The Morning herald., 1877-01-22

,choo,s. the ch1Yche the farm operasions
he eharaeterlof the soil, and the advar
Eaees peseeseeA, 10 be the themes for thsi'
CO MN munics liz ns. 9tt 81 & al.se0a
THE W0RK. HOUSE 'sCHEME..
The nsvsst ! q phase of thi. prqject-is th'
llleged ,offer Of : contractor 70 hire ire tn
convict l.bor ofthe State at such . price
.s to relieve ths tax payers of the cost
them. II the sole and only
object Of State government, was to reduce
it, expenses to a point where Minimum
would only be necesary-then
people ofthe State might fairly
Drtert.ino the proposal Of the contractor
for the prison labor ofthe State. Weoridf
upon our high Christian
character; is it to bear no fruit?
Does not the State owe something to-
fallen man, man. as "parens patria," ," is it net
one Of il. imperative duties, cast uponi'
by God, to give q helping hand TO ont
shining against It's laws, and do all csn- con
sistent With the infection Of punishment fol
his offence, to improve his moral nature,
light the dead blank Of his mind, educate
his hands to labor, and send him again init
the world, not with convict mark upo'
him. but ss a man who has been made
whole hy ! plenary atonement for Iii
crime. We are free to admit, that our
prison system could be improved, but not
by the inhuiman, and debasing community
Of the congregats Workshop. Turn out
vour convict labor-whst is the result?
To this branch Of the question, We call
the attention of our many men and
women, Who daily labor as members OF
societies to prevent cruelty to animals,-to
rive drink to the thirsty man and beast,
food for the poor. Let these kindly and
good people, for one moment reflect upon
the horrid brutality consequent upon such
an instance as would be almost certain to
happen some day or other. A young man
decently connected, commits a crime Of
violence when in passion, or infuriated
with liquor, his surroundings up to the
commission Of the offence were those Of
honest men, and good pious women, his
moral ,nsture, or sensibilities have not
corrupted or blunted, a touching passage
from the sermon Of clergyman, at any
moment might have produced, "a change
of heart" repentance We call it, and
have lifted him into church membership
under the proposed scheme OF contracting
for prison labor, this young man, if con-
victed, would be handed over to foreman
in ono Of the shops, Immediately after hi
sentence. Let us go alep farther, wher
placed in charge Of the contractor, tn
State surrenders its functions as the super
visor of the punishment it reflects, AMI
its correlativs duty 70 be helper in tn
reformation and restoration to society Q
its unfortunate ward. The. only though
of the contractor is the capacity Of tn
young convict has for labor,h he is put along
aide Of some old offender to work--on
who is stepped to the lips in crime who
an adept in every prison vice;-at fri
there is horror, at revolt-at the compar
ionship, but step, by step, the soul Of th
better one, is defaced Of Gods image, and b
that went into prison comparatively pur
becomes a living demon. What right hi
the State 10 brutalize man, and ruin b
soul, for few paltry dollars' The wort
Of the Gospel are is pregnant with neanir
in this regard.
"But he that shall scandalize one of the
little ones that believe in me, it were bett
for him . n millstone were hanged about h
neck, and that he were drowned in Il
depth OF the sea-" .. .,o.
Deiaware cannot afford to do this wron
We very much question if there is o
man in either branch Of the Legislatul
who has studied the science Of peaolol
or who is in any way competent 10 fram'
law for prison management and if So
be the fact, it is moral quackery to tou
the question. A committee appointed
the present Legislature to obtain inform
tion, gather statistics, advise with tn
who have made the subject a life stuc
and then prepare such plan a. would
suited to our limited population, and
the character of our people, to be acted ur
in. 1879, would he step towards the
oomplishmeDt of the object; better rest