, 1870-06-09
SOCIAL SCIENCE.
Second ANIMAL Meeting OF tue
Western Association.
p.ners On Prison Reform, Idiots and
Their Treatment, and the Air
We Breathe.
History the Teacher OF Socfnl
Science.

REGULAR SESSION.
The second meeting OF the Western Social
Science Association commenced In this city yester
ttsy afternoon In the lecture-roon Of Farwell
Hall ........... --.
Those present were called to order by Nj. Wines,
the Secretary. who read letter from the Presl-
dent. c. r. BrucIwny, OF Detroit expressing re-
g1et nj his inability 70 he present.
Mr. Wines moved that the Rev. Robert collyer
take the chaty.
The motion was apreed TO, and that gentleman
took the chair, simply saying that he had no doubt
they would become = lnIge and useful orcanIza-
ton ard thanking those present for the compli-
The Secretary rcad the roll OF memberA
HxEcUIIvE COMMITTEE.
The report Of the Executive Committee was
then rcad, stating That there are now 1s3 annual
members. . life members, and subscribers:
s;Ea-so expended Arrangements had trea maize
for complete census OF the insane and 1dlnttc Of
Indiana, and meeting YVES to be held NJ 1utli-
tee recommended closer afni1at1onwith the Amer
lean Association for the Promotion OF Social Sc!-
ence, the publication Of a volume OF transactions,
end a revision Of the constitution
The report IVES adopted.
TEE rRoGRANXE-
The following programme was also submitted:
Pozt @ Oh History : feaeher 81 Social Science"
and, on Thursday evening, Professor Goodwin
Smiths pspe1 on .'Tne Present Political Crisis in
That there be only .wo meetings daily for the
purpose Ct heaing and discussing papers; that
1aose read that afternoon be the papeEs Of Dr..
ct d.. Wllber, Of Jacksonville. on "ldiocy;r Of
v. II. Churchmau, OF indianapolis, On IS The Air
We Rreaihe;;" aud Of the Rev. Frederick L. Minea,
dsy afte1neon es dsxosed ro tns other papers on
w offSi there be session On Thu.sday norpta.
for the Transaction Of necessary buzinesA
The programme was adopted.
ELECTION or nFFICKHS
On the motion OF Nj. Wines, Mr. Brockwav was
chosen President during the ensuing year, aud U.
C. Gibbs. Recording Secretary.
mttee Re appointed 10 report officers on On tie % foI-
lowing morning.
The motion WAS agreed to-
Wlnea. Chairman; Dr. Hoyt, Of Indiana: r. A.
Jameson, Of Indiana: Judge Walker, Of Detroit,
D. D.. On Prison Reform, Its Present Position
and Outlook in the United States, Of which b1tef
marts, the paper speaks of The revived interest
taken in the question under discussion, IS shown
FL hom 81 to saea %
interest; the correspondence Of the PRISON. Re
form Associations tho Increasing demand
far nrep ITS 5ep0s and reespt sas
for an 1nternatlons. Penltentia1 Con-
Fcnt0n. The CELL Tor tnat convention Wis nu-
me11 us!y signed, and Its success was assured.
Many societies had also been organized TO advance
The interests OF prisoners, and governments had
aproiItsd commissions to ST out nsT aud IN In
Emperor OF France had also Just appointed q com
mission to report how discharged criminals were
ts rnssaeo On s the prison % suec: b. tie m H p1ess
vas receiving.
There was now substantial agreement on many
NlOtE OF Df1Ec1 diSE1nltOe fht fF4utf NVt.
taaon. which he would 1txte. The reformation OF
criminais Was the nrst great point decided. That
admitted fnct As waR shown by the prisons under
Captain Acconocay, md those At valenc,a and in
Ireland under Sir Walker crotton- The principle
OF progressive classification based on merit was
generally admitted In theory though not every
where In practice. The only question Was In ref
eIence to conditional liberty. which formed the
rewards for good conduct WIS agreed to gener-
ally These rewards consisted OF a share In the
earnings, Of shortening term Of Imprisonment OF
enlarged privileges and freedom The principle
OF probation during Incarceration was gaining
strength, but had been applied practically only IN
Weaa saa nei = n u saS
tia1y system. That principle, however. was to
meet the question Of the transcription oflshe ciui-
society wanted Tnasanree Of the conduct Of tie
released convict, and Il that Was given, all dlm-
entity would vanish. That disruss could only be
Allayed by proof given by the convict while in
prison that 1t was safe to give him work That
could not be tried where the separate system 10
furnish E1a ~ Ct ihe co9g5esAts one on It's present
dom must be gradual and not so sudden.
Greater breadth snd3 3ncttvi1y should be given to
relgtens agcncisS % and Sunday Schools md chap
Influences Of religion could not be neglected, but
must be reinforced by The conduct and
cha1actcr Of the orncers, which had an eject for
good or evE on the inmates A1l now agreed that
education must form an element Of prison life.
Secular schools had been established In numerous
prisoners were tanght In their own cells. Tie OPP
porfunities Of instruction were embraced with
pleasure. He desired an extension Of the system,
and the education Of all and not merely Of the
wholly allfterate~ All iunIGfs shon]d be Taught,
general letturk That hlghsf defss16f.dneAh eAhl hi
Fhcnld be gwen to instruction in manufactures
being the contract systeu. The belief was gain
ing Eroond that pezemptory sentences shoult
ns ,s0 1Reea Sy sentences
onsrs. That demanded, however, on1cers Of pc
c0liar ability 1t had been tried In some place
with success; The social system must be brongh
mVre into PLAY In Massachusetts, the principl
had received legal Endorsement In other State
prisoners had been Allowed hours OF recreation TO
good conduct. and the results had everywhez,
been good The throwing ont OF all political in
1uence Was point On Witch all we're agreed. tn.
Prison Association had attempted to sccnre tha
. he repeated. Tne sane Thing was now beinl
mo.a1 tnfuences for brute force Va
Of eiasstaca,ion of diTerent pr,sons @ for e male
and females, young and old, &c The CROWN
Sentiment II layer y o. psevenIMss aye lnsst1auns - wa
tack crime Greater effort should be made to q
cure work for discharged prisoners, and the suit
admitted that the contract system was a blunde
IN every why. Repeated short sentences were,
was admitted, worse than none At all With Il
1ndcter1nlnnte sentences should he used, and the
should he Kept In prlson un,l they were reformed
The necessity for district prisons was now gene
prisons and county taiis- That no system could
now admitted
DIoT9 AND Tuy1R THEAraESL
Dr.. Wilbnr, Of Jacksonville, the Superintendent
OF the Experimental School for Idiots and Fecbl
cosering he humber. condition, nd % character ;
!ssa sss ss 4ss''fS In 81 Il: r. n9S Il
To state facts The rropcrtionate number Of lido
anf tmbecilea In our population has been 80 grea
y undeIes1imated as 70 make it necessary to gi'
nations had been made Ia several States One
Massachusetts some years ago showed congen
tal idiot In sos people In 1856, In Connection
one one IN = people: Many % of these were psnper ]
Ia Il families there were 81 idiots. In Ohio ihei
was one in $50 Inhabitants In Illinois the rat
on fle 81 applications from Cook County.
Twenty years hEO the attention Of legtslatle
bodies had been called TO the condition Of idiot
and Dr.. Wilbur proceeded 10 read from the repol
OF the Massachusetts Commissioners relative
the manner In which idiots were formerly treate
in public institutions, which was however, bette
in private houses The examinations made !
other States had shorn that under the old system
Tnes were e1poaed 10 cold: they were filthy an
tll-fed, there was no attempt At classification b
sexes, and no effort TO Improve their condition
In Illinois, idiots had always becn treated moi
mt1citully than In ode. States. A Board Of Publ!
Charities had beef organized, but rs Jet had mad
no report. Ills investigations in this State ha
tiemanded. @ n There w were here here may idiorc chi
dren who never found their way to the alnshouse
and these wcze many whosf parents would not al
OLD sys.ein, eu. With proper care il was posstb
.insttEt,ons were now tunn'nR IN THIS eeunt.y. i
H. s;ss: "* %ssss ;sss;sss s;s = :S:s ;;:s; sss =
could be made Independent Of lie county on "a .
had nct lhrse efforts been geneFaiiy ems
cred utterly Useless. -snw, however, the Btea
fast 1ricIds of these Institutions we're found ano
thc most eminent men Of the country. The 70
eccomflls h2H leen ve1y great, as shown
the printed rrpcrts. from which 1t appeared tt
numbers CT e!uidrrn Lad been taught to rc.
witIeRn1 Cyp:er.to etT ard us. come s.np1e han
cta:r, so MS to support themselves The pnncil
of educating idiots MES now admitted 10 be v:
a. well as Humane. 1t TGs recommended that
institution IN. erected ntge enough TO take In
tlest unfortunate Children III Connecticut, In
der to relieve the stlrr Of their support at n ST
sequent period, by educating item to take care
htmstlyef- This WAS the sentiment now In ne,
~ tee states- AZ shown by extracts from
rel'orts Of Commissioners II Public Cbarih.
SurefhteLdents Ct Asylulns. &c, and all agre
tnlt tac majority Of ldl.,tic children could be ed
caien up 70 such point as not to come npou {
rnnie; ~. Wilbur read statistics showing t
"ITl; done y 1he various insutufions
he C1EGtk Ut summing NJ, h~ rasr fnlInvr
Ifht there WIS In this country one idIot IN a
thbUENnH fbrt ~,