St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-04-14

pride of the city in welcoming so many
of our out-of-town friends who are IN
terested in what we all feel to be a very
great work, the rescue and reformation
of dependent and unfortunate people.
He then gave some statistics in regard
to the proportion of prisoners or Grim
inalS to the population in tie different
states. This comparison was very ia
vOrable to Minnesota.
Dr. Smiths Opening.
DR.. S. e. Smith. president of the state
board of charities and corrections, then
delivered the opening address. The
doctor, after expressing his pleasure at
the success of this gathering of people.
all working for the lettering of the race,
said in substance that we had reached a
point where we were ready to study the
science Of humanity. One hundred
wears ago the world had not b gun TO
have all idea of what the race was deS-
tined to De or even capable of being,
The Catholic church, the old mother
church, had done all that was done
for ii relief of the sufferings
of humanity and not with
standing our differences of opinion, he
for one was always glad and willing to
give her the credit she deserved in this
particular. One hundred years ago the
prisons were worse than the most vivid
imaginations could picture, and less
than one hundred years have passed
since John Howard had begun his
efforts for the relief of wretcheS VINO
were unfortun ate enough to be shut in
these dreadful places. In fact, his life
was martyrdom for the help of these
people, whom he lived and labored
and died to help. Crime is first a
disease of society, then d disease of
person. One hundred years ago the in
sane were supposed TO be possessed Of
the devil and were out into the wilder
ness often to die of want and exposure.
The blind or dumb had no hope or no
one to help them. We have now new
school of prophets. The old prophets
told of the coming of this golden age.
the new prophets tell of the gospel of
reform by hope, not to the strong but to
the weak. No state has SO little of what
is called party politics i'll the manage
ment of her state charities as Minnesota.
hope the day will be lar off before this
blot stains the fair record of our state as
1t does many of our sister states, where
change of party power means change
in all the management of our state
charities. think that if we do no more
party, no man, shall lay his hand on
Gods holy ark OF progress in this mat
ter, we will do well. Not only prison
reform is the matter aimed at, but the
prevention of crime. Superintendent
BrockWell, of the Elmira refOrmaIory
points with pride TO the fact that OUT
of one hundred prisoners ne has been
able to return eighty cured. but we
want to save them all. This will
never be until we have In our element
airy school a thorough teaching in good
WAYS. | believe that the Increase in
crime that has been so out of proper
ton to the increase of population for the
last ten years is owing to a lack of the
teaching in our schools of those funda-
mental principals of right on which
alone can be based a strong character.
strong to resist the advances of evil, and
strong to live for the best that life af-
fOrdS.
State school Work.
DR.. Smith then introduced s. A. Mer-
rill, superintendent OF the state school
at Owatonna. who read paper OIL the
State care of dependent children, anu
told of the work done in the state school.
He does not think that the children
should be confined in schools or asy-
lumS. He gave some statistics showing
that in many states children are con-
fined in the poorhouSeS and refOrma-
tories. He objects to this, as it is an in
Justice to contine al innocent child
with vicious ones and leave the stamp
Oh his life of having heen confined
in place where evil-dOers
alone are supposed to be held.
Ohio, for instance, has 5000
children in her poorhouSes and
other such places. but Minnesota has,
not one child in such place. He gave
some statistics of the expense of sup
porting a child in state institution.
After the close of his interesting paper
DR.. Smith stated that five minutes would
be allowed for q uestions, as this was an
educational meeting. Mr.. Hart led in
ques ton, and soon others Joined him.
Dependent Children.
The next paper was read by Rt. Rev.
James McGolrick, of Duluth, on the
Care of Dependent Children in Orphan
Asylums and Private Institutions. J"
The reverend gentleman spoke of the
work done for the homeless children in
the different institutions of the state, of
the care bestowed upon them, and ar
gued for the placing or such institutions.
as far as it was possible, in the country,
Wn6r0 the cnlluT6D cOulu nave
the advantage of large yard
and a garden where they could be
allowed to play and taught to work.
He spoke of the care exercised in chooS-
ing homes into which these children
were to go, and of the supervision of
those homes after the children were so
placed. The religious life as well as
the social opportunities offered by the
applicants was taken into consideration.
He then told of the industrial schools OF