Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1894-07-05
TEACHERS ASSEMBLY.
ARGUS BUREAU,
ATLANTIC HOTEL,
CITY. June %.

woman in North Carolina could
have heard Capt. benson, as he
plead so forcefully for reform
school.
Superintendent Mills, of the
Thomasvillc Orphanage, was on
the programme to discuss this
same subject. A letter was read
from him stating his inability to
come on account of the sickness
of one of his assistants.
First, few items of business
were disposed of, the chief one
being the changing of the time
for electing the officers of the
Assembly from the second Fri
day to the first Friday of the an
nual session.
Then Capt. G. B. benson, of
Raleigh, Secretary of the State
Board of Charities, took the
floor, and in words of eloquence
that came from the heart, and
went to the heart, presented the
cause of the unfortunate boys
and girls of the State that have
no home and no place of refuge.
The following is an outline OF
his speech:
Our State is blessed with many
institutions-her asylums for the
insane. schools for the deaf and
dumb, and the blind orphanages,
county poor houses and the like
what does she still need to com
plete the full measure of Heaven
ly charity?
We have a State University,
colleges. academies and schools;
we have d system of public
schools, but we have a great
need vet. We must reach the
young who fill our jails and
work houses, and are, by law
exiled from the schools.
More than one-fourth of our
convict population is under 20
wears of age A larger and in
creasiny number may actually be
found in the State penitentiary,
who are under 16 years of age.
Children who are waits some
times. born in the poor-hOuse,
sometimes the children of widows
are swept away by little temp
tations early in life. They are
brought before the Judge who
cannot see the Jail open its jaws
upon childhood. He is admon-
ished and escapes punishment to
return to his training in evil and
become bolder and bolder as a
law breaker. Patience ceases,
and he is placed in jail, there to
be finally and totally debauched
in every way-ruined physically
and morally by the hardened
wretches, once susceptible, like
himself. of reformation and gOo0
citizenship.
The third degree in his educa-
ton downward brings him into
the penitentiary, and weighs
down society with the felon and
outlaw for life.
Practically, we are training il
wickedness, and at fearful cost
only to strive in the end to repair
the damage always fatal. Why
not train upward, at less cost t.
society and to its infinite good
Can this need be supplied
How is it to be done? Othe]
States and countries began t.
meet it seventy five years ago
France said childhood must no
have punishment, but discipline
and she placed her vicious boy
in semi military schools. Ger
many responded by a system o
trade schools.
In this country so universitie
exist, in every State, except
few of the South East, devote'
to the reformation of the young
OF these, not one has ever faile'
of support after its establish
ment. and the evidence of tho
annual reports shows success i
75 per cent of their subjects.
Hygiene replaces medicin
largely; it does not annihilat
disease altogether, yet who woul
have the world return to the day
when smallpox and plague raw
aged at will? If preventiv
be better than cure, it is mora
hygiene that we need sOrely tC
day.
We need a reform school c
the open college plan with stead
work. the rudimentS of mentf
training, and the requisitiOn c
at least one trade to secure futur
livelihood. Character is to b
built by habits, and the founds
ton of such habits should be e1
trusted to consecrated teacher
in this work who shall Civ
themselves in the spirit of Flo
ence Nightingale, or rather of
Father Damien, to these poo
childish lepers.
Under the prompting Of th
distinguished President of tn
Board of Public charities, D.
Charles Duffy the women of tt
State are hereafter to be repr'
sented by auxiliary visitors
every county in the care of tt
poor and the prisoners. Th
message will go to you. Con
and help US. Give us your w
manly sympathy, you teache-
who have seen so many poo
children exiled from the dali
public and private schools.
If you will it with all yol
heart and soul in the Provident