The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-02-26
.IITLP THESE GOOD OMEN.

This paper has always beck doubtful
| about the Establishment Of = state r.
| format0ry. while always an sympathy
with The deman1 t. separate youthful
from hardened criminals. and apDre-
eating the humane motives Of he
! good women and men who originated
the movement. In most states Re
f~ormatoIies have become great bur
dens upon the taxpayer and the
good accomplished a been open 10
question. The position Of this paper.
sixth, IS the position it holds today.
We said then:
w hat TO do With youthful Crinli-
naiS.
at is generally agreed that some
thing must be done by the State to
reform its youthful criminals: and
there is much public sentiment for a
State ReforaIntory. The problem is
| Very difficult. and it should be APP
preached with the utmost care and de-
liberation. North Carolina hasn't many
We have are entitled 10 the very best
treatment.
Lack of home training and especial
Is lack OF industrious habits and daily
| occupation are responsible for most al!
Of our youthful criminals. Possibly u
few are defective by nature, are moral
degenerates, beyond reformation and
needing restraint for the protection of
society. This class of young criminals
, should not be brought in contac with
those that can be reformed.
The r~eformable boys need for their
reformation the very things which they
lacked. namely, home influence. entire
separation from bad companions and
plenty of work. Would it not be pos
siDle to secure for them all these in
fluences without herding them toseth-
er inside some big Stockade. or inside
prison walls, or iron barred windows?
These boys are lot the sort that need.
or would receive, much literary educa-
ton. The thing for them is not in
Struction in books, but instruction III
work. and such surroundings as
would force them, even unconsciously.
to lead proper lives.
1T is not going to be cas- 70 Separ-
ate the good boys from the bad, when
they are all herded together in one
building, eating together, playing to-
gether. sleeping together. practically
living together all the time. Would ii
not be better for each and every one
OF them to be where he would never
see or e of q youthful crinlinal2
Where his life would practically begin
anew, and the people he would eat
with, play with, sleep with, talk with
ana live with would be people whom
he might learn rom. and initiate.
with advantage to himself? Such an
arrangement seems entirely possible.
The great scarcity of labor in our
State makes our farmers anxious to do
almost anything to secure abOr. No
doubt every one of the boys who lave
broken g law in q nnonlen of temDta-
ton could find q home in the family
of some good, thrifty, Woodworking
farmer, who would bring him up prac-
tically as a member Of the family. If
the boy proved incorrigio.e, utterly
perVerSe, vicious and criminal, he
could be sent to State prison. If the
boy had anything in him, he would re-
torn amid such surroundings; certain
~ he would have q good chance. No
bad influence would tempt him, and
every safeguard would uphold him.
The State prison should have sep
arate accommodations fer young and
old criminals. There might be q svs-
tenn of easy interchange between The
young criminal department of the
State Prison and the various farm
homes, whereby boys with good
records could be taken from the state
prison and sent out on the farms and
boys with bad records could be sent
from the homes to the prison.
II You were q boy VINO had stolen
something under great temptation, or
- 49, c4it ~ 1t III VI dlScI, VI
committed some other crime When not
IN your right senses. which would you
prefer, 10 go and live out in the coun-
try in some farmers home. work in
the open air. associating with good
Q or live in q stOckade or semi
prison building. With fifty or one hun
dred or w hundred other bows like
yourself? If o had Il son Who was
q young criminal. which system OF
I, reformation would you prefer FOR
him? which would be more heaIthful
and uplifting and more adaptable to
individual needs?
We must do something for our
Young criminals. Almost ANYTHING is
better than to put them all in the pen
iteftlarY herded With older criminals:
a reformatory is much better; but is q
re1oFmatory the best thing possible?'
mere is nothing inconsistent with
the 0 in expressing rejoicing hat
the House passed the bill chartering
the StoneWall jackson Manual Train
Ing n Industrial School and giving
Il iafSe powers With reference to the
crrlng youth of the State. including
the power to secure homes for them
In private families as well as to in
struct them in the school they Will
establish. h women Who are nam
Ell as I'll - ecS are women OF common
sense ana fine judgment, who will
Onduc the institution upon sensible
lines. The State viii pe asked to ap-
prOpriate $500 q yc&r 10 this work
! on substantially the same line that it
appropriates $4,000 annually to the
oxford Orphan Asylum. This leaves
the matter. 50 far as the State is con-
| cerned. in a tentative state. It gives
10 these good women a broad charter
and a small appropriation. with its
God bless you, my Children They
| can take up the work and be assured
| of the interest and cooperation of all
| good people, even those Who doubt
the wisdom of the establishmentNLet
us help these good Wcmcn' and trust
them to make good III their noble
| effort.
WATCH THE LINEUP:
If the Legislature is not willing to
give real reduction in passenger rates.