The Unhappy Mix of Orphans and Criminals
A passionate plea from a local editor to build a dedicated home for Walla Walla's orphans, rather than housing them alongside juvenile offenders.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Patrick Henry Winston, former attorney general of the state, describes a reform school at Chehalis where boys and girls are committed by the courts to be reformed. He notes that many inmates had committed no offense but were there simply because they were poor, friendless orphans. Winston protests the system that indiscriminately mixes poor orphans with criminals. He argues that Walla Walla should provide a home for widows and orphans as envisioned by the late Joseph Stubblefield. The Ladies Relief Society has offered $4,000 toward the $10,000 bonus required to secure the location of such a home in Walla Walla. It is imperative that the county commissioners or wealthy citizens provide the remaining funds before the November 20th deadline, or the opportunity will be lost.
“If the wealth-burdened rich cannot find relief in any other way they might try giving some of it away. Not as a blessing to other people but simply as a relief to themselves.”
This 1903 debate highlights the historical struggle to provide social safety nets for the vulnerable, a precursor to modern conversations about foster care and institutional versus community-based support systems in Washington.
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