Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-10-31
LOOKER-ON in IOWA
Observation-Disclosures
For the Times-Rcpubl!ca,


Steamboat Rock, Oct. 3o.-Noshing
has stirred up more comment among
people for long time than the recent
outbreat at the girls reform school at
lNfitchellville. The amount of ignorance
| many voters show in discussing the af-
| fairs of the institution is only equalled
by much of the unjust criticism OF the
board of CONTROL Still some of this talk
will bear repeating, whether the reader
agrees with it in sentiment or not. The
writer in what follows does not give his
own opinions or attempt to give the ex-
act language heard. First there Is a
general impression that the cheese par
| ing policy of the board OF control is
largely responsible for the riot. Again,
the salary offered and paid to the
| superintendent of such an institution
does not secure the best men, i. e.. men
specially qualified to manage girls
lreformatory. Again the order making
| it impossible for superintendent
wife to act as matron is considered a
most unwise one, as a general order,
and especially bad in the case of where
women are confined in an institution.
Once more, the recent order abolishing
bodily punishment is thought to be the
work of a sentmentalist who seems to
dominate the board. Such critics see
the same hand at work in taking away
the tobacco from the prisoners at Ana
mosa. Business men admire the bust
ness methods adopted in the purchase
| of supplies and general management,
but a the same time ask why can not
| the same horse sense be used in making
rules governing the treatment of the
| inmates of our reformatory institutions.
Such men laugh at the idea of attempts
! ing to control the actions of say 100 of
the most deprayed women in our midst
by moral suasion, by the power os love.
| While not advocating the use of clubs
| by men or women, they say these wo-
men should either be kept under lock
! and key or some muscular woman
should be in charge with power TO act.
| But good will come from this insur-
! rection. There is a general expression
| that the state of Iowa must stop the
| present practice of herding together
| the street walkers of pes Moines with
/ the incorrigible girls OF IA from coun-
try homes Those who claim to know
1 saw there WAS at Mitchellville at thu
/ time of this outbreak at least 100 com
mon prostitutes And the intelligent
state of Iowa has been picking up here
land there young girls and sending them
TO Mitchellville to live with this class
of deprNved women. Little hope of re-
forming young girls who have an en-
forced daily contact with women of this
class is to 20 years old
4 The writer is not acting as advisor in
chief to the board of control, but this
imuch can be stated as quite general
opinion. There is too much of the SEN
/ timental, too little of the practical. in
the present makeup of the board of
control sort of a Mandy pamby SEN
timent seems to exist, and a goody-
two shoes style of treating our criminal
element is shown in the rules promul-
/ gated Even before the present board
i took matters in charge Iowa had the
4 reputation of pampering criminals, OF
sleeping convlcts on downy beds OF
4 ease. The state of Iowa never pun
lished, always reformed. And with the
/ change In administration the doctrine
of moral suasion seemed to have foune
4 additional defenders on the present
= board Not to discuss this old, worr
TOUT subject, it is safe to assert only {
small percentage of the voters believe
in the system. They point to this out
break in Mitchellville as an additional
argument why such nonsense should bs
stopped and say let Iowa get down L
business and treat her criminal elias.
as other states do. Reform when the,
can. punish when necessary. Bodil.
punishment? Yes.