The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-07-17
WILMINGTON, N. c.
TUESDAY JULY II, 1906.
THE PULPIT AND THE PRESS.

III SbI ~ 4 >
We are glad to see that there seems
to be no disposition on the part Of tna
newspapers Of the state to lei up IN
the fight for that much needed state
institution, a reformatory for yOuth1ul
criminals. Every day or 50 we see
some reference to the subject III our
exchanges, and We are yet TO fnd
the first one which does not favor the
proposition. Most Of them are uTgenr
III the demand upon the next les1sla-
ture to establish the institution.
We are glad to know, too, tnat the
puIpit is Joining hands with the press
in this work for the betterment Oh cur
citizenship. If these two forces VIII
work together and work diligently ana
persistentIy they will succeed.
TWO years g an effort was MADE
bv both the pulpit and the press TO III
ducc the legislature to provide TOR a
reformatory. but a false idea OF econ
omv among the legislators de1eaI"d
any action. More attention IS beng
maid 10 the matter now than PRIOR 70
the last session of the Legislature. Inc
failure of that body to act has spuTreo
the advocates of a reformatOry to IN
creased activity and we feel sure thai
more determined effort will be made
tn induce the next Legislature to pass
such a bill.
From our constant reading Of the
NEWSPAPERS of the state we know Wnal
thav ara doing in behalf of this much
needed reform measure and we know
that some of the ministers OF the Cos
peI are doing their part also, but 10"
general is their participation III the
work we do not know. We wish every
minister in the state would interest
himself in this matter and deem 1t ms
dlty to AXE part in the work. Many
Of them, we know, realize, the impair
lance of the establishment OF a re
fOrmatOry and are taking active par
in The effort to secure it. One Of these
ministers, the pastor Of u OF the
leading churches in the state, in a SCI
mon delivered a few Sundays ago Oh
the subject of mans duty to man
made the following reference to the
effort that had been made and IS stu
being made to secure the establishment,
Of a state reformatOry:
There is another matter which clear
ly Illustrates and strongly enfOrces the
principle for whose practice we nave
been pleading. Most of YOU will recall
the effort of two years ago
toward the establishment Of a state re-
fOrmatory. The authorities of the
state penitentiary turned over to the
state ftty thousand dollars, with The
recommendation that this money be
used for the establishment Of a reform
at~IY. The men who did this were not
preachers or s"entimentalistS Ihey
realized that such an institution would
be a magnificent investment, from the
view point of making good Citizenship
and reducing the expense OF crime, nc
less than its dangers to the state, t(
society, and to the individual. It wa:
nv privilege to appear before the Spe'
CiaI committee as the representative O:
the Kings Daughters of this city
LARGELY henauSe of the unWllilngneS
Of the trainers of two bills to agree
uIuH matters of detail. tn" effort va:
futile ana the fifty thousand dollars
was divert ted from its most legitimate
and necessary 1t was tn
Loss Of a mCSt favorable opportunity
Eut She il mean the loss of this mos
important cause? Shortly after thi:
f~aiiuIe. il was my duty to place
rn----C Cr.ir11iIDl OF NV rommunj+N II
such ar institution. To do so, l haC
to SO HUt Of our own state, to the :
Of "erNessee Her legislature has pro
ViGe9 fer : reformatotN. under tn
fortunate title of an industrial school
whore there are at present seven hun
6~e5 children rescued from every form
OF i'lteracy and vice. Fer each chilC
frr~9 ~i:h3n her borders the state give:
one hundred dollars annually. From
eve~v stand-pojnt il pays. Al leas
ninety Per cent of these Outcast chill
6ra~ make good citizens. Many O
tha0G have become prominent and sue
co>-fNl. n the various occupations 70
-hioh this crlondiG1v equipped SCh0O
pre0areS the"l. # this is q duty Of gu
etare. Il Is surely the duty of ali t
helm Who profess q belief III that Coz
1e1 which is the only faith on cart
tho las G~er sent 2 missionary % tn
u~"2~-urato md which has inspired tn.
nst~ hIfshm"nt over the world Of asy
iums. hospita1S and homes Of refuge
and redemption.
1t is a shame and a disgrace that w
have no such institution in this state
Lee the ministers preach the need OF
it from their pulpits and the newspa,
peTs urge it in their columns; if they
do so they will arouse such a strong
public sentiment in its favor that the
next legislature will not dare to so
AGAINST Il