The record-union., 1897-10-29
THE CASE OF THE REFORM
SCHOOLS.

doing the work for which they were IN
tended. They are falling into the ways
which grew so offensive and disreput-
able; as to lead to the abandonment Of
the old Industrial school. first located at
Marysville, and it's merger into that at
San Francisco. which in turn became
the plaything Of politics, and so foul
smelling under political control that it
had to be abandoned also.
It viii be recalled that the Record
Union" along with several other interior
journals good many years ago, and all
along and up to the present time, main
tanned that the basic principles of the
Two present institutions are unsound' be-
cause they contemplate the schools as
permanent places Of detention. What
the Record Union" urged was a system
something after that of Massachusetts,
under which the boy or girl received Is
kept only as long as is necessary to find
them homes anywhere in the country.
over such the State keeps watch and
ward. visits them by its agents, cores
ronds with them, and sees to 1t that
their rights are preserved and that they
are brought up to good citizenship.
Even on their receipt these youths are
not kept in a large body, but are di-
vlded into groups, each seperate from all
the others, and each under the care OF a
kind firm man or woman who keeps
them as nearly as may be as if they were
the inmates Of a cottage home; the in
corrigiLle alone are treated as prisoners.
Something in the same way boys IN
stitution in san Francisco now operates
and it has had entire success. Massa-
chusetts does not lose six per cent. of
her young dependents thus treated.
That is to say, 94 per cent turn out
finely. we'll, or fairly Wei.
But California has the old and obso-
lete congregate system. 1t was adopted
in defiance of the example and advice
Of other communities having experience
in these matters. It will be recalled that
a few years after Whittier was estab-
hshed, on the appeal of its then Super
irtedent. Dr. Lindley, the title was
changed materially so as to divest
the institution somewhat Of its char
acter as a prison or reform school, as it
vas early found that the title of the
school being quasi criminal attached TO
the pupils after they left the institu-
ton, to their hindrance in striving to
attain positions of respectability and
honor.
For precisely the same reason the
abandonment of uniforms indicative OF
a quasi criminal condition was urged
Notwithstanding the disadvantages of
the congregate system after such mod
ifcation as we have referred to were
made, the two schools did better than
was expected of them, and were, until
comparatively recently, doing well.
It was not until political and'partisan
greed crept into these institutions that
there developed any very serious COM
plants. DR.. Lindley's administration
at Whittier was satisfactory. If there
was wrong, or mismanagement or in
competency under him, it was not made
public, and it certainly would have been
with so many watchful eyes upon the
school. As we understand the case, the
same was true at lone in the Preston
School under the Superintendency OF
Mr.. Bank. That guardian was called
from the East under the administration
of Governor Markham because Of his
experience in such institutions; he came
backed by the strongest possible in
dorsements Of an administration under
which he had served in like capacity
He was chosen, as we understood at the
time, under the policy that hold;
strongly, and assuredly wisely, that fol
such positions only men should be called
to the service of the State as have had
special training for it. 1t is as much al
art to preside over such schools as it IL
to have charge of a seminary, a colleg'
or a university.
Yet it has been the judgment that the
places of such men as Lindley and Banl
shall be filed by men whom we mus
assume TO be below them in ability and
general competency, since we now havt
the general confession on all sides tina
the two schools are failing of their pur
pose. Even so strong a partisan Of thi
present administration as the San Fran
cisco Examiner" in editorial express
~vrr+,,y~.laxv ~ cav Thq
there is a fundamental, not local diff
ficultv in the cases that saps the who'll
system. namely the eongregating of al
grades of youthful dependents in thes
institutions. It is added that the sys
TENS Of these schools should be remod
eled IN lines that experience has dem
cnstrated give the best results.
That is putting it very mildly. I
weakly attempts to excuse the presen
administration by shifting the whole re
sponsibilfty upon the system. It who'll.
ignores that fact that even under tn
defective system there were fair results
and probably would have been continu
ously, If the thrifty politician had KEEP
his hands off. Under no other inhuenc
would such a trained man as Superin
tendent Bank have been displaced by
country doctor, whose entire training i
such work as he was called to at Ion
has been-nothing.
In all this we are rising above an,
recent assaults upon Governor Budd
They cut no figure in our considerations
He may have intended well, as h