The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-05-17
And Guardian of All the Or.
phans and Abandoned
DEPENDENT CHILDREN
Parents Will be Forced to Give
Up Their Progeny
To the Care of the State When
it is Deemed Best.

pendent and abandoned children. No
other state has ever taken such an ad-
vanced step in this direction and the
success of the venture will be watched
intently by those who are most inter-
eSted.
The machinery furnished by the re-
cent legislature is just set in motion.
The general plan of procedure, which
had its origin in this city several years
ago, was tested in this county before
the state was asked to authorize it's eX-
tension and it proved satisfactory to
most persons.
The theory of the reformers is that
abandoned, neglected and dependent
children ought to be removed from the
evil influences surrounding them. Five
years ago, when the legislature author
lied the children's board of guardians
in this county, many persons protested
that the act was cruel. 1t authorized
this board to seize children and take
them before the circuit court for an or
der to place them in the home main
tanned by the board. The court decided
whether the surrounding circumstances
warranted the taking Of the child from
the parent or guardian. Many sad
scenes accompanied the enforcement OF
the law during the first year. The
agents of the board went into the nov
els, where vice and crime Sta1ked about,
and by force took possession of children.
! The courts sustained the act. These
children were confined in the guardi-
ans home for a time and were then
sent to homes in the country, the stu
alton of which was kept secret from the
parents or guardians. The records
Show that hundreds of children have
been rescued from a life that inevita-
bly, meant ruin to them and have been
placed with honest country people who
are rearing them properly.
With the success of the plan in this
county in mind, the board of state char
tiles asked the legislature to enact
law extending the plan to the entire
state, authorizing the board of charities
| to assume the responsibility for it's en-
forcement The law has been in force
a little more than two month and the
members of the state board are conf
dent that it will work much good for
the future citizenship of Indiana. 1t
authorizes the formation of an orphan
asylum in every county in the state,
and cOnfers upon county commission
ers the authority to purchase lands and
to erect buildings. 1t is provided that
in counties where orphan aSylumS are
already in existence the commissioners
may contract with them to care for the
children of the county until homes can
be found. Whenever child is commit
ted to the county organization the par
entS or guardian must release all rights
, to it. If there is refusal to do this the
organization must go into court and
show why the care, custody and abSO-
lutte control of the child should pass to
the organiZa ton.
The law cOntemplateS the removal of
all the children confined in the poor
asylums of the state to these homes to
be provided by counties. 1t is speci-
L.
it shall be unlawful for any child be-
tween the age of 8 and II years to be
retained as an inmate of any county
poor asylum for a longer period than
ten days While these county organi-
cations are gathering together the chill
dren, the board of state charities, through
its agent will seek out proper perma-
nent homes for them. The idea is to
get every child in a home as soon as it
may be possible. Under a rule adopted
last week every child must be taken al
in
which it was found. The parents or
/ former guardians must be kept in ig-
norance of the home of the child. One
of the first cases upon which action
was taken was this:
a bright boy of six years was taken
from his parents in Allen county to a
home in Wayne county. Only three
persons know the whole history of that
transac tiOn-the secretary of the local
association in Allen county, the state
agent of the board of charities and the
| secretary of board of charities, to whom
! all reports must be forwarded. Even
| the farmer and his wife, who have
agreed to rear the boy, do not know
| where he was brought from. The par
| ents will never be permitted to know
where the child is; the only information
| they can ever get is that the boy is be-
| ing we'll cared for.
1T seems cruel" said a member of
| the board of charities, "but it is the on
| ly plan that can be followed if we hope
| to make a success of our objects. Sup
| pose the parents knew his where
| abouts; they would probably be annoy
| ing the persons who have adopted the
| child within the next month"
There is to be kept in the office of the
| board of charities a complete record of
| every transfer. 1t is made the duty of
| the state agent regularly to visit chill
| dren for whom he has procured homes
and report as to their progress.
| The state agent is directed to exercise
| care in selecting homes. There is
| good deal of red tape connected with
| the placing of a child. Forms of APP
| pIication are sent out by the state
! board upon request Upon receipt of
| the application the state agent visits
| the home. He will prOba bly, inquire of
the neighbors as to the general stand
| ing of the applicants before he visits
| the house. If he is in doubt after he
| sees the persons who wish to adopt the
| child he may spend day with them
| studying them and their surroundings
! In the course of time he reports as fol-
| lows:
THE postof1ce address is John Smith,
| in the county of Carroll The nea resi-
railroad station is Frankfort, on the
| MOnOn railroad. The occupation is that
| of a farmer. The farm consists of 200
| acres three miles from the city. The
| district school, which is maintained 1t
| least three months in the year. is one
| mile from the residence The child de-
| sired is one about to Z years old
| American parentage. It is desired to
| make such a child a member of the
| him some useful occupation. Hair pre-
ferred to be light eyes preferred to be
/ blue, complexion preferred to be fair.
| Do not send child with light eyes and
| red hair
Upon receipt of this report from the
/ agent, a child which meets the deScrip-
| ton is selected from those in keeping of
| county association, 80 or hundred
| miles away, and the agent escorts it to
| its new home.
Persons who do not take kindly to the