San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-12-08
A GOOD SUGGESTION,
Houses OF Correction Needed for Youth
full Offenders.

/ gattu powers AZ the TRUSTEES OF tue ptO-
| pie. to use iIs best endeaVOrs &c nip
| crime in the bud and TO rely more upon
preventive than punitive statutes. As
owen Meredith says, in LUCILLE "Save
the man in the boy" Experience and
observation demonstrate the extreme
dificulty-I was on the point OF saying
the sheer impussibil ty-of Teclaiming
men who have Lost all self-respeCt and
become hardened in crime. When
man loses his self-respect and Is con-
sciOus Of tine fact, that he has forfeited
the respect OF his fellow creatures by
the vices and crimes with which he Ia
stained, he Is generally past the reach
OF reformation. This notorious fact IS
pregnant with Instruction. Ii proves
the value and importance Of moral train
ny by the incubation of correct princt
pies In childhood and youth while the
character is in its formative stage, and
appeals strongly TO patents not TO shlrk
the duty devOlved on them.
Now, in consequence OF the inatten-
tiun and negligence OF parents, boys,
still in their teens. are frequently ar
Taigned IN the criminal courts for theft.
There is no doubt from the evidence
that they are guilty. Nor Ia there the
least doubt OF their being aware OF the
d Inference between right and wrong and
therefore amenable 10 punishment. But
should they be convicted and sentenced
to the penitentiary, what would be the
probable result? Contact and assoCia-
lion with men degraded by vice and
hardened and br ItalZed by crime, would
Inevitably corrupt and contaminate
them to such an extent as to hand them
over to u career OF crime. After serving
out their term of punishment in the
pruiIeUtiaTy, SO fur from being weaned
from vice and crime, they would adopt
crime us their vocation and 90 from one
grade OF crime to another with fatal Ia
CIliry.
What shall be done with these tyrOs
in crime and boys in yearsp TO let
them go unpublished, because OF their
youthful ness, would never do at all,
since iC would not only encourage them
10 plunge Into fresh crimes. but would
have most perniCiOus influence upOa
,Yery boy in the community There is
no humanity and philanthropy In suf-
frring bows VINO are guilty of theft or
any other crime TO 20 unpublished; for
the reason, that il embuldens them TO
rersist IN evil courses and eXersts y de-
ltteriOus il flJeuGe upon all other boys.
As have remarked above, 1t will har-
den them in crime. if You force them 10
herd with men TO whom crime has be-
com second nature and whose con-
vprSaGIOn breAlheS nothing but con-
tempt for honesty and virtue.
We cannot lake either horn of the d.
lemma. Ihay musE nor, out OF mis-
,Aat Ell tenderness of consideration for
IN iT extreme youth, b. allowed TO 60
UNPUBLISHED. Nor must they BE- made
hardened criminals by being herded
with men devoid of the semOlAnce Of
mora lprincIple and Wtdd, d "a crime.
What, then. shall be done With this
Class II you HUI Cylinders? Thar is the
uut S ion to ne debated and considered
by pIll4n hrOpists, Statesmen. humani-
tarians aud christians We can not
thrust IL To one side under the pretenGe
that We are too much immersed IN the
cares of business to give IL consideration
without beng guilty of culptble neg
lpCt of duty. As citizens, as well as indi-
vldualS, we are morally bound TO use
every possible effort 10 diminish and
prevent Grim. Nay, | go n step farther
and lay il down that we are bound to
endeayOr 10 reclaim men from crime.
All punishment short OF that of death is
designed to reform criminals and to
wean them from criminal practices, and
in the case OF bows in their teens, who
have plunged into crime in consequence
of the criminal neglect OF parents to eX-
erCise proper parental authority and con-
troll over them our obligation TO endeavOr
to reclaim them is intini ely stronger
aud weightier because their reformation
is more probable.
The state should build at least two
houses of correction for the confinement
of youthful Ofienders-one TO be located
in eastern Texts and one in west
N al of 10 tpa a
necessity for two houses of correction,
but to be located at different points. ALI
offenders, under fifteen years of age, upon
being convicted, should be sent TO one
of these houses of correction. | know
the fashionable name given such estab-
lishments, as are here recommended, is
refOrmatOries, but in my judgment,
houses of correction comes nearer to
the mark and expresses the purposes of
them better. don't care what they are
called, provided they shall be erected
and so managed as TO reclaim youthful
ottenders-that is the main point.
Towns and cities should be empow-
cred to build and maintain houses OF
correction for youthful offenders, guilty
Of a violation of their municipal ordi-
nances. This is really essential.
Females betaking themselves to pros
titution under Is years OF age, should be
confined in the house of correction for
period TO be fixed by law. Illicit cohabi.
tation with a female under Is years of
age, should be treated and punished as
rape, except where the male marries her
previous to his being convicted for the
otfense. The legislature must strain its
power to the utmost tension to protect
the chastity of females as well as 20 d.
minish the number of women living upon
the wages Of prostitution, since fem lie
chastity is the best support OF private
and public virtue, and virtue Is the basis
OF private and public prosperity.
Were female prostitutes, under Is,
sent to house OF correction, there
would be a possibility of 'ecIaiming
them; and the mere sending Of them
there would exert sautary effect on
young girls not yet embarked 10 prosti-
tuition. Irepeat, with all possible EN-
phasis, that the law cannot possibly
throw around female chastity too great
a number Of safeguards and -amparts.
and that the subject IN 'rits and should
receive the most careful consideration
Of the Legislature. Stringent laws for
the protection of female chastity from
the arts and articles Of the lecherOus
seducer are wiser and more humane
than laws for Furnishing prostitutes,
however necessary the last named laws
may be TO the conservation ofsociety.
Texas can well afford TO build two
houses Of CORE Ction, rs she Is. finan-
ciaIly, in good condition. Humanity
demands that she should establish them.
The welfare of the people would he
thereby promoted. Every man that is
reclaimed from vice and crime, may be
R..H oil I'll ta ID