The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1907-02-07

4
nam hall in the upper story OF the
building, where the great pleasure of
the occasion awaited us. The boys as
we had seen them in the shops and else
where were all dressed in plain gray
clothes. plain and rough but neat and
clean. Now they were dressed In neat
uniforms and formed into four CON-
panles, one from each cottage, each
unoer its own captain. The national
colors were much in evidence and here
we saw the military system OF the in
stitutlon. The officers are appointed by
popular vote and on their merit and it
ness for the position. Here we get at
the principle of the government of the
institution. The boys are placed as
1ar as possible on their honor as in
dlvlduals and as body, and thus to as
great an extent as is possible are an ex-
ample OF self government. 1t is
practically an endorsement of the
methods of Judge Ben Lindsey of Den
yer, Colorado, who claims that his ex-
perlence with the worst types OF that
city proves that even with the lowest,
the worst and the most degraded, the
sense of honor, if rightfully appealed
to. will respond honestly, faithfully,
and effectively.
One characteristic that appealed to
US was the fact that in the whole body
there were practically no sullen. un-
happy looking boys. They were bright,
clean, smiling and apparently happy
Nearly all returned your look with a
smile and were pleased with any at
tention given them. Here we had an
opportunity to see them all together
and the result was much to their credit.
The brigade commander was the
master of ceremonies and gave an ad-
dress of welcome and announced each
exercise on the program, which con-
sisted of songs by the school, solos,
determinations, flag drills, company
drills, marching, etc. Here, as else
where, the piano was in evidence, and
music is used to please, instruct and
arouse to action. 1t was pleasing to
note the spirit of military enthusiasm
and patriotism that was shown by the
boys. Remarks were made by Superin-
tendent Wentworth, Col. Atwood and
others. and then the boys filed out with
military precision and the affair was
over
Now as to the personal status of the
writer on this occasion. AS member
of the legislature 1 received an invi-
tation from the officials in charge to
accompany the committee who look af-
ter the interests of the school, which
invitation was gladly accepted, not
merely for the pleasure of the trip, but
for the purpose of becoming better ac-
quainted with the actual work of this
School for Boys, and in general way
was much pleased with what I saw.
| have received from personal OBJ
servation higher opinion of the value
of this school to the State than before
entertained, and believe that every
reasonable appropriation asked for
should be granted, just as far as fnan-
cial conditions will admit. As mat
ter of expediency it is more economical
to care for the boy while in the form a.
tive period of his life, when he can be
developed into an honest, industrious,
respecting citizen, than to support
the criminal in Jail or prison after all
hope of regeneration has been lost. As
municipal officer l should not now
hesitate to commit any boy to that
school who was found to be going to
the bad. Many of the acquired and
hereditary traits of character can be
educated out of a boy, and this State
school for Boys seems to be the place
to do it. NJ. j. D.