenders will he placed in the
school. 1t does not seem to US wise to thus
restrict the benefits of the school. The
Reform School cannot be made paying in
stitution, in dollars and cents. 1t can pay
richly in other ways if it succeeds in making
honest and industrious citizens of boys and
girls who without it would grow up to prey
upon the community and to lead lives of vice
and crime and if it brings to the taxpayers
the consciousness-w worth more than gold
that they have done what they could to re-
move from their shoulders the responsibility
for the wrecked lives of the criminal classes.
In saving this, We have had no thought of
calling in question Gov Proctor's practical
phlanthrophy and We give much weight to
his judgment. But it seems TO us easy for
our legislators, at time when questions Of
retrenchmcnt andeconomy arc very properly
taking great prominence, to eXaggerate the
consideration Of expense in this matter. 1t
is Of the first importance that our reformatory
and repressivc institutions, the Reform
School, House of Correction and State PRS
on, be made most effective for good TO their
inmates and to society. The next thing is to
secure that end with the least cost. To this
portion Of their duty as members OF the State
government, our Legislators must bring the
good hearts" as well as the good sense"
for which Gov. Proctor gives them credit ;
and must not let economy stlle philanthro-
ply.