dren. In 1839 Russia and Austria did the same. France followed in 1841. A step long in advance of that was the admission of the principle of forfeiture of parental control, under given conditions, by Russia, Poland, Portugal, Italy, and Switzerland. The exercise. of parental power has in Germany become subject to the supervision of a public guardian. England claims in the name of the queen, through the lord chancellor, a control above that of a father. Spain acknowledged this principle in 1889."

A republican government must see to it that the boys who are to make the men who are to make the laws are so educated as to cast their votes intelligently, that the girls who are to be the mothers of the sons are tenderly cared for, fully protected, wisely directed, and liberally educated. We shall fall behind other forms of government

if we fail to lead in this work rather than follow.

The measure of the interposition that the State may rightfully extend in behalf of the child is doubtless that which is adequate to give to every child such moral, religious, and educational advantages as are necessary for its truest development. The State is subserving its own interests, as well as those of the child, when it provides that which is withheld, because of the poverty, ignorance, viciousness, or blunted moral sensibilities of the parent. This being true, certainly it is the unquestionable duty of the State to care especially for juvenile delinquents, who are more to be pitied than blamed. They are the product of untoward circumstances, of evil environments. And some are under the curse which visits the iniquities of the parents upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.

Dr. Wines expressed a truth not yet sufficiently recognized, when he said, "The two master forces which have heretofore opposed, and still oppose, the progress of prison discipline and reform in our country are political influence and instability of administration, which stand to each other in the relation of cause and effect." This is none the less true of our juvenile reformatories, where the management is more or less controlled by political interests. Politics should never have any controlling hand whatever in child-saving, reformative, or prison work.

In the United States the method generally adopted in caring for juvenile delinquents is through State institutions. Would it not have been better, had the form so uniformly adopted in England been more prevalent with us,-private corporative management, combined

with and sustained by State aid and supervision? An institution so formed is in the control of its truest friends; and, except in cases of mal-administration, outside influences do not interfere with its management. Our Connecticut Industrial School for Girls is established on this plan.

Child-saving work is still in its infancy. The obligations of our States in behalf of the children are great, and are but partially fulfilled. The best thing to be done is to make reform schools less necessary. To this end we have many laws upon our books, but public sentiment does not compel their enforcement. I refer to laws against intemperance, vulgarity, obscenity, profanity, and kindred evils.

Our many agencies engaged in child-saving work, the infant nurseries, the kindergarten schools, homes for destitute children, orphan asylums, day industrial schools, where food and instruction are provided, industrial boarding schools, where lodging and clothing are added, apprentice schools, State, reform, and industrial schools, all are accomplishing a grand and noble Christian work. But who does not know that in many, if not all our States, there are many unfortunate, neglected, unprotected children, who are unreached by all our organized charities combined?

States differ also as to methods and as to the expenses to be incurred in caring for juvenile delinquents.

Much has also been said concerning the relative value of the congregate and family systems in reformatory schools. The best we could ever do for any child would be to place it in a private Christian home, where it would be received and cared for, trained and educated, as a son or daughter would be by people of ordinary means; and a sufficient sum should be paid by the State, if need be, to secure this treatment of the child. Such a home for the child, with kindly and parental relations, is the only home that can be I claimed to be better for the child than an industrial or reform school organized on the family plan, provided such school is characterized by the same kindly, parental, Christian spirit. But such homes, we dare assert, cannot be found in sufficient numbers to receive but a small portion of these children in the condition in which they are usually received in our schools. A home, we admit, may be found that will take the child for the benefit to be derived from its services and the funds to be received on its account; but

few will be found to receive such a child, with all its moral deficiencies, in the true missionary spirit, that seeks its greatest good. And only as such homes are found does the State discharge its duties to the child or are its rights protected and subserved. We most sincerely deprecate the plan of placing these children directly, either from the homes in which they are found or from the street, in families where their rights will not be fully protected, and liberal educational advantages received.

Shall we as a nation grudge all necessary expense in caring for the unfortunate children and youth of our land, while a billion dollars or more are annually spent for strong drink? Shall we as States withhold needed funds for the reformation and eternal good of these children, when from the laboring class alone, in a single county of a single State, eleven million dollars was spent for drink in a single year? We are not poor as States or as a nation. The sun shines on no so prosperous a people. But, were we poor, we could not afford to fail to care for the children to the full extent of their needs; for therein is the nation's strength.

There is nothing in the end so expensive to any people as to neglect to train up the children in the way they should go, as to fail to liberally educate them for the duties and responsibilities of good citizenship.

The thought of making the labor of the inmates of our schools remunerative is dropping out of sight; and nobler and more paternal feelings find expression in the ever-increasing interest manifested by introducing trades and industries, that the inmates may be self-sustaining members of society, wherever they go.

The question is not, How much can these children be made to help the State sustain and educate them? but How much can the State do to make of them good, intelligent, self-supporting citizens?

Several of the prison congresses of the past have declared in favor of a special education of prison officials for their work. They have advocated the establishment, by States, of normal schools or colleges for such purpose. Such an institute was founded at Rome as early as 1873. There is no doubt that this is a step in the right direction. If for prisons and prison reformatories such a preparation is needed for persons who propose entering upon the work, is it not equally desirable that those who are to become the guardians and teachers of the young should receive a preparation for such work which

shall enable them more intelligently and successfully to discharge the duties and responsibilities of their positions, since from the very nature of the case inmates of our juvenile reformatories are more susceptible and teachable than those of older years, who are more hardened in crime?

May God speed the time when, far in advance of our prescnt achievements in child-saving work, in juvenile reformation, every State in our Union shall fulfil her obligations to the only truly hopeful portion of neglected humanity, our neglected children and youth, and, remembering the injunction of our blessed Master when he said, "Suffer the children to come unto me," in the spirit of a true, generous, Christian charity, lift these misguided, unfortunate ones into the purer atmosphere of a practical Christianity, and by example and precepts and liberal educational advantages fit them for usefulness in the life that now is and for the continued service of the Master in the life which is to come!

XI.

Immigration and Interstate Migration.

IMMIGRATION.

BY DR. CHARLES S. HOYT, OF NEW YORK.

When the Standing Committee on Immigration and Interstate Migration formulated its programme for this Conference, Congress was in session; and it then seemed probable that before its adjournment there would be important legislation in respect to immigration, calling for an extended paper upon the subject. A number of bills further regulating and restricting immigration were introduced into both Houses early in the session, but no measure upon the subject was perfected and passed. The statutes affecting immigration, therefore, remain the same as in 1893, with the exception of the act of June, 1894, increasing the head tax from fifty cents to one dollar for each immigrant, and making the office of Commissioner of Immigration a Presidential appointment, and the decisions of the Immigration Commissioners final, except in cases of appeal to the Treasury Department. As the subject of immigration and the statutes in relation thereto were considered at length by the committee at the Chicago Conference in 1893, it is not thought advisable to occupy the time of this Conference with an extended paper upon the matter, which necessarily would be largely a repetition of the facts. and conclusions then presented. The committee, therefore, decided to restrict the paper on Immigration to the briefest possible space, thus giving opportunity for a fuller and more extended presentation of the closely allied and highly important subject of Interstate Migration.

The decrease in immigration during the past three years seems to require brief mention. The immigrant arrivals in 1892 were 581,827. In 1893 they fell off to 440,783, and in 1894 to 288,020. The arrivals for the first nine months of the fiscal year 1895 were