The record-union., 1891-02-06
STATE BOARD OF CHARITIES.
The Noble Work Done in Many States
of the Union.
California Should Have Such Board
and Should Have 1t at Once
Reasons For II.

and Should Have 1t at Once
Reasons For It.
EDS. REcoRp-UNIoN L read with
great pleasure this mornings editorial in
the REcoRD-UNIoN on the proposed
State Board of Charities. There is
no bill before the Legislature that
should receive more attention and
heartier Endorsement than this. The
present Legislature is. committed to
two principles, economy and eff
cheney, in the management of the
affairs of the State. The establishment of
of a Board of Charities. composed of able
philanthropic citizens, serving without
pay, would contribute beyond measure
TO The economical and efficient manage
ment OF our correctional and charitable
institutions. The largest tax paid by the
people, apart from the support of public
schools, is the tax paid for the support of
the unfortunate and the criminal. This
tax is paid cheerfuily, for no one desires
to be penurious toward the poor. the
orphan, the insane, the feeble-minded,
the deaf, dumb and blind. These unfor-
wisest and most humane care OF the State.
The criminal, too, needs wise care and
humane treatment The trend of modern
penal work is TO reform the criminal and
help him back 10 citizenship. The Jail
and penitentiary are regarded as moral
hospitals, and not merely places Of pun
ishment, though punishment must have
It's place there as Il means to an end.
Every man and woman who has given
any thought at all TO these matters knows
that these correctional and charitable in
stitutions demand. the hcss brain and
heart of the land in their management.
And yet il is patent to All that some of
the most brutal and i1human wrongs
have been perpetrated on those unfortu-
mates who by loss OF reason,
LOSS OF MORAL POWER,
Loss of physical strength, and other
causes, have been made inmates of these
correctional and charitable institutions
The newspapers are constantly bringing
to light horrible crimes committed III
these institutions. There is work to-day
in our own land for q score Of John How
ards. OF the extravaganza and waste Of
public money in many of these institu-
tons | need not speak here 1t IS known
10 all who have looked into the matter.
Calitornia's unbounded generosity in
providing for the 'untoftunates has been
and is yet shamfully abused by those
who dispense her princaly charities.
There is<no institution that has done
more to itHng about reforms in these de-
partments than the State Boards Of Char
ity. These boards exist in New York,
Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Hi
nois, Indiana, Wisconsin,, Michigan,
Minnesota, Kansas, etc. They have the
support and endorsement of all our best
philanthropists, among whom may be
mentioned, Hon. +. b. Sanborn, Of Massa-
T..
York; Hon. u. Elmon, of Wisconsin;
General r. Brinkerhoff, OF Ohio; Bishop
Ireland, of Minnesota, and many more
A study Of the important changes effected
by these Boards is the best argument in
their favor.
The New York board to which you re-
fer began in 1874 to study the causes of
pauperism and crime. One result of their
inquiry was to break up the system of
rearing children with adult paupers in
poor-houses. This board has executive
power in some particulars. They have
prevented the dumping down in New
York Of paupers from European coun-
tries. The Pennsylvania beard brought
about great improvement in the care of
the insane. The board for the State of
Illinois greatly reduced the expense of
maintaining public institutions, and at
the same time increased their efficiency.
The Wisconsin board has the credit of
an
ORIGINAL AND EFFICIENT
Treatment of the insane. The Michigan
board has performed wonders in the care
of dependent children. That State now
stands the lowest, | believe, as California
stands the highest in the number of chill
oren dependent ON State funds. Minne-
sofa has had board for eight years, which
has rendered immense service to the
State in its charitable and correctional
work. 1t has supervisory power over
the State, county and municipal correc-
tional charitable institutions. Monthly
reports OF the expenditure for the care of
the insane, paupers, prisoners, are sent to
this board, and the board publishes quar-
terly statements, carefully compiled and
classified, showing the expense of these
several institutions. In this way it is
not necessary to wait until the close of a
year to learn how the expenses are run
ming. 1t has greatly improved the con-
dit!on of its county jails. These State
Boards OF Charity have been rightly des~
ignated as balance wheel to steady the
motion of the charitable machinery of the
State. That this State needs such bal
ance wheel no one viii deny,
The greatest care should be exercised
in the selection of the board. Those
selected should have special fitness for
this work. They should be men and
women who have sympathy for the I'M
fortunate and erging. They should be
philanthropists, mot sentimentalists.
They should be chosen because of their
interest in and knowledge of charitable
and correctional work. They should
serve without pay, except necessary eX-
penses of travel. They should be selected
without regard to their politics or re-
ligion. In order that they should be
above suspicion of favoritism or COM
plant, they should have no appointments
at their disposal except those Of its office
employees. An efficient secretary is the
great desideratini. Thej,idgment of those
most conversant with such boards is they
should be advisory and not executive,
though in some States, as New York,
Massachusetts, Kansas and few others,
they have more or less executive power.
The State of California needs such a
board, and needs it now. The present
Legislature can give no surer proof to the
people of the sincerity of it's promise to
conduct the affairs of the people with
[ efficiency and economy than by the es-
tabliShnent of such board. There are
in California people who are wise enough,
humane enough, patriotic enough, to
serve on such board without other fee
or reward than the satisfaction of helping
the State in its care of the unfortunate
and dependent class. Yours truly,
j. b. SILCox.
Sacramento, February 5, 1891.
Gfate E>r.fnfir,t> nfHca