Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-08-18


Report of Minnesota Delegates Mt the
Madison ConveR ton "A New Board
Suggested Prison Reform. Street Beg
cling and Insane Asylums-Numerous
New Ideas.
It will be remembered that on the Sth inst.
national conference Of s'charities and cor
rections" was held at Madison, Wis, and
Governor Hubbard appointed a number of
leading citizens throughout the state as dele
gates to represent Minnesota in that confer
ence. The delegates who attended made the
following report to the governor which was
fled in the executive Office yesterday
To his Excellency, L. F. Hubbard, Governor
of Minnesota:
Dear Sir: The undersigned were requested
by the delegation appointed by yourself, to
attend the Ninth ANNUAL conference of chart
ties and corrections held at Madison, Wis, TO
make some general report OF its dOings.
Thereby it was hoped to instruct your excel
leney in some of the topics discussed and
measures suggested, which will speedily
become of immediate concern to the people OF
this commonwealth. Furthermore, 1t was
thought that it would more poiRtedly call at
tention to the great importance OF this con-
ference, and the substantial service it has been
10 the cause of organized charity throughout
our land. In the first place, allow us to bring
TO your notice the system now in vogue in
most OF the states Of maintaining what
are called
estate BOARDS
of Public Charity" To these, composed of
men of known ability, and interested in phi
lanthroplc work of every kind, auG
serving without salaries, having, as
in most of the states, only advisory
powers, is assigned The duty of supervising,
inspecting and reporting upon the public in
stitutions of the state, charitable, reforma-
tory and penal. tits claimed that some other
party not directly responsible for their Imam
cial and administrative management should
pass its critical judgment upon the action of
each local board, and the legislature which
makes appropriations should not merely be
informed what has been the action of the
trustees, and what their reasons or excuse s for
acting as they did, tlt that it should have the
guidance of an
INDEPENDENT OPINION
by a second board which had no part in the
mistakes made, If any there were.
This board will furthermore be charged with
the study and comparison of the various
methods employed in the conduct of the insti-
futions of other states and countries, and so
be able to keep the public of their own COM
monwealths informed as to the improved sys-
eems in operation elsewhere. Such boards
have proved 10 be of great utility in all the
states where established, and through them,
as notably in Ohio, greater economy has been
secured, while fragrant abuses have been
abolished, and the efficiency of all institutions
supported at the public expense immensely
augmented
Again, the indispensabeness OF some such
inspection by disinterested and competent
persons is shown by the great reforms
wrought through the disclosures and sug-
gestons of state boards, in county aims houses
ana Jalls IL various states of our Union. Here
there may be found field and occasion for a
like board, which, beginning
SYSTEMATIC INSPECTION
and supervision of the public charitable insti-
tutions of Minnesota, may save the latter from
that deplerable condition of things in the
same, which has existed in other common
wealths and been with difficulty brought to
an end.
The matter of prison reform was also made
very prominent at this conference. The most
pronounced opinions were expressed by those
who, through study and extended observation,
had become masters of the subject, that in
every Jail and prison the inmates should be
carefully classified and not allowed to mingle
together; that the reformation of the criminal
should be more directly sought, and
the discipline and arrangement of these
building have this in view; and also that wo.
men officials should be employed to deal with
convicts and offenders of their own Eek. The
so-called Irish system of intermediate sentence
should receive in our state the immediate at
tention and study of all interested in reducing
crime and protecting society from professional
criminals. The reformatorV at Elmlra, N. Y,
whose report will be placed in your hands, is
signal illustration OF how the imprisoned
can be dealt with,
WHEN RFFORNATION
and not mere punishment is the end in view.
How to diminish street begging and dimin-
ish the public cost Of providing for paupers;
how to prevent crime among youth, and save
them when vagrant and vicious, was demon.
strated in reports from states where most
admirable system obtains, and where long eX.
perience and study have been availed OF in
dealing with dependent and criminal classes.
We are glad to add that our asylums at Fari
bault and the reform school at St. Paul
were especially commended for their
efficiency and excellent work, in which res
pect they compared favorable with similar
institutions of note in older states Our in
sane asylums were found to be not inferior in
their general management from those which
have become prominent because of their
equipment and the professional
SKILL AND WISDOM
with which they are conducted
Thanking you, sir, for the interest you took
In having our state well represented at this
conference, and trusting that whatever systems
OF charitable and reformatory work have
proved to be efficient in other commonwealth
may receive your favorable notice, and bf
s commended to the legislature and citizens OF
Minnesota, we remain your obedient servants
a. ID. YOUNG. Chr De1pp ,tiOn