Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-11-24
A POWERFUL AGENCY FOR GOOD

A POWERFUL AGENCY FOR GOOD.
The charitable requests of the late
William Sharon have been made public
They aggregate $4,000. Among them
is gift of money TO the Boys and Girls
Aid Society There is nothing in the list
that is better applied.
| That association has a work in hand
that is of higher value to society than any
charitable effort of which the public has
knowledge. Its purpose is wholly pre-
yentiye. 1t takes neglected youth and
makes men and women Of it fit for Amer
lean citizenship, and who, else, as certainly
as day comes and night follows would re-
cruit the criminal classes and become a
charge under restraint, cost and men
ace to communities, in the matter of pun
ishing crime and restraining the vicious
from assault upon society.
The way to prevent crime is to begin
with tyros in vice. Two-thirds, if not
more, of the criminal class entered upon
the career of law breaking in early youth.
1t is the exception when the mature man
or woman becomes member of the outlaw
army. 1t is easier to prevent than to sup
press or regulate, and hence it is a duty in
cumbent upon organized society to block
the paths of temptation, and to SO modify
circumstances that tend to turn impress
sionable youth into the paths of vice. that
it shall have the better opportunity to
walk Alright.
In the case of those criminals who be.
come such from youthful association, it i.
not, and should not, be in the mouth of so
ciety to say that their crimes are volun
tary. There is a sort of social despotisn
that rules youth beyond its power to re
volt. 1t is the tyranny of circumstances
that are the outgrowth of social imper
fections
A potential resistance to this despotisn
is found IN such societies as that referred
to. 1t operates upon but one basis, that o
prevention; it seeks to surround unfortu
nate youths with influences that, under
ordinary conditions ought to, and do
produce the better types of manhood ant
citizenship. Instead of grouping youth
viciously inclined, and afiixing to then
the inefiaceable stigma of corrective re
gala, such as must mark all inmates of re
formatorY institutions, it places the chill,
+ within the circle of home influences of tn
better order. This is the only true theor
= and practice for the treatment of viciously
: inclined minors. Society simply excuse
q itself for neglect of duty when it give
q over boys and girls to State prisons an
q semi-penal institutions, on the pretens
4 that the child is hopelessly vicious an
: that only the restraints and punishment
@ of prison will apply to it.
: Whoever has studied human nature t
I any sort of advantage must have con
A cluded that, in seven cases out of ten, O
h even more, so-called viciously-incline
children can be trained, through the agenc
of their mobility, in correct courses. Wan
: and neglect make more criminals than in
- born deviltry; the inevitable influence {
- vicious surroundings within the power {
- society to modify, if not wholly remove,
p at the root of the major portion of crimins
, lives.
v For these reasons we look upon sue
4 agencies asst hat so recently endowed b
Y several gentlemen of wealth in San Frar
y cisco as of the very highest importanc
10 and as demanding all possible aid and Ell
70 enlargement that society in its social an
$ governmental capacities can give. Boy
i and Girls Aid Societies lay the ak at IL
II root of the tree-prisons, and reformat
Q, ries, which are prisons under anoth,
10 name, simply make the effort to crib al
r confne vice, and only in a very limite
ot degree prevent it or reform the offender.