The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-12-20
THE STATE REFORMAT DRY
SOLICITOR LEsRY ADDS HIS
VIEWS TO THOSE CT OTHERS.
is Opposed to Having Institutions At
tached to State Prison in Any
Connection,
Edenton, n. c., Dec. II, 1896.

Edenton, n. c., Dec. Ii, 1896.
To the Editor: Under the heading OF
"A Symposium on a State Reformatory
i Id your issue of the 18Th inst, | have
read with great pleasure ard considerable
interest what Hon. C. T.. benson, DIR.
Charles ID. McIver and others have to
say upon the question Of caring for and
training children, and | INA quite sure
that no thoughtful person, fter reading
what they have written, Cur come to any
other conclusion than tI.t a State re-
formatory and State training school for
the young criminals, is a pressing neces-
sity in our beloved State.
In this connection how strong and inn
pressive are the words of Mr.. n. NJ
Lawrence, the Superintendent of the
Oxford Orphan Asylum, when he says
"The wisdom of the money spent by the
State for the Oxford Orphan Asylum IS
shown by the fact that out Of 1000 child
rem, which it has sheltered, fed, clothed
/. and fed, not one has ever worn the uni
form of a convict" What a record for
an institution to have! 1t gave me
feeling of great satisfaction when | read
it, and l am sure it reflects great credit
upon the State, and the Masonic order.
As citizen / shall even be proud Of this
institution, its record and its work, and
! if State reformatory could come within
twenty per cent of such a record, and
statistics show that it is not unreasonable
to effect this, then who can calculate the
great good that would result to our State?
We know full well that the rules of crimi-
nal law are intended to prevent the COM
mission of crime by the punishment inn
posed, but it is very clear to the thought
full that this method falls far short of the
best results when applied to youthful of
tenders, and to quote Mr.. Lawrence
again, 'sThe more brutal forms OF punish
ment seems to harden, rather than TO
correct. If you can reach the heart of
child through it's ambition and instill in it
a desire for higher and nobler things,
you have put in its life something which
will kindle glow with aspirations that
tend upward and onward" | under
stand from this that spark of the di-
vine nature has been implanted in the
soul Of the child, and no matter what
may come on it's future life, it has within
a great shield of protection, and that this
is a matter of education. Men and wo-
men are grown boys and girls, and the
creatures of habit to a very considerable
extent, and hence it is that the early
training by proper methods is of SO much
value to the man and woman and to the
State.
am opposed to having the training
school or State reformatory attached to
the State prison in any connection what
ever. / want The children as far removed
as possible from its influences so that
4l,axr 10 10 Lo44 .,,1I ax&1
if possible, freed from the bonds of the
criminal faint, which attended their intro
duction into the institution. And / do
not believe this to be a mere sentiment,
fancy or want of wisdom. The in
mates should be taught to work and to be
useful, and / favor the suggestion of Mr..
j. Ill. Mills in that connection. / cannot
see why, if properly managed, the institu-
ton in few years should not be self
sustaining. Should the institution be-
come self-sustaining and at the same
time train the young criminals into the
paths of good morals and honesty, then
would crime be minimized and then we
shall have accomplished a great and
good work worthy of commentator.
There can be no greater duty on any
generation than that Of raising the char
acter and manhood of its men and wo-
men. / frankly confess that / am in
favor of higher and better education,
whether in the lower walks of life, in a
reformatory or in the highest and best
colleges in the land, and l firmly believe
that the Old North State has never been
so fortunate in this direction as at this
time. We have the most scholarly men
and women at the head Of our educational
institutions in the State-men and wo-
men who would reflect credit upon any
land or age, and shall it be said to our
condemnation that we are not doing our
duty to the young and unfortunate class
CT our people? Somehow / connect this
work with the good old Bishop in Victor
Hugo's work, LES Miserables," one Of
the best characters ever penned, whose
life was full Of good deeds and works
in behalf of fallen humanity, in the in
terest of whom the work was written by
its author.
| trust and sincerely hope that our
Legislature viii do its duty in taking
the initial step towards establishing such
State training school, or reformatory, as
has been suggested, under the best pos
sible methods.
Respectfully,
VIM. j. LEARY, SR.,
Solicitor First District.