Daily Kennebec journal., 1870-10-11
PRISON AND. REF0RMATORY
CONGRESS-.

The national convention which VIII as
semble this evening in the Common CounclI
hall at Cincinnati, to discuss penitentlary
and reformatory discipline, will be pre-
sided over by Speaker Blaine, who VIII
deliver the opening address. The fegu-
lar session will commence tomorrow ana
continue 1t is thought until the 20th, or at
least until the work in the programme,
consisting of twenty discussions and forty
ESSAYS, is disposed of. Several OF the es-
saws are contributed by distinguished
European writers, among whom are Dr.
Won HoltzendorfF of Berlin, Sir Walter
Crofton, Sir John Bowring, Miss Mary
CARPENTER, and William Tallack of Eng
land and Mr. Bonneville de Marsangy
of Paris. There are seven papers prom
ised from New England alone; one by
Warden Hays of Massachusetts, on Euro
pean Prisons !" Judge Pitaman on Terms
of Sentence )" DR.. E. NJ. Snow of Provi-
dence on "Reformatory Sentences in
Rhode Island;" F. B. Sanborn of Spring
uclU Oh lue L llSOH ieS''
Marcus Ames of Lancaster and Capt. NJ.
L. Eldridge Of New Bedford, on their re-
spective schools of reform, and Col.
Gardner Tufts on the Massachusetts wis
iting Agencies" The discussions will
relate to each general topic as it arises,
and will close with one on the essential
principles Of prison reform and juvenile
correction.
1t will be seen that this is to be an i'm
portant convention, claiming not only to
be national in its character, but drawing
contributions from leading minds of the
most enlightened countries in Europe. Ii
is also of general interest, for prisons and
jails and their inmates are public burdens,
for the support of which all have to be
taxed. The prison population of the
United States alone, in a single year is
25O,OO0, while the number constantly in
prison is $4,000 To maintain these about
ten million dollars year is necessary II
by any means the expense of supporting
them can be reduced the public will be the
gamer TO that degree. But it is not mere
ly to consider the question of expense and
how to make it less that the convention
will assemble, but rather to discuss the
effect of our prison discipline in moral
point of view, and give opinions and facts
in reference thereto. 1t concerns the
public vastly to know about this matter.
There are various systems in operation.
In one community there is no hanging, in
another the gallows still has its victims
in one the punishment of the criminal is
the object, in another his reformation is
kept in view; which of these plans is
bestP 1t might be said OF our own State
that hanging having been practically
abolished for several years, was re-enact-
ed year and a half ago, since which time
more murders have been committed in |
the State than ever before during a SINH
lar period. The fear Of the gallows has |
not prevented crime here, whatever it |
may have done elsewhere, and thus it
fails to accomplish any but the british
effects which accompany its use.
The deliberations of the convention and
its conclusions will be looked for with in
terest, and will exercise great infleunce
upon public opinion. Those who are i'm
mediately concerned in the management |
of penitentiaries and reformatory insttu-
tinn chm nd tha;r ,yorl-;n,r ha,to1 +h,,,
others, and their ideas will have weight
accordingly. 1t requires but single visit |
to prison and brief contact with its Off
GERS and inmates to convince anv one that
the school of experience is better than
theory, and that the world at large knows
but little of the world within the prison
walls. Thank God the day has gone by,
never to return, when the prison door
shutting upon the convict closed against
him all human sympathy, and left him to
rot in his cell without inquiry into his con-
dition or treatment, or thought that amel-
oration of his doom could be anything else !
than misplaced mercy injurious to com
munity and undeserved by the criminal. |
Society has learned that if it holds life and
liberty cheap, and revenge makes the OBJ
ject of punishment, thatindividuals will be
actnatea by the same ideas in their relations
to and dealings with each other. 1t tspeaks
well for the progress of humanity that the
condition of our prisons is not now a sub
ject neglected, but openly to be discussed
in national council, where every man can
express his opinion, whatever it may be,
and the workings of our prisons be laid
open for the inspection of the world From
such comparison of results and ideas as
will be made at Cincinnati, let us hope
that much good may come.