The Portland daily press., 1874-01-30

pointed two years b pSmith and
Mr.. Harlow of the CO. Dounci. "a bill
passed the last Legislature providing for labor
in our jails The plan of the Commissioners
was avowedly based on the theories of Dr.
Wines and other "sentimentalsts' of his school,
1t is men of the same school who have for
years been arguing the necessity, as an essen
tial part of the reformatory system, OF greatly
limiting the scope of executive pardon. MANY ol
them demand police supervision after tne GRIM
inals release. Besides they have elaborated
system of criminal registration that greatly IA
cilitates the detection and punishment of ha-
bitual wrong-doers.
In this State especially, an attempt has been
made to fasten upon the friends Of remedial
penalties the odum of rendering the punish
ment of crime less certain. Several extraordi
nary fayors shown By the statutes of this State
to murderers on their trial, in respect to conn
sci, empaneling jury and dilatory proceed
ings, have been thrust upon the opponents OF
capital punishment as if it was necessarily a
part of their sentimentalism to lessen the
chances cf conviction. But as matter OF TACT
the most vigorous denunciations of these
special privileges accorded to murderers have
come from the most earnest opponents of cap
ital punishment, like the late Attorney Gener-
al of 4he State. The true question at issue
must not and cannot be obscured in this way.
Certainty of punishment, both in theory and
fact, belongs much mora to the reformatory
and remedial than to the reactionary and vim
dictive side of the question Facts show this.
tl,a1 1ofapfc N statIItps the m
viction of murderers has been almost matter
of course in Maine. The ''sentimentalist' At
torney-General assisted by "sentimentalist"
County Attorney, not long since secured the
conviction of man arraigned for shooting his
wife, who alleged matter in extenuation which
al,cays secures impunity in States where the
gallows still stands Compare the record OF
Maine with that of a capital punishment
State like New York, and then say. if you
can, that the gallows promotes certainty OF
punishment. In the latter State what may not
appropriately be called erotic murders, those
growing out of the association of the sexes,
have neUer been punished. The same is true
of other States where the hangman is still toll
Grated. If that functionary inspired the salu-
tary terror with which he is accredited, ceuld
Governor Dix have said in his last message,
''The alarming increase in the frequency of the
crime of murder in the city and its environs
demands your most ssrious consideration.
Scarcely day passes soithout witnessing q
brutal and IN many instances fatal assault
upon the persons of anofending individuals" T"
The ''sentimentalst" must be acquitted,
then, of the charge of desiring to leave the
criminal more liberty to prey on society than
he now enjoys. On the contrary he thinks
there is good hope of eliminating the criminal
in great degree, SO that he may no longer be
an important social factor. But what results
can we show? In answer to this it must be
said first that the ideas of prison reformers
have nowhere been fully carried out But
wherever the reformatory element has been in
troduce1, even partially, the resulas have been
most satisfactory. In our own State Prison,
the combined influence Of productive labor, a
little mental and moral instruction and the
commutation Of sentences for good conduct has
greatly reduced the number who return after
being once released. In Massachusetts great
advances have also been made. Mr.. Brockway,
the famous head of the Detroit work house,
where the plan of indeterminate sentences is in
partial operation, effects a cure in almost every
case treated in his institution. In Ireland, Sir
Walter Crofton's system of reform, widely
known as ''the Irish SYSTEM" has wrought
miracles and in consequence crime is said to be
disappearing from Dublin. Strict classification,
education, gradual removal of penalties and
restrictions on liberty. are among the agencies
employed in the Crofton system, which puts in
practical operation more of the reformatory
theories than any other now practiced. In
France. Demetz, who is at the head of re-
formatory institution at Methray, makes men
of trustworthy honesty and established good
character out of juvenile offenders. We might
speak of the wonderful success of those emf
nent sentimentalists, Captain Machonochic and
Count Solohub in Norfolk Island and in Rus
sia. But the list is already sufficiently long.
This is what is called sentimentalism, and
these are the sentimentalist's trophies. His
aims have been strictly utilitarian. He has
proceeded in the most rigidly scientific manner,
he has Investigated, made large induct1ons of
fact and experimental. He has formed associ-
with those who have the most knowledge of it,
and drawing light from all possible sources.
Finally he shows astonishing results favorable
to the quiet, safety and well-being of society
wherever he has had an opportunity to put in
practice the results of his study. On the other
side we see men giving way to passion or pre-
judice rushing upon the criminal and striking
him down. Where are their trophies? A row
of gibbets-a heap of carcasses! Even they
will not contend that gibbets and carcasses are
an end in themselves, but what ulterior ones
can they show? To what results, good in
themselves can they point?
TROMP LIE MORT