The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1884-10-02
TIE LESSON OF 4 LLEE.

-0@~SAN OA' - - -
Two incidents of recent news suggest
reflection on question that alike in its
economic its social and It's moral ss-
spects Is worthy of more thoughtful con-
siderstion than it receives In this bust
ling dollar-tor- dollar American life of
ours. One Of these incidents is the re-
cent session Of the American Prison Re
form association. g gathering of philan-
thropists, TO whose proceedings doubt
less most OF rs give but q careless
glance; the other is the death Of man
in New York City almost unheard of
outside of the rough circles in which he
moved, yet iwho in his S0wly sphere Of
lofty. action has been teaching the world Q
lesson of Christian charity that ought to
rank him among its best benefactors.
The question Is that of prison reform,
one of the least consid ered, one of the
most important and one of the most dlf.
ticult of social problems. We think of
the police power of the state as respon-
sible for the repression of crime, simply
by the punishment of offenders. The
law recognizes nothing more,
and our ordinary prison system, however
well perfected in details of management,
and though placing premium upon the
good behavior of those in prison walls,
accOmplishes nothing more Thoughtful
men see with apprehension the growth
OF vicious class in society, in whose
ranks the very social conditions which
he has to face almost inevitably place
every man once condemned for q crime
after he has paid the penalty of the law
and goes out into the world free man
again. The world Is terrible in its I'M
charitsbleness. Enthusiastic phIlau-
thropists like DIR. Wines and his prison
congress may skIllfully devise means for
the moral reclamation of criminals, and
may secure excellent results as they hsYe
done in the prison at Elmira where their
plans have been tested but after all the
more difficult problem Is in the hard
conditions imposed by society itself.
The man who having had new moral
purposes INSPIRED IN him, goes out into
an atmosphere of cold distrust, and is
made to feel that he must always
bear the stigma of his wrong doing, in
nine cases out of ten will be driven
to his old haunts and associa-
tions, and there, relapsing into
state of logged hopelessness, he will
be far more depraved and difficult to
reach than one who has meyer krown
the bitterness of such an experience. In
the tenth case, if he is strong enough to
fight his way into responsibility he will
do 1t under pressure that amounts al
most to martYrdom of every good ele-
ment in q sensitive nature. 1t
may be we'll for public order and safety
that stern public sentiment should
demand of the violaters of law the pay
ment of something more than the letter
of the penalty; but it is not well that
the grinding force of public opinion
should be so great-as it Is-as to make
the reform of a criminal only a remote
probable and common. The criminal,
attempting to reform, often finds him.
self face to face with a hard wall of
unsympathetic influences, and the task
of removing the prejudice SO Inexorably
exercised against those who have once
worn prison garb, of so adjusting public
opinion as to lead 1t to appreciation Of
efforts for good without lessening the
just condemnation for crime, often seems
to be we'll nigh hopeless one.
1t Is in tie light of such reflections as
these that the lesson of such a lite as
that of "Jerry" Macauley comes to US
with the greatest force. Himself born
in the slums of the city, reared to crime
and surrounded only by the most
vicious influences, the only occupation
he learned was that of a thief. Sentenced
to prison for term of years, and then
brought under the influence of Christian
faith, there was born IN him a purpose as
noble as any which ever inspired the
heroes who have achieved wider fame.
HencefOrth his life was devoted to the
reclamation of criminals like himself
He served his time, and then with un-
tagging perseverance. without the least
particle of sympathy or encouragement
from any one, he began his work; and
single-handed he fought his way into
recognition as benefsctor among that
class whose temptations and evil sur
roundings he knew so well; with his
success came recognition and assistance
from Christian people. The mission
and the home for conVicts which he es-
tablished have reclaimed many. His
work can not be measured by the tests
which we can now apply; but the lesson
of his life is one that ought to appeal to
the best impulses of good men every
where.