Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1872-02-14
From the n. Y. Herald, Jan. 81
PRISON REFORM.

We, the pnblie, start out upon false
assumption. which was briefly but
pithily declared by Ex-Governor Sey-
mour in his address before the meet
ing (of the Prison Reform AssOcia-
tion) on Friday evening. These
men," said he, referring to State Prls-
on convicts, chad no such genius in
crime that they could, of themselves,
work out all their baleful deeds if
there had not been a state of morals
and a depraved public opinion which
gave a hOtbed growth to their powers
to work mischief. They did not make
corruption; corruption made them.-
They lived and moved unknown and
unnoticed until they were made pes
tilential by favoring circumstances,
Just as the lurking diseases are made
wide-sweeping plaques when foul
atmosphere develops their deadly poi
sons. We can not deal with this sub
iect of the suppression of crime in q
large and truthful way without ar
raigning the public.n Again: Grimes
do not show so clearly the character
of the criminals as they do the social
aspect of the communities in which
they are committed" Never were
truer words uttered by any one, and
we think the Governor very properly
laid the blame where it Justly belongs
at the door of the wealthy aud the
intelligent classes, who so constantly
forget that wealth and business have
powers and duties deyolving upon
them as well as rights. Hope the
great keynote of this Prison Assocfa-
ton, is, as Mr.. Seymour remarked, a
great reformer. 1t is that which lives
longest aud dies hardest in every man
1t is that which has made worthy
business men and honored and hon.
cradle Christian men Of many con-
vict in this and in other lands. 1t is
that which lifts a man out of the
slough of despond1 and sets him
upon his feet, points him to the celes-
tial city, the bright future before him,
and, with a cheering word and warm
grasp, bids him strike out boldly for
himself. The inspiration OF such a
hope is worth more to any man, and
especially TO such men, than all the
gold Of 0phir or the pearls Of India,
could they be offered 70 them.
But the principle upon which our
prison discipline is carried out is, as
it was declared, disgrace to the
Christian civilization Of the age. It
is the principle of the wicked servant
condemned by the Saviour in one Of
His beautiful parallels, because he
exacted the very last farthing of the
hundred pence due him from fellow
servant, Notwithstanding the COM
mon lord and master of both had for
given him q much larger debt. So
ciety acts on the assumption that
a man who commits State Pris-
on is necessarily a hardened criminal.
1t rarely or never stops TO inquire how
often, If ever, he resisted the tempta-
ton before he fell, and it never takes
into account his circumstances and
surroundings, which have oftentimes
much more to do with the commits
sion of crime than any innate desires
which the criminal may CHERISH
Hence the law shuts prisoners up in
its stone walls and iron cages, and
seeks by harsh treatment to obliterate
every Yestige of his better manhood
out Of his nature; and against this
principle the Prison Reform AssoeiR-.
Iion is working with zeal aud with
some degree of success. But it needs
the sympathy and the encouragement
of society and the removal of this un-
christian prejudice, which every
where prevails, before it can fully sue
eeed in its divine mission.
DIR. E. &. Wines, the worthy Seere-
tary of our National Prison Reform
Association, having lately returned
from his European tour through the
prisons and reformatories of the Old
World, whittier he was sent by the
President, made brief but interest
ing report of his visits to some of the
principal prisons there. He gave
honor where It was due to the prison
system of Ireland, which "plants hope
in the breast Of the prisoner from the
first hour of his confinement, and
keeps it there an ever active force, in,