Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-06-16
NUMBER 81.


The Fourth National Prison Reform Con.
gress met, on Wednesday, in Steinway Hall
New York. Richard Vaux, of Philadelphia
was elected permanent chairman. The at
tendance was not large. Papers were read
by the Rev. +. II. Wines, of Illinois, on
County Jails Mrs. Coffin. of Indiana, on
The Treatment of Female Prisoners; the
Rev. Charles l.. Brace, Of New York, on In
dustrial Schools Hon. Albert Clarke, of
Vermont. on the Death Penalty, and by
others.
Mr.. Wines in his paper maintained that
the present county Jail system is hopelessly
bad that it is so because few counties are
strong enough in wealth and population to
maintain a prison conducted upon the re-
formatory, as opposed to the expiatory, idea;
that the remedy must lie in the States as
suming the custody and control Of all con-
victs; that there should be graduation OF
prisons for different classes Of prisoners,
based not upon crimes committed, but upon
the criminality of character manifested
that the only prison to be maintained at the
expense of the counties should be houses of
detention for the suspected or accused,
constructed with separate cells for the soli-
tai cOnHntuutHt VI tue luuldlcS
Capt. Clarke, in his paper, said that the
principal arguments which had been used in
favor of capital punishment are (l) that the
law will permit an extreme penalty, even
death, for the protection of society; (2)
that this punishment Is more repulsive than
any other, life being esteemed above all
things and death regarded as the greatest
evil, especially when accompanied by in
fanny; (3) that when restricted to the high
est crimes it cannot lose its power as an
example nor deaden the moral sense of the
people: (4) that unless the death penalty
be retained persons committing inferior
crimes will be more likely to resort to
murder to destroy witness; (5) that the
experiments by Russia and Tuscany at least
resulted unlavorably, and the increase in
murders induced a return to the extreme
penalty.
The arguments used in favor Of abolish
ing the penalty are l. That existence Is
a right which men hold from God, and that
society has no more right than Z member
of society to deprive them of it; >. That
if the right be admitted, the remedy is in
sufficient, death beng less dreaded by the
average murderer than solitary imprison-
ment, hard labor, and disgrace for life
8. That AZ public example this punish
ment Is only barbarous show calculated
to accustom men to, rather than re-
strain them from, bloodshed. /. That
law i made an instrument Of re-
venge: that to prevent a barbarOus
act it commits one. 5. That society
deprives itself CT the benefits criminal
might confer, for man hanged Is good for
nothing; (6) that the increasing difficulty
Of conyicting on circumstancial evidence Is
fast depriying the death penalty of it, deter
rent force; Cd that experience in Prussia,
Germany, and two or three of the American
States in the abolition of the death penalty,
and in all civilized countries in the limita-
ton OF it, has been followed by decrease,
rather than by an increase, of crime.
There is so much force in many Of the ar
guments, for and against, that 1t cannot be |
said there is an overwhelming preponderenee
either way. But the logic Of events is tend
ing toward 4 solution of the problem. The
growing unwillingness of juries to convict |
and governors to execute is rendering the en-
forcement OF the law so uncertain to de-
mand the substitution of law out Of which
the intending criminal can see no avenue of
escape.
In the discussion which followed, Dr.
Prime, of New York, said that not single
argument which had occurred to him in
favor of capital punishment had been men
toned Government comes from God,
who has said, Nv hOso sheddeth mans
blood, by man shall his blood be she'd"
Justice was the highest attribute in the gov
ernment of God 1t was the merest senti-
mentalism of philanthrophy that came into
a Prison Congress and worked TO let murder
ers 20 unwhipped OF justice No govern
ment ever abolished capital punishment, and
no government ever would, for government
existed by its right to take the life Of the
man who raised his hand against it. Ap-
plause.
Mr. Smith, of Kentucky, agreed with DR..
Prime Mr. Elmore. of Wisconsin. said the
death penalty was abolished in his State
more than twenty years ago. and the result
showed an increase of murders