Windham County Democrat. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1836-1853, 1852-02-18
wINDHAM COUNTY DEMOCRAT.
BrattIeboro, W., Feb. rs, 1852.
treatment of Paupers, Criminals, Sc


~ A special committee of the New ork Assembly,
reporting the condition of prisons in that State say
ain the course of the investigation the committee
struck with the of mental nliena-
ton among the convicts. A much larger number of
the inmates of prisons less insane than
the people imagine, than the officers Of the prisons
themselves seem TO be fully aware. Indeed it is a
matter of doubt whether any person out of pri
SON. after serving sentence Of six years, with
a tolerably sound mind
We discern nothing in the good time coming, more
grateful TO sympathes, srikngly contrast
ing it with the blind elshness of the present. than the
treatment it promises TO the pauper and the crminallx
If our readers wonder why present the two s's7
together, we answer, it is because we little d
in the laws estimate of their claims, except h
the care taken to prevent the criminal from abjurngts
provisions is applied to prevent the pauper from resort
ing to them while he can keep soul and body together
without As March meeting is close at hand when the
poor of the several towns are up auction & struck
off to the lowest bidder, be he brute human, ask
of our readers to give careful consideration TO few
suggestions and thoughts which believe to be dicta
ted by regard to Him who has said, "the poor yc have
always with you"
The circumstances and convictions of our childhood
and carly youth made us familiar with the policy of the
poor laws and the spirit in which they are executed-
If we have not sat at their feet we have often SAT
the unobscrved corner while dgnitarcs discussed
the provisions for the towns poor, and all the details of
their application and more, we have listened while the
pauper has poured to official the tale of griey
ances endured from Irresponsible but egalized provid
crs-those who had hidden them off at auction We
have seen the compassion of the official choked down
by the statutes we have seen him retreat from the
pressure of individual feeling under Of official
duty and by this know that if only good and intel
lgent would act up 10 their conscious responsible
~ TO God and humanity, TO edo they would be done
by individuality statute abuses would disappear
Not in ten of the statute provisions which outrage
Justice and humanity, is continued in force ly Whist -
properly denomnated public sentiment. 1t cdnuoe,ih
truth be said of any existing law, that it is sustained by
public sentiment when the sentiment which submits TO
its execution would shrink from the responsibility of rs
inative-wouldnt sustain its enactment if it did not
exist Popular sentiment is ever truh-ward, JUSTICE
ward 1t has its initiative in individual sentiment; and
when we hear individual sentiment charging nlustce
and nhumanty upon an existing law, and see lis OH
Gals taking refuge from the conscious odium of It's e8
ccuon, under the plea of c6icai obligation, may b.
assured that public sentiment is not churgeabc for t
continuance of that law; and that if it stripped
Of its mummy coverings, only sefshness in the few,
and habit in the many, would be found preserving its
soulless form. In the enactment of good laws even,
we careful TO guage public sentiment TO find if Il
will sustain them. Why should we be less Jealous u
retaining laws which Just and humane individual sen.
timent condemns, which public sentiment would shrink
from enactng would take the responsibility Of nd.
vsng
We have placed at the head of article paragraph
exposing the evil results of prison discipline upon the
intelligence and sanity of its subjects, not TO remark
upon it, but serving, indirectly, to illustrate the in
justice and nhumanity of policy underlying both or
penal and our pauper system of providence.
Irru,tnruf'st VIM w"uiu H"rgatv tire norrofs III
Imprisonment by introducing those intellectual assoc
tons and influences which cultivate and develop taste
for the beautiful is met by the objection, that if you
make paradise of the prison, you lessen the penalty
Of wrong doing and invite TO crime AS though, if you
win men to love the pure and the beautiful in prison,
they would not be likely pursue of prison
As though who never knew home of intelligence
and love outside the prison walls and find of the
sweet influences that foster genuine humanity among
the provisions for criminals against its sacred claims,
could be expected to comprehend and practice the de.
mands of christian humanity when their of inn
prisonment expired
Time after time when plying woman has femonstra-
ted against the meagre provisions made for the helpless
pauper have heard the father, the husband and the
man in authority reply to her. that will do make
the paupcrs flare inviting greater numbers would
resort to the town for support As though the honest
and the industrious, who compelled by misfortune
to eat the bread of charity should be subject to a bill
of fare that will rerolt the vagaJOnd who his
bread, but will not
Another week will deal in facts and incidents il
Illustrating the spirit and operation of pauper system
We would speak of the claims of the poor and The
duty of the State. The State is enriched by The uGs
of its citizens its growth and prosperity depend upon
its productions Our paupers mostly uborers whose
labor has been taxed for the benefit of community,
their helpless children. They have only to be
burdens through msforunes, casualties, bereavements
or the infrmities of age. We will not except even
those whom love of drink has paupered when we say
that ninetenths of adult puupers have claims io
support the of wealth accumulated to the
Rum-drinkng has made rum-selling sufficiently prof
table enable the traffic pay into the State Treasu
ry a very perceptble amount of license money, The
drunken pauper has a claim dividends the Hcens,
investment Our adult paupers also have claims to d.
vidends invested by way of tares Their labor or the
capital have contributed TO sustain institutions o.
government of education, of religion. Our interna
improvements have risen by their help They have
contributed 10 the support of the poor of the past
by commerce with professional men, mechanics, mer
chants, they have contributed to the fortunes of the
wealthy and influential As producers of wealth to the
State, the infrm adult poor entitled TO a support
Besides this they have the claim the unprota
BILE and the helpessly young, who by bereavement OIL
misfortunes mprovdence, thrown upon the pub
lie FIR of he