The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1881-12-02
REpoRa s,noeL.


lish reform school in this State. The
Legislature should have done this years
ago. And when considering the necess-
ity for the school it were well for our
people to dwell upon the condition OF
things that makes this school necessity
There Is vast amount Of wealth in
Oregon that was made here. And
wealth in q measure has blinded those
who possess It to the wants of thousands
out of whom this wealth has been made.
For thirty years almost everything
used In Oregon came from the east.
We have produced cereals and furnish
ed fish for export. In the mean time
boys and girls have grown up without
adequate instruction in large class of
cases in those matters by which sup
port could be obtained. We have had
no factories, machine shops,to speak OF
or any Of the many enterprises needed
in our commercial developments in
which boys could learn trades and
build up for themselves name and =
business. And strange as il may seem
we have given encouragement to mech
anics and manufacturers residing out
of the State and but little to those
within 1t who are working more in the
name to establish something for the
State, than in the substance of their
calling. Their means are limited and
the field occupied. Experience must
have convinced our people that consum-
ers must manufacture for themselves.
1t is demanded spon every principle
OF ethics. We have run our present
system until we are shocked at its
fruits. And there is no more sagges-
tive commentary uron the evil of this
system than what the wants Of young
men now present. We want factories,
and all the sids that can be given to
our young men, for their growth and
development to trades. We notice
a number of capitalists have taken it
upon themselves to found or recommend
reform school. Would it not be
as well to build factories and open up
enterprises to give honest employmsns
to boys. The State needs them and
there is wealth enough here to build
them. If the demand was met In this
particular therewould be field opened
for large number of our boys. Our
Penitentlary is filing up with toys.
There are boys there fifteen years old
and upwards. The supply is increasing
rather then diminishing. But few
days sincs two lads were sent 10 the
Penitentiary from some county for
stealing. They were young.one fifteen
the other q little older. One claims
to reside in Roseburg and the other
in San Francisco. They started from
Portland to 90 to Rossburg en- foot and
made it = point to steal all they could
along the route. These boys have
been neglected by parents, guardians
OF the community in which they were
raised. Now they arc in the Pen'ten-
tiary and will have served out term
there before they are Of age. Who Is
responsible for their conductl Boys
are 70 a great extent creatures OF their
surroundings, and the influences that
governed these boys were known to
somebody. That somebody is RESPONSE
bic. Il is the duty Of the State. to see
that boys thus neglected. are not sent
to the Penitentiary, but 70 some place
for correction. They are tender and
susceptible and may be restored 70
ways Of rectitude. To associate years
with hardened criminals would ruin
any boy. It is bad enough to have a
large number of boys placed together
in q house of correction, but it is better
han 70 place them With criminals
The better the associations the sooner
the reformation. We should have
and work shops for them
where they can associate with respect
.ble men and learn honest pursuits.
These boys should be taken from the
Psnitentiary as soon as possible and
placed at labor where they wsuld be
with the hope of being
as soon as trades were
earned. No State can allow It's boys
o become criminals.