New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-07-19

dependents may now with clear conscience den0unce
one convention, controlled by a horde OF " BAN
mers' sh0uters" oiIica-seeker-." "plundercri,
etc; and look with 'oIctude' to the action OF an
other. because thoy hope it will be controlled by
well organized aud disciplined regiment oil veterans.
They may now with perfect consistency reject II
candidates men who were the free and spon'aH
choice the great majority OF the party 10 |hicn
those same Independents have always cldlhrl " "
long, and in whose selection some Of them took part
while at the same time thoy hope for ana agree 10
serve q candidate who they think Will Do torce' d" the
majority If IN, party they haze always claimed 20 o
pose by the organization and discipline oi ID" F'.'rr"
minority II. \. i.
ye1c-loyk July :, 1854.
SHOULD PRISONS BE SELF-SUPP0ETING :
THE ADVANTAGES or THE coNvIoT LABOR SYSTEM
BOTH TO THE PRISONERS AND To TIE STATE.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR: Mr.. George W. Gable, in his admirable
paper on "Tha Convict Lcl+r systam In tn" Southern
States" quotes with hearty approval the following words
Of state Executive, whom he does not name:
In neither Of the pen,eutnrics o. h state hos there
over been n attempt vet made administer them on me
vulgar wicked unworthy consideration OF mlkns larl
s.snsauins. In neither ot th";l 't' u pen i
that even tLr convict D., human being 4nd ta' III, 2oE
ana ,"il are u't 80 I,e PIo,, - & b,r The *. tte
She of his snty fool, and at the end OF NJ term
what is then left Of him De dismissed an enemy Oh human
society.
There is no question that the prison systems Of several
~ our states and the prison administration OF number
Others based Gpon the idea Of obtaining the great
est
without ans consideration Of the physical or moral I'M
pruvnmeut Of the conycts and such systems and admin
strations deserve an the evil that is spoken Of them But
t does not necessarily follow that such abuses are the IN
cvtle consequence. attempting to make prisons self
aiming nor that the best possible refornatory treat
meut i, not entirely compatible with selfsuppori The
prisons OF Connecticut aud Rhode la4d' Whch are
practically scfsu5tlning compare tavoraoly IN re'r
tory results with tn, Eastern Pentoltary of Penn'y
t,rf 1. 4,F ff-z,Iftr
Brush sail at the recent meeting Of the National Prison
Association that be had lately received more con-
yict who had been discharged rom the Emrl Reiorna
tory than from his own prison 10 Sing sing which l. one
Of the very few prisons that return revenue to the STATE
above the cost OF maintenance Neither OF the three SELF
supporting prisons have mentioned can show parlueI
c1sc 10 that Of Dcsas- famous Dutchman who returned
TO the Prnnsy lyln Institution again ana a'an' ana YET
again. W tnrtyye of his eighty years Of life nal been
made p ~ terms ~ confinement in tne same prison
Wa have no Trustworthy statistics or crime IN TINS
country No one can than guess az the proportion
ate number Of prisoners who return to crime AFTER serving
on, term n state prison. Each institution Is supposed
TO keep q record Of IT, rc-commtnents but noae
know. v h any certainty the previous history of tine con
y,, who come 10 70 from other States. Blu. in France,
where eyarv prominent act Of who has once been
before the courts criminal charge Is matter OF
record and where the prisons draw enormously upon the
pnbc treasury Tor their support hfyhye out OF every
hundred discharged convics 20 back To prison Onr-hti
otat perrcn i.e would b. the fact IN this coln
try ~ the estimate given by promnn mt clergyman To
the citing at 50 inway lI on Che evening Of February
20. W,u the French mako pretenson- Of supporting
their prisons b convict bor Ia this country We ann At
and occasionally attain, stlf--upport
,,luir for t.. facts Now for the principles that IN
tie hcm aud t. get 1T these IL j. necessary to glance
fora moment at what constitutes moral ana physical h
rovement ia a convict Most prisoners reach penal IN
! ~ f,. limit inn and "
.s,e, OF one kind another with no settled habits of
r1l,rfv industry or 5o5ucty, and no inclination to
b.ln tb. selves or others Tho first step toward i'm
proyenent - b, male against their WILL ana most oil
the subsequent ones viii be Tar from voluntary Ihey
lrr degraded ana dem )ralzi, or they would not De ID
prison. They do not want TO be elevated OF Ielorhe Il
they can hepit Now 10 such men enforced cleanliness,
rnl. and regular diet entire abstinence from ntoxca
i drink and steady hard work are the indispensable
agents OF reformation. The prison treatment lut sS t1
them this mater how fIlI1y IL may DO ~ ny o
respects. cannot help doing them 'o'A 49, - 49,
irtir cool an advance for them Few OF UirIh Hte
lnv trade profession. To quote ifoh 'It 'ole
tlcy nave 'rcn ny A- 70 M AZ NJ. .r Jicrs On
fields ofproiuctye labor mn W. '", , ~ ~
| tnat" and sets them il the way OF supporting tIeh
| selves even while cJIhnei within IT, reforms anu 'Ag
of dir,ron The better It does men little, II any, good
10 p.uperile them II frequently does them rIeparaD.t
rn bis own ippor, AMI does not 10 il. is paper
II the convict Is sick. nhrn Or Ill tD.ed Ter aim D,
o. a
| fs,lL B1t the place 70 do this Is Hospital uot q
pr-Dn When he J., able 10 Do mans WJfA OF ono "a l.
,r oue-'ourih Of mans work the clnVIct oI-u 20 40 ~
md ii ne does not ho 10 not on the drect rodd 70 i
| tOrm. , ..-..s .,.,, .,,s.,in +b.,n
live, bv the labor or thcr cOnyictS atoSet1erI ne
luolut required from each H. not large prison lot
thousand cuuyicts can BE- veil manA-cd WI'L Vuo 'et'
e-r facilities for rtiJrIatou0 Or Us Ae', loL
400 veary or 800 for eIcl man. l., tlt an nHah 81
-m 10 demand from the labor Ola man l. u opP5o
ask convict iu prison 10 earn ~ MS lool
what a low grade OF labOrers can el7'y rH C''7lo
-ppo.r Warden Brush placed az lht ne ia -. -I
! flct1rv whose buildings ana plant Etl c17' tto 49,.
holders "A million or Two million, OF dollars, WIN 4Od'
DuuJr-,l ln-u under MIN, would not 'Ohi'l ins mo &
Nero rlluuc EXPENSES be justly eXpeclcd Oh num-
| The state of New York has placed hn ~ lhe iea ~
,re4tius,ttutign. IN which it, Investment ms orcu y
| I1r-e and sends him her criminals TOT M
WHO have ,v their crime, already c}st Iel LIZ M
whom for h.r own -dkr she should desire 20 -, ~. u,
nl VINO VIII be very LARGELY reiOiinfl ih1-r'' vi iv
time being az least. ~ benz Kept -o'e W 80
| md ,Ii., ANA .v--v one Oi whom Is fully cap D. ~. go.
! INC ms own support and good deal more ,I' 81 H.,
| h, notl viii he any better FOR a year % Nv b. = , 4
of codILlg at The expense Of honest p-oI' t1 - ti
o,lf be uld grown into decent hADS a. -i' ~ yBIK
| own labprl Very truly your5. a D. III
| Kingston, " DE-, july !, l99i'
| THE BARTHOLDI STATUE FEoEo lA-'
| 70 the Edttor Of me TrtbHHe.
SrR:The Courier DIES Flats tnisln It's issue . .
..,- o,,,,, ,r-rbv M Lewis HosenthAi I'D 10