The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-09-30

Lawmakers insist shall be the only one used
or that. however, occasion will be taken TO
speak hereafter In It's proper connection. We
are now dealing with the paddle" aud It's ei-
fects. 10 administer this punishment the con-
vict's feet are fastened to- the floor by an inse-
NOUS cOntrvance. aud his arms arc drawn ~
together above his head. tie siands slightly
CURED number Of whecks upon his bare but
tocks with stl e leather paddle, the 1road part
Of which is about three inches wide ana eighteen
inches long The handle IL about the same
length. there are no holes IN the part used Tor
striking This punishment can do the culprit
no serious harm. hut 1t hurts him and touches
his moral sensibilities more quickly than any
dark cell Incarceration.
rnr EFFECT or THE PADDLE.
Fnrinsfance. There used to he big. stawar',
evil negro IN the sing sing prison who would
persist ~ wiliul inffaciiuns OF PRISON discipline,
and IN malicious mischief toward his fellows.
Again and again the DIRK cell WINS tried upon
hun, but without any lasting effect for good.
roarcd aud nowled while the infection was 20.
Ing ON. and when II was over turned to the keep
er with this peuitenual ptOclawatiOn: III lss, sc
done. You isn't gwine to nab no mo trouble
aid dis Niger. can stan de dark cell. hut d 4
plddlc = de dehblc. No mo ob dat fit de 'scti-
ber." lie was ~ good as his word. All the rest
Of the term II de sclloer,' he was model
Hut there are other reasons why the whipping
post would be n good thing. II would enormous
" reduce the expendituics OF the state and Of
elch INDIVIDUAL county for tue maintenance OF
prisoners. IL would punish city offences with
out taking the offenders from their work OF pro
Viding for their families for many months, which
Is one OF the greatest evils OF the present system.
II would be memorable aud severe punishment
OF the youthful offender. wit1out suit jecting
him To the contamination Of prison life
Another important measure IN the repression
Of crime Will be futind to be a more thorough
u d rigorous system Of rtfnrmatory schools for
youthful criminals, wi especial attention TO
the Classification, AMI IN certain 'ses the $50
laiiOn. OF inmates. Ihts topic Is, however, one
which to be properly dealt with would require
AN entire article, and may be passed now with
Touching the second point, the defects OF our
prison system one Is tempted 70 condemn u as
some GOOD points "Hayen't we got admi,anle
discipline heref" the Keepers ask YOU In each
prison, III sort OF sell-gralulatOry WaN. ~ you
know ANYTHING about Il you will have 70 re-
spond, as visitor did, Z" Yes, OF It's kind but,
ike tue Dutchmans dog. It's I'D bad kind"
Capt. Pillsbury's Institution at Albany Is a
model Of discipline but his method seems to be
aimed entirely at punishment and its perfection
IL In reducing men to mere machines, or rather
dumb brutes. Silence. implicit obedience, labor,
endurance-these are the watchWords In his
Our state prisons, on the other hand, profess
| to aim In a greater degree at reiOrmatory meas
ures with them puni. hment Is me inc'9ent,
| not the end. THIS would be good II carried out
with proper system and fidelity, for all penal
| servitude should have punishment aud refornIa-
stools II Ia exceedingly erey to come to the
| ground, and that II just what our State prison
management does.
DEFECTS IN THE PRISON SYSTEM.
Three gentlemen Messrs. Grcaves Plat, and
| Wagner, Prison Inspectors. having sort Of
rowing commission To go about irving three
|
ing at each prison In turn, have each their sepa-
| rate notions and ideas. In the matn they may
be siid 10 agree, nut IN details hey shift things
about " consimedlN, as one OF the keepers re
marked. Their control Is autocratic. Inc
more than a figure head. lie cannot retain I'D
! and valuable keepers If the inspectors choose to
make places for some of their political retain
| erS. He cannot discharge incompetent men OF
his own motion II they happen to have done
their share OF political service iorthe inspectors.
| There are IL places on tue acreage Tor keepers
| and guards IN the three prisons. sing sing has
| ", Auburn 10, and Clinton -. hese
places are objects OF political pfeterment- not
| ot award to the best fitted Tor their occupancy.
| The eNlls inevitably arising under such system
uiAted prisons OF tie Old World, an education
| for the peculiar duties of guard or keeper Of
ever. the great questions are: Who are the
signers OF tue applicant papersF and hat
| Is his political innuencei'
the lack Of a system Of classification OF con-
victs in our state prisons Is a great evil Every
warden knows that n he could isolate certain
| number Of his prisoners from their fellOws. pos
siblY not more than one In "A hundred. picking
| out the most vicious. wilful, and haidened Grim
| nucment, the necessities for punishment would
be reduced one hundred per cent, the numuer
| OF young convcts educated In crime would be
vastly decreased a much smaller number Of
| keepers would lie required. and whatever re-
formatory value the good chaplalns teach ngs
might have would he enormously enhanced.
| The Crofton system Of progressive stages for
| his morale, would undoubtedly be the best
could we adopt II, but falling FL reaching that.
We should at lie II weed out, Us far a. possible,
| from our convict population the few whose IN
fuence under all circumstances is always to
make the bad worse, In our revolt against
the cruelty of the Philadelphia Or solitary
! system, have gone too far toward the other
| extreme In our congreGate plan.
REMEDIES SUGGESTED.
Schools should be maintained and study en-.
| forced in all our prisons. especially for the
| younger criminals. Auburn prison h now a
! night schoul, with four teachers, under the di-
rection OF the chaplain. VERY gOud as far MS n
| goes, but the four OF i've hundred convicts loaf
! ine ahou, the various shops In dleuess now mad
| better he STUDYING in day time than recount
! ing t. each other their criminal adventures and
| planning new deuredatiuns upon snciety.
| Prison fare should receive attention. Con-
| victs m Auburn pTison-iu any Of the prisons IN
| fact-live better than the families OF mtny
| OF the honest laooring poor IN our large citbis.
| Soup. good beef, excellent tread, potatoes,
| onions green corn and tom toes when IN sea-
| son, pepper sauce, mustard. &c, are familiar on
almost expects to mud wine cards on the
tables II is no use saving that th.ss all Furnish
! ed cheaply he question Is. whether such good
living shoulu be luTnlsheu ~ an 10 erlillhhls.
| Auburn Is so fortunately situated that supplies
| either Clinton or sing sing. l. 81 year the cost
| Of keeping COnvicts here WAS only l2k cent? per
| diem each. ms year II WIN be about me same.
! But 40 almshouse feeds IFS honest poor so well.
| Such living would he luxury 20 hundreds 81
families in New York. 1t Is even better by far
| than most OF the conNicts ENJOY when not in
| prison. Prisoners for crime should have simply
wholesome food, IN sufficient quantity to keep
them in good condition, no more. II their ap-
petltes crave delicacics OF greater variety, let
| that be part Of their punishment. They will
then be less likely To return 40 In and az lin to
| prison as a cOngeni and comfortable boarding
| llace, as many OF them now do.
| Punshments should be reformed. The dark
! ell should be abolished. Dr. button says,
| after some sixteen years OF experience " II the
/ medical profess were called up' u To devise a
SYSTEM Tor the development Of scrofula and
| tubercular consumption, In cases hereditauly
! predi posed to those disc ses and To induce
| idiocy and ms tnity, they could not find "A more
| complete method than the dark cell system 81
| punishment" In TINS judgment nearly all the
! o.her prison als VINO possess any expert
| ence. humanity, or intelligence heartily coin
! eide. Capt. Plllsbury, while he Il compelled TO
| use H. s.-iks OF 1t with luHthng and horror.
| Dr. Wilkie, ; pcrifrrndent OF tho ASYLUM for
Insane Convicts aud Crrinuls at Auburn, states
| that one-haif Of those who cOme TO his care
| the dark cells. Where the lash brut lily
| applied 10 sensitive, nervous organization
has killed one, TIE DIRK cells have slain
| hund ed. Let us return To solitary con-
nnement, 10 the cat 10 the shower bath even
| If the latter be applied judiciousy and only
| in toe presence OF and by direction Of the
| prison phyzicldn-in preference to the cOntnu-
| ance Of this diabOical torture uf the dark cell.
! Punishments are needtul for the maintenance
| of discipline. Moral su sion Is Oniy n pretty
thing to talk about, not to use with the convict
| rough,
REFORM IN TUE COURTS.
| Lastly, In this hurried resume, come to
! the need Tor reform la our laws nd In the prac-
/ tees If our courts Let AS nave definite penal