New-York tribune., 1870-10-18
THE PRISON CONGRESS.
FOURTH DAY.

CINCINNATI, Oct IA large audience was
rreseiit at both sessions of the Congress to-day Inc
foIlwing papers wero presented:
CLOTHING FOR CoNvICTs.
MIS- = DcsalCm OF the Ohio Pententiary read
paper under the title Of An immediate want Of the con
yict" the main subject Of which the clothing SUIT
bic prisoners He said that law provided tn"' cor
victs shall be clothed in "coarse and inexpensive gar
mcnts, comfortably" evidently laying the emphasis ~
the former, the prejudice Of the latter esSeha
fcation Election as between fabrics, textures anu
position Of material from which the cohNio'S ,hoso
shall be manufactured, is usually mace o' ' S ~, is
duty is to minister to the immediate "" -, " ,a 10
oner personally. To these, he said ne in'' us - I,
dav Standing between the law-gYer anu 'Ho ~"
breaker we owe TO society the exaetion OF every Pen"!
imposed on the transgressor; ana none 'i'o t,oo ~
owe To the convict every oOhlorI oon'''
"a ,roteoton necessary 10 his preservation III
~ -. and estate Society does not closely
,,;rt,o the treatment which the convict receives
t the hands Of his keeper. The puDhc leelS 'hat S
utv is discharged when tho prison gate Is closed oe
teou II and tie enemy. The law being only geheral III
it, sapplicaon places the offender within its guarded
male and leaves him there. He cannot, if he would
offend nor can he situated thus do more than promise
Promises Of reformation the part of conyicts, are
often made and they evidences of improvement III
character. Like seed sOwn by the waysde having not
much earth they are liable TO wither. Any measure
which tends to strengthen character is judcous cup
Of cold water pair of woolen socks or OF comiortape
shoes 10 helpless criminal may be the rock which he
builds.
The history of the Ohio Pentcntiary establishes the
assertion that cOnvicts may be furnished, Tor gwen
time an outfit Of clothing embracing wOOlen under
clothing and other articles conducive to the comfort OF
the wearcr less money than an outfit not embracing
these articles. During the fiscal year 1861 the clothing
and BEDDING furnished cost the state of Ohio S4%3 4O
being average Of $40 p man. During this ana sew
cra succeeding years the allowance of clothing for con-
did not embrace wooden undercotmng OF any klnd
he seal had
a. standard 1851 the clothing and bedding including
wooden uudershirts cvCry convict and woOen draw
m for 90 per cent of the whole number cost the state
1920 81 being average OF 50 q per man. Az present
prices an outfit, embracing coat, pantaoo,hs Nest;
shirt cap and shoes, and including weekly change OF
wooden undcTshirts drawers, and socks, towel hand
kerchef and mitten with aprons oVerals ana anu over G
shirts, for those who are exposed to dust hnd' ana
40 pcr convict annually. Mr.. DeSallcrn submitted a
detailed tabular statement III proof OF the ia't mere
stated
SOCIETY AND CRIME-ExECUTIvE PARDoNs.
The Rev. DR.. Bettinger of sewickley, Penn' read
paper the Responsibility of Society for the Causes
Crime" He said that society sustains foroiafe
laOn TO criminals viz: To those in danger OF becom-
ing criminals to those who have actually become sOi 10
the imprisoned criminal and the liberated criminal OF
the above classes the most clearly defined is the prison
population. Their number is known; ana H. IRON the
get answer to the question what Drought you
here shall have made great advance TOWARD an
swering question What is the responsibility OF soci,
ETY. for the of crime More than % per cent tel
us they cannot read per cent have never learned
trade. Those from foreign countries number Is per
cent p cent are minors S3 per cent are insane ana
imhecle In the common JallS OF New 1ork IN iooi .!
per could not read 70 per cent were without trades
and 80 per cent admitted they frequented houses OF
ul-ame, gambling houses, and grog shops. IN
1865 cut Of 1868, averaging about l3 years each 6O
per cent of foreign parenage 5 per cent were or
phans and hafOTphan % cent used liquor ana To-
bacco per homeless and q per cent wholly
iiterate There is sad uniformity III these figures and
they point to ignorance ideness orphanage drunken
Righteousness and homeessness causes of crime
Among negative of crime, homelessness, gno-
n esfroY Se Yonne ie1oFance the adults while
among our Immigrant population both causes combine
gambling prostitution drunkenness, obscene literature
and and Criminals Prison ieS Ss & shoT be se" or sng the
intempera,e and the desGate are & IN TIN the greatest @
borders of crime many Of them cross that border @ DF
OF the responsibility Of society for much OF the crime
that exists and pointed ont clearly ana widn uch iofe'
RELIGION IN PRISONS.
The Rev Mr.. Fooe, chaplain of the Detroit House o
Correction, presented paper the Importance ant
Power Religious Forces in Prisons: He said the re
ligous faculty distinguishes from all lower orders
beings. The first crime against man was the subiuga
ton the religious faculty to the lower nature In this
u1ugation fnd the origin Of all crime Let TINS e
prisons follows matter of course Our prisons are
crowded with manifold thousands lost to themselves TO
the State, and to God God himself has ordained the
forces by which these shall be restored from this
fectua 10 the reformation of men outside are equally ef
iectua inside OF prison gates 0ier @ ofeS 9sn may Sg GO
iaIs as a class are victims of darkness, and
consequently have not been hardened by light resisted
TIE chaplain should and know in his flock but the one
comprehensive condition. humanity in ruins TO be saved:
In these ruins he should be able TO discern moral
treasures most precious. The authorities that are
supreme in prison administration have power either TO
bind the Word render it mighty 10 the pulling
down OF sronghOds. Again. an inadequate salary may
SO divert the time aud care of the chaplain as to
materially interfere with his work. In prison admins
tration, the chaplain should have no superior III the
house OF salvation, where morally mPoten folk shall
be retained until made whole OF whatsoever disease
they have" To show what has actually been achieved,
Mr. FOote here offered brief citations from the reports OF
the Chapains OF the state prisons OF Illinois, southern
Indiana Ohio, Pennsylvania Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas
Massachusetts, the Detroit House OF Correction and the
Albany Pententiary.
The Rev. j. L. Mligan, Chaplain OF the Western Peni-
entiary, Pa. considered Executive Pardons IN Their
Mature, Limitation, and Effect" He said that the
Chief xccutive of State by the people who ratify
Constitution. Hence society and the judiciary were not
concur in it, They should help 10 make i'm
partial, and thus its highest benefits. statistics
show tnat the has at times been exercised to
inOTdinate extent.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
THE CRIMINAL REGISTER OF NJ MARsANGY.
very able paper contributed by NJ. Bonneville
Marsangy counselor OF the State Imperial Court Of
Paris OF the most eminent students of criminal
matters of Europe; it read by DR.. Wines. The
paper treated OF NJ de Marsangys remarkable in
vention (which has been in in France twenty
years., called Criminal Registers Coasters JdiciaiTes
The writer says: Suppose crime committed and proved
With view 10 just punishment, what must be con-
sideredi Three things-the gravity OF the wrong done;
the alarm caused To society, and the peryery of the
criminal These three elements must be weighed in
IL efcacoGs only when it dispels the social alarm and
guarantees the public security against relapse Of the
criminal by his regeneration Ii follows that punishment
must be at once repreSsye deterrent, and reforma-
tory; hence IL becomes necessary that the Judge
ascertain and consider the durability the convicted
malcfactOr IL is necessary to know the character,
habits and criminal antecedents of the delinquent be-
fore prOnOuncng sentence just the physician before
prescribing his remedy, examines the condition of his