The Morning herald., 1875-12-15
THE COMMERClAL on STATS
TICS.

need only refer to the last one--that
"penal statistics show that the ordinary
education of our schools does not check
the growth of crime" This is mon
ssrous inaccuracy. In the New York
.Penitentiary, 80 per cent. OF the prisoners
could not read, while OF the adult pop1la-
Ion of the State, not in prison, only 3 per
cert. could not, showing that mere igno-
rance of reading was eleven times more
favorable to crime than knowledge OF that
accomplishment. In the Ohio Penlten-
4iarv. 81 per cent. of the prisoners, were
uneducated-that is, could just read Or
rarely scratch their names-while IA per
cent. more did not know their alphabet,
showing that 81 per cent. were uneau-
.,ated persons, All the reports on penal
subjects, all the transactions Of prison re-
firm Congresses are full Of the proof,
.rawn from ample statistics, that Ignorance
IS the fruitful parent Of crime, and that
q lucation-public school education
raises the standard of conduct and is a
check npon wrong-doing.-Connaercla
False in one, false in all,-is legal
maxim, as ,old as the Norman Conquest
It's application to witness, who either
lies or equivocates in any one particular,
e, as to weaken the force Of all OF his tes-
,imony, is Of no uncommon occurrence ir
c,urts of law. Judged by this maxim,
l,ow much reliance may be placed upon
statement in the foregoing extract from
our neighbor.
"In the New York State Penitentiary,3 ,32
Ter cent. of the prisoners could not read,
while of the adult population Of the State
rot in prison, only per cent. could not,
&c"
1t is apparent from the structure Of this
sentence, that the figures are those of fancy
got up to suit the article.-There are
several Penitentiaries in New York to
which of them do you refer? Is it Auburn
Albany, Clinton, or Sing Sing?
The latest, and most reliable information
upon the illiterary of New York is to be
found in the United States census, fol
1870 it shows that exactly lS per cent. oi
TIC population over ten-instead Of 3 per
cent, were illiterate. We give the figures
population, 4,33O,4l0 could not read or
write, 239.271. See U. S. census, page
40. This is equal to any Of the feats Of
the lightning calculator, upon the returns
OF Philadelphia election. Magnifed
rix times, good for the Commercial.
One Of the uusolved problems ;-proba-
lily unsolved, because we all fear to face
the truth, is:-that crime is apparently not
checked by education, that alone it is
Inefficient to stay the growth of crime.
This is sad, and serious subjectof thought
but no good can come of shutting our
eyes to the fact.
The Forty Fifth annual ReportJ The State
1'enitentiayjor the Eastern District, Of Jan.
t,at s8percent.wentto school and could read
I'd write, while 70 per cent never had any
1875, gives table of 626 convicts, re-
,eived there in one year where it appears
schooling. As we are net writing in sup.
Iort Of any theory, but fearlessly present
ing facts, we beg attention to the following
Gf 1891 convicts received into the Peni
Tertiary from 1870 to 1875, twenty-five PEI
cent. were illiterate but do not fail to re
member that S6 per cent. never were
learned trade!! Does not this look, al
If the work shop, had mere peservativ'
power than the school house?
1t thus appears, that our neighbor ii
wrong, in its statement ''that all reports OF
penal subjects, &c., show that education
checks the growth Of time"
Any one who will bravely look at th'
a. a.estion, is forced to admit that in pre-
eervative power Industrial education
stpnds first, Moral, second ! Religious
third; Mental, last. At least this vie,
il supported by penal statistics. Th
vital part of the subject is how far tn
anaiSum ol ohe Will 'Ae o'"ei' Pieo"ce
tie highest result.
We would be obliged 10 the CONNER
ci ~ to refer us to the particular report {
the Ohio Penitentiary it collated its ez
traordinary statistics from ; they differ s
widely from any ever published outside
the four corners of the Commercial tha
We doubt their existence elsewhere.
Let us have full, fair discussion, an
honestly try to evolve from our existin
social, and political forces, the creates
a,nount Of good to the family, and to tn
eate. Keeping we'll, in view, that pena
statistics appear 10 prove that an illiterat