Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1910-03-17
A REAL STATE NEED.

Every Vermont town and village con-
tains families, II they can be called such,
whose children suffer from neglect, if
nothing worsei where parents lack the
ability to provide for the material wants
OF their offspring, and, what is fully as
bad, are unable or incompetent to bring
them up under proper direction and con-
troll, to the end that they may become
good citizens. The causes for this condi-
tlon are largely irremediable, and therefore
need not be considered. II is a duty con-
fronting the state, however, to deal with
the results. There is growing up in YER
mont today quite a numerous element
made up of the factors here described
children virtually without homes or par
ents, who, somehow or other, get
enough to eat to hold soul aud body to-
gether; enough to wear to keep them
from absolute nakedness;a place some
where under shelter to sleep. OF real
comfort they have nothing. They attend
school, but only because the law compels
il. In the school room they are a stand
ing offence to the teacher and fellow pu-
pills by reason of their physical uncleanli-
ness, and often their moral deprsvity.
warped, and it is rarely that they respond
to such instruction as they receive. II is
the home influence that holds them back.
From this class are the petty criminals
largely recruited. II detected, they get
short shrift and are hustled off to the Re-
form school. In the majority OF cases
this is probably a good thing for them,
yet it has certain depressing aspects that
ought to be considered. 1t is, and is
known to be, state prison and reforma-
tory for minors. 4 sentence to the Re- /
form school carries with it a blight that
lasts lifetime and while advantage may
result to the child, as well as society, 1t is I
harsh way Of dealing with condition |
that demands different treatment. The I
average immature boy or girl who steals,
for instance, does it thonghtlessly, or in
a spirit Of brayado, without fully contem-
plating he evil. To class him as Grim
inal and sentence him to years of impris-
onment during the formative period or
when youth needs full play and contine-
ment under criminal category is a serious
abridgement OF liberty, however pleasant
the surroundings, is a mistake pretty sure
to react. This applies to the occasional,
not The habitual, offender.
Worse stil is the fate Of class OF chill
dren who at best exc out a precarious ex-
islence as We have described, but under
sudden stress find their last prop gone
aud the town has to consider taking them
as its charges Cases are not unusual of
this kind where boys and girls left tenn
porarily destitute are consigned to the
Reform school under charges that would
not have been pressed had there ssill been
a prospect that in some way or other they
y ould not have been cast upon the town
for support II is then that we see sud-
den awakening to the fact that such chill
dren are a real menace and they are
packed on to the Reform school Every
body understands the true reason, and
generally everybody acquiesces, because
here Is nothing else to do.
The need appears clear; however, Of
state institution, borne at the public ex-
pense, hat shall be home for this class
Of young people, where they shall be
reared under surroundings and with
training hat shall make it possible for
them to realize the best there is in life
We do not want q reiormatory so much
be we do home, though the former may
have its uses. II we bad state institu-
lion where could be sent the minor
offenders, as well a. those who really
needed a comfortable place in ' hich TO
lives where there was proper instruction
and discipline, with plenty Of manual
md domestic training; where boys and
girls could be brougb t up under good in
auences and still feel self-respect, it
,vonld GO Far fowo~7 frliour;,,er -r,F the