Daily Republican., 1885-07-27
Reformatory Ipsaitntlons.

In our cal columns to-day will be
found description of visit of one of
the REPUBLICAN staff TO the House of
Refuge, Philadelphia, for which we
bespeak a careful reading. 1t will be
doubly interesting in view Of the or
ganization Of the Ferris Reform School
this coming tall. This school will diff
fer in some essentials from the Phila-
delphia House OF Refuge, and yet its
purp )ses and aims are the same. The
House Of Refuge is walled in, prevent
ing the escape Of the criminals, while
the Ferris r Reform School Is an open
farm Of one hundred and ninety acres,
with a mansion farm house in which
to commence the reformation of incor-
rigible boys. 1t cannot be expected
with the facilities at hand to enter
largely upon the reformation of incorri-
gible boys largely at first, but begin
ming can be made, and as developments
are made, the movement will gather
strength and force until the institution
may be endowed By both the Stato and
the city of Wilmington. The House of
Refuge, of Philadelphia, is probably
the greatest reformatory institution in
the State of Pennsylvania, but it has
taken fifty-seven years of unfemitting
toll and experience to make 1t so. 1t
had to have a starting point, and proba-
bly, those men are yet alive who can
account the trouble and labor in start
ing it, and the various expedients and
experiments resorted to in the inter
ests OF reformation for children. The
Ferris Reform School has q great
advantage over other reform institu-
tions of long standing. They had to
work themselves along unaided, de-
pending upon experiments and some
times mistaken Judgments, but Mr..
Pickels, Superintendent of the Ferris
Reform School, has the opportunity of
avoiding all mistakes that have been
made, and of adopting from the start
all that is good in other institutions.
Now that a reformatory institution is
to be organized in Delaware, let the
people see to it that it has proper, NOR.
al and financial support There will be
no trouble In finding plenty of inmates
The city is swarming with boys who
ought to be,in reformatory institution
and the country has few of them too
That these boys can be reformed ha
been fully demonstrated by tn
Philadelphia House of Refuge. Their
seventyfive per cent. of the inmates hav
been reformed, and made good an,
useful citizens. This is wonderful,
large percentage. To save three incol
rigible boys out of four is somethin
worth laboring for. Heretofore, Dela
ware has had no reform institution
When boys got too bl1 to bs permit
ted to run at large in ci villzed society
they were arrested, convicted, sent
jail to keep company with the harde
criminals, chained to the pillory, lasl
ed, and turned loose upon society agai
more hardened than before. This Is Il
only course left to pursue yet, but wi
the advent of the Ferris Reform Scho
may we not hope that this harsh, u
yielding, demoralizing system W
cease.
These boys who have been incarc,
ated in Jail and whipped at the W hi
e;.e poet, sl. 60 rou4t tI.s vf Lliem can
saved, and all those who are permit
to run at large without arrest
account OF the terrible severity of
law that only Furnishes, can also be
claimed to good citizenship by t
reformatory measures of the Fer
Home.
There is, however, much needed
make the Home grand success. AT
the purchase of the farm, which "
necessary, only some $60, 900 was l
for an endowment, out of which nee
sary alterations and repairs had to
made. 1t will be seen at once that
the best not more than 50, 900
annum can be realized with which
carry on the school, and that will
20 far toward supporting school t
in all probability will be crowded fr
the start.
Provision Is made for members
the school by the payment of two {
lars per annum, and q larger amo,
secures life membership. Tt
should not be less than fifteeu hund
citizens of Wilmington, who wo
give two dollars year to
noble work OF reform, and there sho
be three thousand OF them in
State. This would put the institut
at once upon q substantial basis.
In looking over the last annual
port of the Philadelphia House
Refuge we find that that institu,
receives annually from temper
loans, $14, 800 from the State Of Pc
sylvapia, $42,O00; from the city
Philadelphia, $42, 500, and from
earnings of the children, $40, 25S
making q total revenue OF $119,05,
Ifit were not for the eighty-four tn
aud five hundred received annu
from the State of Pennsylvania
tie city OF Philadelphia, even
strong institution could not be n
the grand success that it is. Nei
can Ii be expected that reform sc
in Delaware can be carried on wit
public aid. The State OF Della,
and the city of Wilmington will
very likely find it to their best inte
to endow this institution. Indeed,
are morally bound to do 1t, as all
courts Of the State and the Magist
are permitted to send incorrigible
TO the institution instead of sen
them to Jail. However, as we
already said, everything must hs'
beginning, and the Ferris Re
School Is not an exception. We
no doubt whatever that the I
Reform School will be the Hous
Refuge of Della ware, and that 1t W
the beneficiary Of both the
of Delaware and the city of Will
ton.
THOUGH the rain has come q
too late to revive parched vegetati
is still in good time to help corn
lat, notatoes. Besides, it Ia OF int