The Portland daily press., 1882-09-01
Plaisted and the Reform School.

The Governor of this State has recently
invented a new campaign issue and is now
seeking to divert the attention OF
the public from his illegal and rovo-
| lutionary course With the Council by max
| ing an unwarrantable attack upon an iusti-
stitution of which the people of Maine are
| justly proud, the State Reform School. The
Governor is preferring charges tEat are hor-
rible For instance, one day when visiting
| the School he saw boy who said he had to
| go without his dinner for not closing up in
| the ranks. This boys statement shows con-
clusively tina: boys are starved there, and
that the trustees, superintendent and all the
officers should be at once removed and DEM
ocrats, who hardly ever do naughty things,
should be put in their places. Some wicked
Republicans might suggest that the boys
lied, but it makes no difference if they did.
The Governor understands perfectly that the
best boys in the State are selected for the
Reform School and that whatever they say
can be lied upon and relied upon. Right
here, however, we would like to inquire
what becomes of the bread made, for nearly
a barrel of -four day is made into bread;
and the meat, vegetables, beans, molasses,
milk and other provisions-where do they all
go to? And where do sstaryed" boys get
their healthful appearance?
Again, the Governor says that when he
| visited the school last winter he saw sick
boy lying on cot, "while through the win
dow Of the room the hot sun was beating
down upon the little sufferer" Sunshine is
very dangerous, especially in mid-winter.
Owing to the peculiar situation of the sun
at that particular time of day it was an i'm
possibility for it to be shining upon the boy
mentioned unless indeed the sun kindly
shifted its position to accommodate his Ex-
ceIlency, the new Joshua, and furnish him
with campaign material.
Then, again, we are told that the Superin-
in prison." Surely this is a serious charge.
All the boys there are committed for often
ses against the laws of the State, AMI some
of them for very heavy crimes, such as plac-
ing distractions on the railroad track, set
ting fires to dwelling-houses in the night
time, and even manslaughter. These good
boys should be allowed to roam over the
building at will and act their own sweet
pleasure. Either the doors should be left
unlocked at all times or else every boy
should be provided with keys.
Lastly, the Governor appears to complain
that the officers of the school endeavor to re-
turn boys that have run away. OF course
this is great abuse of power. If a boy es-
capes no effort should be made to return him.
The Governor says the officers wanted to
''terrorize the boys SO that they would know
if they ran away they would be returned"
Dreadful! Boys should never be allowed to
get such absurd notions into their heads;
they should be at once informed that they
may run away as much as they please and
that no effort will be made to return them.
The truth is simply this: Governor
Plaisted without just cause, merely for poll
teal purposes, sought to remove the Repub-
licans on the board of trustees and to fill
their places with Fusionists. Finding him
self defeated by the Council he turns about,
like beast at bay, and savagely assails the
school with misrepresentation and SANDER
The eleventh of September is near at hand.
On that day the voters of Maine will show
Harris II. Plaisted what they think of a
Chief Magistrate who, on the eve of an i'm
portant election, solely for his own advance
ment, will stoop to throw mud at the in
situations he solemnly promised to uphold
and protect.