New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-08-10

% adhere TO the body, an long strlps vi ohr'
",yore drawn away with it' He never spoke
oftor he was taken down. The clothes hands,
and even faces of the keepers were sprnkled
with his blood. In our day these, like Slavery
and its horrors, are only fnghtful dreams OF
the past. The whipping OF prisoners Is now
nrohibited by law. Under this system, though
there were various other punshmcnts, there
were no rewards of any kind for good con-
duct be it ever so long continued or exem-
plary. There was, in fact no Indictment to
reform. The only influence brought to bear
on the inmates was fear. Their lot was one
of suffering, and was meant to be so. Their
food was such that scurvy was common
Mace disease At that time thls is expressly
stated in the Report every child born In the
State Prison died from the effect of bad food
and air. There were no Libraries; books were
considered a luxury, and, as such, they were
forbidden. There was no teaching OF the llllt-
crate; instruction was regarded as privilege,
and therefore excluded The system did not
terminate with death. The carpenter nailed
nm a rough deal box; but what became OF It,
when or where it was deposited underground,
if that was its destination, none of the fellow
with their humanzing influence, were not per-
mtted. BE it confessed; that this was giving
the system of coercion-the old fashioned short
cut of brute force-a very fair trial what
was the result Did the report of such sever
tiles, going out among the depraved portion OF
our population, suffice to deter them from
crime Or did it awaken among them that
defiant feeling which is well known to prevail
among the offenders against lava feeling that
society has acted the tyrant to them, and that
they owe it a grudge which it would be cow
ardy not to pay The answer, so far as
statistics give it, is that under that system OF
cruelty. on an average thirty per cent OF the
prisoners were recOnvicted and sent back to
prison.
Another system was tried, at the instance of
the Association referred to. Not only the lash,
but "crucifying" bucking, the all-and-chain,
and other fortunes were abolished; confinement
TO the dark cell, privation of bed diminution
of food and the shower-bath remaining the
only punishments, and these being sparingly
inflicted. COnvicts were allowed to obtain,
within the prison walls, rewards for good con-
duct; sometimes in the form OF 0rerstent, or
money earned for themselves; sometimes IN the
shape of communication of sentence. Hope was
suffered To enter the prison, and good habits
were formed under its influence The State
expended $4,000 for books; individual cOntrlbu-
tons came in for the same purpose. The libra
ries at Sing Sing and Auburn have each four
thousand wcl-selected volumes, and convicts
are allowed To read them freely. hundreds
who came into prison unable to read or write
have gone ont able to do both The children
that are born in our State Prisons have now
the same chance of life rs others. Funerals
are dccently conducted; the time to attend
these is not grudged to the convict; he finds
himself one of a class who are treated, even
after death, with humane consideration; and
the effect on his moral character is found to
he beneficial beyond expectation.
Now what is the ultimate result of all this
Have Sing Sing and Auburn and our peniten-
tialies become so attractive that oifcnses are
committed to obtain lodgings therci Or has
Christian principle produced Christian re-
sulsP Are more, or less, than thirty
per cent of all our convicts sent back
to prison under this reformed systemf
The last Report on our State Prisons pub
lishcd 10y the Association (page 40 supplies
the answer. Nearly nlne-tCnths of our prison.
els never return. Little more than ten per
cent are committed "A second time. In our two
largest prisons 50 out of every 100 males, and
% out of every 100 females, are not again con
victed and returned to prison. The power OF
reformation of the new system is nearly three
times as great as that of the old. What shall
we say. thcnH Is humanity to the criminal
mere sckly sentimentality, encouraging vice 7
Or ia it as sound in practice rs it is noble in
tLpnrvp