The Elbert County tribune., 1909-01-14

Greetlng.
VI congratulate you on your arrival
at this great opportunity to serve the
state of Colorado which we all love
SO well. When your term of service
shall have ended | hope you may all
be able to say, with sincerity, that you
have done the things which you ought
to have done, and that you have left
undone the things which you ought
not to have done. There is much TO be
said, and the time is short So plunge
Immediately in medias res.
The first test of civilization is found
in the provision which is made by the
state for the defective, the dependent
and the weak. Weakness and need
confer right, in a Christian civiliza-
ton, and power imposes responsibility.
We ought not to consider the wishes
of the strong first in our legislative
programs. but always first We should
consider the pitiable appeals of the
dependent and the defective.
Mental Detectives. = Hitherto we
have never been able to arouse any in
terest in Colorado in the mentally in
complete, commonly described as the
feeble-minded. Much can be done for
the relief and improvement of these
helpless children by beginning in time
and by going about it with knowledge
of proper methods. | join heartily in
she recommendation of the State
Npard of Charities and Correction for
- tablishment of such an institution
= Colorado in the immediate future.
The State Home for Dependent and
Neglected Children Is one of our most
beautiful charities. 1t has been admin
istered With loving interest in the chill
dren by board of exceptional ability
OF course all the members of the board
serve without any remuneration what
soever
Institutions like this one where the
services Of the board and the services
of the physicians are given without
compensation ought to have every dol
lar which they ask for maintenance
and for enlargement.
The State Industrial School for
Girls is one of our most needed chari-
ties. 1t is administered also by a
board of conspicuous ability. all whose
members serve without any compen-
sation whatsoever. The population of
this school has increased from forty
four to eighty-two. The girls who are
committed to this Industrial school
are for the most part not vicious, but
they are girls who have been led into
wrong doing by those who are older
and stronger than themselves.
The expenditures in this school are
ridciulously small when one considers
what Is saved to the state by making
good woman out of the natural ma
terfal for crime in one wayward girl
The State Industrial School for Boys
is not reform school but an industrial
school. 1t would be a great gain II the
public could learn to describe our var
ious institutions with accuracy. The
population of the State Industrial
School for Boys has increased from 296
to 1862; 263 acres of land have been
purchased. Land is fundamental to
the welfare of all our institutions. Life
out doors In the fields is necessary to
the wholesome development of these
boys. There has been practically no
sickness In the institution at all. More
than 80 per cent. of the boys who are
sent to the State Industrial School be-
come useful citizens. Some do not. 1t
is probable that all of them could be
made to become useful citizens If they
could be kept little longer in the
school and If the state would make ade-
quate equipment to teach the boys all
the ordinary indoor and outdoor trades.
NOW you have one more chance to
makeRuseful citizens of these boys.
may possibly have another chance at
Buena Vista, but why not actually do
1t now at any cost of equipment? The
point to all of which is that the real
necessities of this school should be
provided without haggling.
The Colorado State Reformatory has
had the best discipline In it's history
during the past two years. The cost
for food and clothes has been so low
as to excite admiration for the manage.
ment of Warden butcher. Definite
progress has been made in the real aim
of the Reformatory. The real aim of
the Reformatory is to make 1t a place
OF detention for correction, for reforma-
ton, for education in common branches
and also as place for training in var
ious forms of useful employment to
make 1t possible for boy to make 6
living. The fundamental idea is not
that the Reformatory is place of pun
ishment. There is such thing as the
reformation of the evil doer. The War
den and his associates live in the frI-
ture of the life of each wayward young
man. The Legislature should provide
Tor the purchase of additional land.
We need a big farm where the boys
can be kept busy in outdoor work. All
buildings should be erected by the
boys. Industrial and manual training
features are fundamental to the refor-
matory program II is your business
4 30 you can to restrict the sale
NO ,ufcStics and whiskey With mar
"a rs and whiskey eliminated from our
ME our expenditures for criminal
ca rs and for penal and reformatory
In. Futions would be reduced from fifty
to lyyenty-five per cent.
15e law which governs transfers
FROM the reformatory to the peniten-
tiaryt and from the penitentiary
to tie reformatory ought to be
amr1ded SO that the authority to grant