The record-union., 1897-07-09
POLITICS IN STATE INSTITUTIONS.

The introduction Of politics into the
benevolent and reformatory institutions
OF the State is bearing early fruit, and
not of the palatable order The State
administration that has brought
partisanship into these institutions will
have a reckoning to make with the
people.
The outcome of the new policy
had a significant Illustration at the
Whittier School on Tuesday, and even
the new Board of Trustees was COM
PEELED to dismiss some of the new off,
Gals.
one of these. the man against whose
methods the boys rebelled, has since been
reinstated. and the dispatches of yester-
day say that Immediately "nierciless
fioggiags" were resumed and continued
all night, and that the cries of the rebel
lious boys could be heard in pain, but
not in repentance.
To say the least, that is a novel way
10 restore order in an institution. Boys
are much like balky horses, not to be
Quieted by applying the lash in front of
the very cause of their offending. 1t is
added that at Whittier it is deemed the
only way to break the spirit of these
boys. Well, that may be, in the esti-
nation of the man or men who inspired
the dispatch. But We are disposed to
stand upon denial of the statement
For years the Whittier school was
conducted well and efficiently without
any such scenes. All night ''merciless
floggings' and blood streaming to the
heels of the boys have not constituted
The order at Whittier heretofore. Bru-
tality. max. not even the severity of
sary. Humane strict. firm discipline
was the rule and the school in conse-
Quence gave a good report of itself.
OF course, punishment had to be in
filcted now and then, but there has not
before been any revolt and stubborn re-
bellion of boys whose spirits have to be
broken. We have met several men, who
are now good citizens, who We're boys in
that institution, and their testimony is
one of thanlfulness and gratitude to the
State for placing them there, and of af-
fection and high respect for their old
time masters.
There are boys whose composition is
such that the making of decent men is
not in them. But such are few compar-
ed to the great body. Many States have
proved that a boys reformatory, such
as that at Whittier should be, and was
until politics put its flattened head into
the school. can be made successful
Massachusetts reports that she has but
3 per cent. of failure in her reformatory
work with boys. True, it is somewhat
different from our system, but that
makes no difference, since ours is me-
chanical, institutional training, and that
Of Massachusetts is temporary deten-
tion and home-finding. Both systems
succeed when we'll conducted.
Michigan has success with her re-
N1oIAiSO buyS anu SslTIS. 30 uOeS MIS-
scuri, so does Indiana, so does New York
and so on down the long list.
1t remains for California to announce
an open revolt of the inmates of a boys
institution, and the necessity for all
night tioggings and blood streaming to
the heels, with a martinez in charge
once dismissed and then restored, and
the whole school in an uproar and under
guard by company of Deputy Sheriff
specials, that for long years has been
peaceful, well conducted and the source
of good results
1t is stated in the dispatches, by way
Of excuse, that the revolt at San Quen-
tin inspired the Whittier boys to ike ac-
tion, because they read the glowing and
flaming accounts of it in the nude news
papers Well, who permitted them to
have these newspapers to read. True.
one Of the sensational concerns is Dem
ocratic and is understood to be the ring
master of the administration; but what