Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-06-21

PUBLIC MEETING or THE DELAWARE AssoCi.
ALTON PoR CRIMINAL REFORM.

PUBL1C MEETING or TUE DELAWARE AsaoCi. |
ALTON POR CRIMINAL REFORM.
Monday the Delaware Association for
Criminal Reiorl held public meeting in
Central Presbyterian Church. DR.. Askew, |
President Of the Association, in the Chair. !
The President introduced Rev. Fielder
Israel. who asked divine blessing upon the
meeting and prayed that success might
crown the efforts Of the association IN its
humane and philanthrOpio work.
After prayer MT Israel submitted a long
report OF the doings Of the association
from its inception to the present time, and
laid before the meeting reports OF the CON
ditinn of the jails and almshousea In this
aud Sussex counties. In referring to the
different places In the State for the deten-
tiOn Of criminals, he took occasion to say
that IL IS great shame we have no better
place than the CITY Hall cells in which to
lodge evil-doera in this city.
After sitting all the material he had
gathered in connection with the Associa-
tion, he had come to the following conclu-
siOns' -
l. We need penitentiary
.. We need House OF Refuge.
8. We hold that criminals should be self.
I. We believe the profits Of criminal
labor should be reduced below those Of hon
! est industry.
He then argued that education was a
preventive OF crime, and that mOre care
/ should ba taken with our Yagrants aud
neglected children.
] The report vas accepted.
] Col Nields WAS then introduced and said
he did not believe that BY the use OF ma
terial force you could possibly make society
more secure and therefore believed the
whipping post, the pillOry and the gallows
here did not decrease but rather increased
the number Of our criminals. He
| argued that the degradation Of one
man by legal process degrades the State,
| and that no government on the face of God 3
green earth has the right to take the life Of
| any man. II this is not true, then IL must
! follow that any indi Viduhl has the right to
take the life Of another, for the State is
only the reflex OF the power and authority
| resting with the people, Society, Of course,
has a right TO protect itself, but II cannot
be protected By whipping or impilloriug the
criminal, for by doing TINS you make him a
worse Instead Of better man. You cannot
make men better by degrading them 10
improve them and make them good citizens
yons must elevate mem ms ,peSlksI COY,
here demands the abolition Of the post.
pillory and Eallows,
Sir. Latimer, u Philadelphia, for a lonq
time connected with the Criminal Reform
Association Of that city, did not believe
that the interests OF society demanded Ihs
abolition Of The gallows, fer the life Of the
murderer 10 taken by divine authority, and
Of the right or wrong Of II Reform ASsoeia
tons had nothing 10 do
Anthony Higgins ESQ, believed that :,
wac incumbent upon society 70 Fenognlts
and tfsat crime ~ sueh, And thst no 'raudliH
sentimeutAiity ahpuld interfere with thie
II was clearly The duty OF society 10 restrict
crime, and IL ought to recognize the fact
that there's no criminal, no matter how base
and hardened, but who can be reformed
/ Mr. Higgins was sorry TO hnd 40 small an
audience present and felt sad when he
considered that the building IN which
he spoke would be filled with people
seeking their own salvation, but when
the salvation Of others 10 Al stake 4
corporals guard can barely be mustered
The Uity Hall cells, he contended, are a
burning shame to 4 Christian community.
He argued that rum lie the source and foun-
tain Of all crimes and 70 think that II was
a State institution was indeed humiliAtlnR.
The state should have a penitentiary and
House OF Refuge, and the speaker closed by
saying that you cannot whip or impillory a
man without making him a hater of the
human family.
MIR. Israel made few remarks, and at his
suggestion EN-MAyOr Valentine and Solo
mon Hersey, ESQ, were appointed com
| mittee TO solicit the names Of those present
| for membership.
The committee subsequently reported
that about ~ names had been secured, aud
the meeting then adjourned