Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-11-21
Our Punishments for Crime.

While Governor OF this State learned
that the Suffering for crime, as a rule, fell
not upon the offender, but upon his family.
hen look over our penal laws. their
tlt.r>, 70 my mind, read between their lines
"icts % p'Hih uires and children Of those
tchO riolIte their terms" | was constantly
appealed to to pardon conyicts for these
reasons, and In some eases by the wives of
those who made the complaints upon which
the wrong-dOcr was convicted When this
was told 10 them, their answer vas, that
while that was true, yet when the has
bands were In Jail, where they were fed aud
warmed. their wives and children were LEFT
10 starvc AMI freeze ior want OF support.
There i no perfect way OF dealing with
crime, but there /, no worse way than the
system Of this State Some wears AGO a
leading lawyer OF New York, travelled
through Egypt, He met the chief Of a
wandering tribe OF the desert. and. among
oth"r things, he told This wild ruler of our
laws, and the ways we dealt with crime
lie MAS heard with a>tOnl>hment. and for
lhe mrs time he himself was struck with
tNeIt Au>ui uIttu,- .,r-. 49, --.---- ~ ~
to say that he was never so thoroughly
ashamed of his country a when he was
telling his -imple-minded auditor what laws
we had upon these subjects, and how they
We're enforced.
While We mag not frame perfect systems
much can be done to make a better state OF
things-to simplify justice, and to break up
the tendency TO disoideTly conduct and TO
vlgrancy. We can not hope 10 make any
marked improvement in our iails. Each
county must have one. and its population
will determine the character OF its place OF
confinement. Those in charge of them will
be frequently changed, aud save in the
large cities the number and character of
the inmates will not admit OF classification,
etc
The first change should be one that will
allow our judges TO impose punishments
other than sending the offenders TO these
common schools OF vice.
As nothing can be worse than our pres
ent laws, there can be no harm 10 trying
new plans. We must have jails, as there
are cases when the safety Of society makes
II necessary To lock men up. But. As
rule. other restraiLts can be used which
will check. not teach, crime. Our laws
only ALLOW two puui>hments 10 be inflicted
for minor offenses-fiues or imprisonment
and these must be imposed without re-
gard 10 aye, sex, condition, or circum-
stances. The law demands these, ii mat
tiers not what moral or material mischief
they may do. As rule. fines inilct dis
tress on families and friends, while jails
are a gateway 10 course of wickedneSs
which lead, TO the State-prisouS. For these
reasons no punlshments are infiicted until
the offenders have grown into hardened
criminals who excite no sympathy. There
y no po".i " 'e"' III a 's"t WI" s'e
hrs' step III crime win acts Oh mingled
error aud wrong doing. II has been my
uu'y 10 lo"h ,h,o sleat liuiioer o' such
cas.s' az" na'e S'.u ,.t" ~ w" ., '"ou anu
st"us 70 oul s'''u,es WIN ieS a,u ~ 'i'eui
Next 10 il'oi ai anu leilg'ous i"i.te"ce' We
nlhs' Iels upon ane "uo,n VI ou' 'a"s
win reealu " youlniui onenue.s, ~ y
co'npa ALVEY an easy uiA''e' " uea' VII"
a., , .
Inc h's' st'p W" aiu ,o'oi"i - " SNe
hasi>'i a'e' its"'. """'u oei'a'n nun"
10 ui'e', Su.n pu'!'""ie''e a. ..es s"aI'
~, see a',, oes' "'" eiI''i "'ons 'oeis;
iheS nav : ~, ',ie iacts oeiole .nen'' anu
oes' hiow w,,a' Is Just anu IiSnt III eacii
ca>e- inis VII nov s''e ehe,ii u''uue pow
efs' ou' !. VII 'ahS away ple.eA.s ioI not
aoihs the'' uu'y. VOW 'hey mus. nhe, or
''iPi 'son' vi may
el'hei vi tnee9 cou' 9es 10 unsu.aoie' anu
many wIousuoeIs 20 nee iot " en'orce
iam "ouIu 'iiS ",a"o '"nss "oiso.
ln's state Vi ,n'hss - iulI Vi e'n. -
MAGISTRATES couiu piho them OUT 10 40
""'A' VI uIiec' .ne l,iinoie W ou euae'iseu
oy parents OF guaruians 'f sui,aoie per,
SUNS many wouiu oe s"'eu i'o'ii .', 'hc RAJ
iepiosy which Ili'eots ou. Jans ouoh .,
me puhisn.neh.s w"uiu oe ,nnic'eo, anu
enere wouiu oe ho eAcuse io' ie'''ns onenu-
e's escape. ,,, .o 8, ,,;,;o .
Iaeistrates snoulu nav ~ -;NS. auu''ion ~
.neir present pomers .ne sa..e alsna =. con,
ttoi over sagrahts' u,soioeiy peisons' auu
nao'.uai onenuers WI anieh si,a. pa,en's =, suSl
Iaans r, na.e o,Ii tae', en'iu'., VI ,o %a,uS
ne ,act 'nat tney oelonS " .ne'e ~ e.asses
shouIu oe !uuiclany uec'oeu wh a,'e' ee''ala