The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-03-10

and daughters Of paupers, bcggars drunk
ards and criminals. Can anything be done
for this mass Of youthful depravity: Many
Of them have already been initiated into
criminal ways or taken the iirst steps in
vice. All Of them are extremely poor, and
their hard life has blunted their sensibili-
ties and dwaried their moral nature. Are
they not past help? II virtuous men and
good citizens can be made from this I'm.
promising material, will any one doubt
that we have found the new elixir that can
lranamute the basest OF human metal into
pure gold? Mr. Brace receives these chill.
dren into his schools, feeds, clothes and
cares Tor them. Under his charge they
enjoy n pleasant home, have kind friends,
and are given an opportunity to learn and
to work. Their sell.respeCt Is cultivated,
their conscience quickened, and they are
filled with Il purpose TO be somebody and
accomplish something in life. As soon rs
II can be smelly done, they are placed in
good homes, mostly in the country, out OF
the reach Of the temptations that might
allure them back 10 their old ways. What
is the result? Mr.. Brace says not more
than three children out Of thousand leave
his schools to become paupers and erin.
inals. Thus Is proven tho wisdom oil the
much quoted but much doubted sentiment
ofSolOmon: "Traln up child in the way
he should 90, and when he Is old he will
not depart from it"
The State Of Pennsylvania at the close OF
the late civil war undertook the task Of
providing education and maintenance for
all the destitute children OF her dead and
disabled soldiers. In this benevolent and
patriotic task the State became the guar.
dian and caretaker Of u, 900 children. The
children thus provided for must in all cases
be in destitute CirCumstAnces-in many
cases they are found to be in a condition Of
actual suffering. Their home surround.
ings in the main could hardly be worse.
Orphaned by the war, their poor mothers
in most cases were unable to send them to
school, TO give them employment, or even
to keep them out OF bad company or pre-.
vent the formation Of bad habits. When
they come under the charge OF the State
they are generally very ignorant for chill
dren OF their age, and about as
promising morally as any children
that can be found. What is the re,
suit? OF the 1900 children admitted
into the soldiers orphan schools, nearly
5000 have been discharged after remain
ing in school an average length Of time o.
six or seven years. Prob bly, one-hali o.
these have now reached the age Of man
hood and entered upon the active bushes.
OF life. Means are at command Of ascer
tanning where they all are and what they
are doing, and careful canvass OF thu
matter shows that not two per cent Of thu
whole have turned outbadly, and at leas
ninety per cent have become useful mer
and women. This is u strong statement
but not stronger than tn. facts warrant
1t shows the wonderful uplifting power o
educational influences when prope-l!
directed with tair chance TO operate
Pennsylvania has expended in this goot
work nearly 1000 900, but she has NOR,
than saved that amount from the lesseneC
cost Of her poorhouses, prisons, and peni
tentialles.
In the face OF facts like these, can any
one claim that education does not tend L
prevent crime? 1t is true that our public
schools do not accomplish all in this di
rection that ought TO be accomplished
They work at great disadvantage Their
are hundreds Of thousands OF children
throughout the nation thatthey have neve
yet been able to bring within their reach
A very large proportion Of those who Dc
attend school remain under instruction bu
for n short time, scarcely long enough t
acquire the merest elements OF knowledge
much less TO complete an even moderated,
liberal course OF study or to form stable
moral character. And, ut the best, thu
pupils in the public schools OF the United
States are under the care OF their teachers
on an average, only about one-fOurth OF thu
hours OF the day, and scarcely more thar
one-fourth Of the days in the year. It fire.
quently follows that the good influences O
the school are neutralized by the bad in.
tiuences OF the street, and that vicious com
panions pull down quite as fast us the bes
teachers can build up. Then, the popular
demand is for intellectual results; and t
produce them teachers tax themselves t
the utmost, forgetting that moral instruC
ton, the formation OF character, thu
shaping Of life, is the grand purpose Of al
education. With these and other draw
backs that might be named, it is too much
to expect the public schools to rid us Of
all the evils that atilict society; too much t
expect attendance at school for a week, {
month, a year, with ability to read, write
and cipher little, to keep men out Of pris
ons and penitentiaries who have had nc
home training in their youth, who have
been allowed to associate with the bad
taking from them daily lessons in vice and
crime, and who have grown up idle, ant
without restraint. But with all its defects
We are well convinced that the system o
public schools is the most potential agency
by all odds, at work among us to-day, tc
root up vice, to lessen crime, to lift up thu
people to n higher plane OF civilization
and to save the sacred principles OF repub
licanism our fathers planted on American
soil and babe us cherish with our lives, oul
fortunes and our sacred honor.
nIEn