Delaware Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1843-1874, 1873-10-23

Prison NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., by Flol-
ence Nightingale. The following letter from
Florence Nightingale TO Rev. Dr. f. e. Wines
is communicated by that gentleman TO the Hart
ford C0Wrdnt:
"LoSDoN, SEPTEMBER |, 1873.
''Dear sir l have TO thank yon for your
kind note and very interesting address, written
TO be read at Brussels. do moi feel myself COM
gs Il Sfpss any og shoa pe e. e. SnE
ran /. @. one rarely spoken out of its own conn-
try, in which the educated inhabitants almost
always speak some language besides their own.
"'fhe only other point on which will con-
| tinue to speak, and this only because you are
good enough to write me to do so in the ques-
| ton oil subjects. Have you tried any new ex-
pertinent Of prison reform, and practically PROV
| ed its 81 ,ess or failure devised any new refor-
| matory system? In the matter of devisng tie
| best mode of reformatory punishment for crimes
against property, to which owe my co rrespon-
denee with yourself believe nothing has been
done but talk. Yet the subject is becoming
| more pressing every year. No one but knows
| Of skillful workmen, discharged with good char
aeler and Il good trade, from prison, yet resum-
| ing the trade of theft within a few days-eyen
| a lew hous-as more lucrative, and even i'm
forming employers that they had been in Jail as
| q means of escaping employment.
"Who can believe that this would be the case
| II these persons had to work ont aud repay the
lucrative. As it is, a good prison is actually a
reward, not Il deterrent TO tic theft No one
but knows the siekly unstilful thief who likes
the good bed out OF the prison his trade of
! thleving not being remllneratve, but the prison
| Is. II is stated that one of the American for
gers who have just been convicted here was
Just out of an American prison for forgery
| Who can belive that, had lie been sentenced to
work out and repay the price of his former for
gerry, lie would instantly, on his release from
prison, have recommended the same course?
"rhe prison is actually not punishment for.
put, as 1t were, an encouragement to thievinc
AT least ii is there made easy. (For crimes ac-
companied with violence, especially for violence
toward women and children, would whip.)
| Now the United States, which are foremost
III the field in these good mat .ers, ought they
| not to show us some new system in these
things
"The important SUBJECT Of GLOW to reform
| prostitutes how TO teach them to earn an hon
est livelihood, with all the means absolutely es-
sential, moral and religious, for strengthening
| the wills OF these poor creatures, equally far
from petting and from revolving cheerIessuess, y
this, too, is thing on which we seem to have
made little progress, and in which We might
| well exchange international experience.
'iarion me, dear sir, this note, for which
ieel do indeed need your pardon, as my hands
are already so much too full of business shat in
| Valld as am and prisoner 10 my room, it is
| Impossible for Inc 20 take up and practically 10
work out this retormatory subject. But leave
| II in worthlcr hands than mine. NAV Col
bless you for all You have done, and all YOU
| will do. 'oN
| 'iray pelleve me, ever your faithful servant,
| FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE"