The Denver star., 1914-08-15
JENKINS PLEADS CAUSE or
SOUTH CAROLINA ORPHANS.
ssnds Ringing Message to oovsrrer
Cole L. eIsass From London.

Sends Ringing Message to oovsruor
Cole /. eIsass From London.
The Rev. u. ]. jenkins. founder and
for twenty-three years president Of the
Jenkins orphanage and ref0rmatory
at Charleston. s. c.. addressed the fol-
lowing letter from London the latter
part Of July to Governor Cole L. Biease
of South Carolina in reference to the
work Of the institution which DIR. Jen-
kins represents In Charleston:
London.
Hon. Cole l.. Blease, Governor Of South
Carolina. Columbia. u. 8. A.:
Honorable Sir:-It Is sympathy and pity
that have for the little waits and out
casts OF my race that forces me to write
YOU these few lines In their behalf You
are the headlight of South Carolina. To
you the humble Negro must look for help
and comfort. and l cannot help but be-
lfeve that " you are called upon in the
right spirit you will do your part In his
reform. In your many messages to the
South Carolina Legislature end. above all.
In your Virginia speech before the con-
ference of governors. when you quoted
the words OF Jesus Christ wheA he said.
'Inasmuch as ye have done II unto one
of the least Of these. my little ones. ye
made by you In behalf of the many Grim
inals who were pardoned by your big and
liberal heart.
These expressions have never gone from
me. and as l went through Dr. Barnar-
dos home for orphan and destitute chill
dren. caring for 5000 boys and girls here
In London and vicinity: George Mullers
orphanage In Bristol. caring for more
than 800. saying nothing Of the Seamens
Orphanage in Liverpool with it's thou
dc . I..s- I0-.A
In their behalf by the leaders Of the
country. my heart was deeply moved.
and thought Of South Carolina and
what IL 1t were to back me in the work
to which have given the best labors OF
my life for twenty-three years What
my very soul when the provision
made for these many children and think
of the hard. single handed struggle l have
had to 80 through for all these years to
save the boys and girls of my race. Be-
fore day this morning the above quota
tion made by you rang in my ears. and ]
thought that II the criminals were worthy
Of this expression from you how much
more are little boy and girl left on the
cold charity OF the world entitled to your
sympathy,
The salvation of the south between the
white and the black man lies in the care
ful training of the little colored boys and
girls to become honest. upright and In
by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ nor
by any law Of God that children should
be jailed or put into the penitentiary for
trivial onenses The schoolroom and rod
are better masters for their training. As
| went from ward to ward In the institu-
tions and saw how tho destitute children
were provided for and what they are be-
ing taught ] looked heavenward with a
tear dropped here and there for my race
in South Carolina. am interested In the
in their being trained we will have peace
between the races.
Over ten years ago there were 636 juve-
nile criminals in the state penitentiary
which II called a state reformatory SIM
ply because II separates the boys from
the men. Last year male = visit to the
Lexington penitentiary for little boys
where there were 81, and l have been
very much burdened ever since because
1 believe every one Of these boys should
be saved and not be allowed to grow up
as hardened criminals. i would to God
that you should have another vision and
open the door and turn out every tuve-
nile criminal send them to the county
from which they came and let them build
reform schools and teach those boys to be
honorable and Industrious citizens instead
Of criminals. II you will do this. sir. you
will be called blessed by nations born and
unborn.
Teaching the Negro to r~ed. to write
man any harm The Negro who has
worked harm Is not the one that has been
taught in head and hand: 1t is the ignor-
ant Negro who has not been trained to
make a living, and II is the Negro whose
head has been taught and whose hands
have been left untaught. I have faith In
the Negro II he Is taught to work / am
convinced that II within twenty-three
years have been able to train 1000 boys
and girls and have made something Of
them much more could he done II l had
the backing OF the governor and lawmnk-
ers Of my state. l can point out boys
I have taken from the lowest dives.
have my band here with n party Of TWEEN
ty-eight Inmates from my orphanage en-
ployed by the Anglo-American Exposition
company for ten weeks. They were
pleased at their musical talent and or
derly conduct that when the ten weeks
were up they persuaded me to leave them
until the close Of the exposition: that they
would take good care Of them and send
them back to South Carolina.
They said to me- II could not stay. TO
20 back to my institution. and they gave
mo a ticket to South Carolina to carry on
the good work among my race. Nine OF
the councilmen of London called on mo
yesterday and congratulated me on the
work am doing for my race feel much
encouraged and believe that II boys taken
from the depths of tho lowest dives can
be taught and trained in such a manner
as to gain the respect Of tho people Of
England how much more can be done II
the governor and lawmakers OF South
Carolina would simply cooperate with
me! If have said too much please par
don me. but write you because I am
l,~ 1w,I wuttv AfNy> hi