The herald., 1895-05-19
WHO is RESPONSIBLE?

In these days when the kindergarten
method, with its object lesson principle,
is an established fact and importan
factor in the education of the young. why
not try its efficacy upon those older chill.
lren with whom all other experiments
nave failed Of accomplishing their pur-
josef BY those older children l mean
the men and women and city officials
upon whose heads and consciences rest,
or should rest, the responsibility and
care of that class which by their heredity
or environment, or both, are the law
breakers. their present abiding places
those reform schools for criminals
iails.
The world is swarming with mission
ary societies and phllanthropic associa-
tions. Every church has its complement
of the former, whose members are indus
triously begging and borrowing funds to
send to China and Africa and every other
remote place on earth where the savage
in his own untutored way enjoys the lux
ury Of Gods sunlight and his free air,
and even though there be question in
the minds of some as to the probable state
of his soul. it would pc well to practice
even in the midst Of trying to save it,
that time-worn adage which is rap idly
becoming moss-grown through disuse,
that charity begins at home.
In Los Angeles there are upwards of
sixty organizations composed of women
alone, the objec of each being 20 help
the unfortunate and reduce the necessity
tor crime. That sort of thing is all right
so far as it goes; the same old ounce of
10 OF 10 of
cure; by that method the result is a mat
ter of time; it may act favorably on
future generations, but it doesn't affect
the present one, which has not been
reached by any means of prevention IN
the past. Murders and thefts, crimes
large and small ami indifferent, are being
committed every day; accidents are hap
penlng, and what facilities have we got
Tor meeting such emergencies IN this
town that boasts of so, 900 inhabitants?
The creatures-God's creatures, every
one of them-who, being already cursed
with natures that prompt them to break
laws. are OF necessity put into place
that should bring the blush of shame to
the cheek of a brass automaton. And
why? Is it because city funds are being
spent for grading and beautifying the
parks and thoroughfares? For the thou
sand and one needs that are needs in
city growing as fast as this one is? Yet
not one Of them is as pressing need as
that of the city prison, with its deplora-
BILE arrangement and lack OF room, its
Abominable sewage facilities. its inhuman
equipment for common decency in the
relation of the sexes individually and COL
lectively.
All this has been written and talked up
and howled about time and again. but it
il another instance apparently of the line
upon line, precept upon precept argu-
ment of ages ago.
For several years the annual report of
the chief OF police has urgently reitera ted
q strong plea on this subject. 1t is mat
ter of record. and the reports of Novem-
ber, 1893 and 1894, are SO nearly identical
that the reprinting of one will show what
the others have been, to-wit:
must once more call your attention
to the old city hall--our present head
quarters. In former reports l have
pointed out the many irremeuiable de-
fects of the building, and the wrong of
crowding. prisoners OF both sexes and all
ages within the narrow limits of the
old jail's ewage-contaminated cells.
We must have more room Tor prisoners.
and. if we are to comply with the laws
OF the state. must have room to provide
separate apartments for females and for
Juvenile offenders. The building
shouldl gcontain apartments for the
matron. SO that she could always be pres
ent to search and properly care for female