The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1890-01-02
Gents.

removed to create healthful atmosphere.
1t would be murderOus negligence IN a city
or village stricken with contagious dis.
ease to trust wholly to the skill of its ply
Sicians to restore the stricken Inhabitants to
health. No such risk would any city dare
run. Our efforts to help the criminal to
better life must go on earnestly. But while
the physicians are laboring with the sick.
we must do what we can to remove the
cause of SO much disease.
Reliable statistics prove that nearly three
| fOurthS OF the criminals of our land took
their first lessons in criminality while yet
In their teens, and in most cases at all age
previous to the expiration of the usual
school period-sxteen. And there is fur
ther proof that idleness. lack of proper
home training. and the want OF some hon.
orable aim in life. are all prominent factors
in the moulding of youthful criminals.
With these facts before us, is it not evil
dent that with proper attention given to
the young in the formative period of their
existence much can be done to lessen
crime? We must look to the public
schools of our land to mold the youth
Alright. Provision must be made to educate
ALL the children and bring them under
proper influence. Appropriations for our
public schools must be made with no mig
gardly hand. In an address delivered
by eX-Presdent Hayes last year before the
Prison Congress, after citing certain weak
points in our laws concerning the education
of the American youth. he used these
words: ''If the young. of all conditions of
life and of both sexes, were trained to in
dustriOus habits, taught some form of USE
full labor; if education gave them the love
Of labor. the spirit of labor, and ability to
labor. we should soon see the tide turn IN
our prison statistics. Instead of constant
demand for more prison room, we should be
gladdened by permanent decrease in our
prison calendar"
With the advent of improved methods in
education, such as manual training, etc.,
facilities are given for the proper direction
Jf the minds of the young. no matter what
the bent of the mind may be.
In view of this. every state in the Union
should count it one Of its first and most i'm
portant duties to compel the children to at
tend school: and it should be part of the
compulsory education law Of every state
that no manufacturing, mechanical or mer-
camille establishment be permitted to en-
plOy minors without the consent of the
proper school officers. except during the va
cations of the public schools in the city or
town where the minor lives.
By the last census report the school pop
ulaton of the United States was Is. S79,
Duo. Wnle the numOer actually enrolled IN
the public schools was but $500. 333. Our
own state pretendsesO have compulsory
education law. but it was not drawn with
the care such an important measure mer-
tied, and as result it is dead letter. as
the following figures will show. The num-
Der of pupils enrolled in the public schools
Of Minnesota during the year 1888 was 253,
S94; census of persons of school age in the
same year, 416, $50; average daily attend
ance during the year. 1876. 46S.
The great preventive measure for the
crime of our land lies in the duty we
owe society of so framing our compul-
sorry education law as to bring under the
influence of our public schools the children
who are now growing up in ignorance, and
who from lack of proper guidance are SOW
ing seeds of error to reap lives of wretched-
ness and crime. Public spirit should so be-
stir itself on this question that our next leg
islature would not dare adjourn without
passing law of compulsory education so
framed that it's provisions could not be
evaded. j ohm l.. Harris, in WinOna Re.
publican.
Agnostic (argumentatively): You say