Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1880-12-23
Henry Bergh's Pessimism.
He ENTIRELY UpsETs PRIsoN REFORM
CONFERENCES by SUGGESTING WHIPPING
ScAMps BY STEAM.

A meeting was held at Cooper Institute
last evening under tho direction Of s"Tho
Gilbert Library and Prisoners Aid Society"
to further prison reform measures and pro.
jccts tending to diminution of crime
Tho attendance was not large, and the Rev.
G. W. Mackie, Chaplain Of tho Board of
Managers of tho society, in calling tho
meeting to order, said he could not account
for the faot that of the clcrgymcn announced
to speak only one, the Rev. DR.. Armitage,
was present. All the others had promised
to be there MIR. Charles A. Bunting, Man.
agcr Of tho Christian Home for Intcmerpcr
nto Mon, was mado Chairman, ard soon
afterwards tho Rev. DIR. Gottneil, Mr.. Sins
clair Tousey ana Mr. Peter Cooper came
in.
Dlr. Mackic was tho first speaker. lIe
briefly presented tho objects and claims of
tho society. 1t Ind been organized in
1877, and its leading objects were to have
libraries put in all penal institutions, give
incentives to all prisoners to reform; to OBJ
tain legislation separating young criminals
from those older in crime; to Institute even.
ing schools in all pcua institutions, and to
help prisoners, after they are released, to
obtain employment. Ofovcr G3 900 crimi-
nails imprisoned in the United States, forty
per cont. were ilitcratc, while forty-two
per cent. were bctcwccn 20 and 30 years of
ago. These facts showed the necessity of
education. Almost all discharged prisoners
wcro poor and they needed a helping hand
to prevent them from again filling into
criminal courses. The work of the society,
which had been SO well begun by Miss
Linda Gilbert, its fonndcr, has grown 10
such proportions that largo permanent
endowment Of nearly million dollars was
needed to carry out its objects.
DIR. Armitago said he did not wonder
that SO few Of tho doctors of divinity were
present, because only five minutes were
to be allowed to each speaker. Ho thought
that moro radical beneficial measures than
the establishing of libraries wcrc necessary
to accomplish tho ends aimed at.
DR.. Gottncil made plea for fair play
for tho convicts, and favored tho kind and
lcnicnt treatment of prisoners. a man
disordcrcd in his conscience should not be
treated like demon, but should be given
helping hand to lift him up to q higher
plane than he occupied.
Mr.. Henry Bcrgh was called from the
audience and surprised and electrified all
present by differing radically from the scn
timents expressed by the previous speakers
and vehcmcntly and pungcntly announcing
himself in favor of whipping men into re-
form. Hc said: II had no moro idea Of
speaking when came to this meeting to-
night than had of dancing pas seu1-
Tlaughter.] But you have called on Inc to
speak and you must taEo tho consequences.
| cho11 Spi11 ho in
to tho sentiments that have been hero ex.
pressed. Sensation No nan should
commit crime. If a man cannot exist
among us without committing murder, kill
him; get him out Of the way as soon as pos
siblo. [Great applause. What did VIC
recently sec in the Tombs7 man who
was imprisoned for most atrocious murder
whose heart was as black as his skin
Tapplausc. was fairly bcsicgcd by beautiful
women who begged the favor of his auto
graph, fed him on luxurcs, made his eel
u bower of flowers and fruit, and did all
in their power to make him imagine that
he was saint and hero. This maudlr
nonscpco should stop. [Tumutuous ap-
plause. Why, kind-hcar,cd honest poo
men wcro starving whilo this vile miscrcan
was being pampcrcd in luxury. Applause.
I have been sixteen years in the crimi-
nal Courts looking after tho welfare 0
what arc called tho lower animals, but
have greater respect tor thcm than eve
had before had an opportunity Of compar
ing them with some Of tho base and miscr,
able samples of humanity that have me
in those Courts. Animals never commi
such acts as somo of these horrible mis-
crcants commit Applausc.I a grca
deal has been said about special institution
being reformed. I would abolish all U
thcm cxccrs the higher grade Of preon
for tho incarceration of tho worst criminals
and I would set up whipping posts oycry
where to scourge tho minor offenders
[Groat applause oud laushterJ An
to mako sure that tho lash would be pu
on feelingly, so that politics. could ne
creep in to help tho offender, l would offe
prize or reward for steam machine tht
would have no mercy and could not
bribed. [Appausc.J Criminals arc pan
pered in such manner and given sue
comfortable quarters in tho Tombs and o
tho Island, aud havo so much bottcr foo
and are so much better lodged than thousand
of poor working people arc that they comm
oil tho minor crimes in order to bo ser
to these comfortable public hotels. Zap
plause.1 Whom will this nonsense stor
fApplauso.] We should have The bastinad
horc. II is a charming style of whipping
and makes tho recipient cry out that i
will not do so any more; and ho general
keeps lis word. Laughter and applause