The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1906-11-29
Earnest Appealfor State
Reformatory.
Public Conscience Becoming ARGUS
ed to the Need Of Dealing With
Youthful Criminals in Some Other
Way Than Sending Them to the
Penitentiary- Will North Carroll
ma Provide Such an Institution ?
Wilmington Messenger

wilmington messenger
The News, of Charlotte, after dis
cussing the cases of the two boys III
that city who had been sentenced,
one to the chain gang and the other
to the penitentiary makes this ear
nest appeal to the people OF the state
in behalf of a reformatory for this
class of law-breakers:
"When public sentiment is aroused
the question is settled, we shall have
q refOrmatOry.
"Will you help to bring about this
interest? Do you not consider the
matter of sufficient Importance to
agitate? Suppose it was your boy
on the Mecklenburg chaingang,
would you not then be desperately
interested in his welfare, in n reform
atOry?
There is scarce day goes by but
what we hear of cases as pitiful as
the case OF the two little fellows now
doing duty on our chaingang. 1t
was only recently that the governor
granted q pardon to Il Mecklenburg
boy of only II years, who had al
ready served fifteen months in the
penitentiary. Did you know before,
brother, that a Mecklenburg boy had
been sent to the state penitentiary
when only a little over the age of 10
years old for u slight offense, simply
because there was no other place to
send him? Had you made any effort
towards the salvation OF this child?
And are you doing anything for the
rescue of the dozens OF other boys
and girls suffering similar fates?
Are you willing to say you are not
your brothers, keeper? If not arouse
yourself on this great need and see
that your neighbor is aroused.
For a long time the News has
pleaded, has labored and agitated
the need of a reformatory. But, the
battle, with us, has only begun. We
need recruits. Will you come to our
aid, to the aid of every newspaper
and idividual in this state who is
striving for some kind of haven for
the youthful offender, shipwrecked
early in life and in distress?'
1t is strange that there is not more
interest taken by the public in this
matter. We do not believe this lack
of interest comes from Indifference,
but from want of information on the
subject. We cannot believe that the
people of this state would be SO cal
lOus and so Indifferent to the welfare
of that class of the youth of the state
if they realized the danger there was
to so many of them in the contin-
uance of present conditions. We be-
lieve that were the people to enlight-
en- themselves on the subject there
would be one universal demand from
one end of the state to the other
that the next legislature should
make provision for the proper pro-
lection and training OF the youthful
criminals.
1t is the duty of the newspapers to
give the people this information, and
we are glad to know that many Of
them, with the Charlotte News in the
lead, are doing their full duty in this
respect. Every paper i'll the state
should take the matter up and con-
tinue to discuss it and to give exam
pies showing the great need of this
institution. 1t is not hard to find
instance for illustration; they are oc
curing weekly in the superior courts
i'll all sections of the state. Every
one OF them is an additional plea fol
the institution and q strengthening
OF the argument OF those who are
contending that such an institution
is necessity for the protection o
that class of culprits and of the fu
ture state of society.