Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1885-10-20

bers OF the Nsslonal Prison Association
were privileged to hear number OF suit
able sermons yesterday, the subject Of
prison reform being con idered by seTeral
| local pastors. Public exercises were held
| at Whitney's Opera House in the evening,
many of the churches being closed to al
| low their congregations to attend, thus in
suring crowded house. Several of the
speakers rejoiced at the large audience,
which they said was the largest ever
| known in the history of prison reform.
FIRST BUSINESS MEETING.
The first business session of the fourth
National Prison Congress assembled this
| morning.
The Rev. DR.. A. G. Byers, secretary Of
| the Ohio State Board of Charities and
Corrections, opened with prayer.
| The chairman announced the subject OF
the morning, and A. A. Brush, warden oi
Sing Sing, N. Y, conducted the discus
| sion OF the topic of prison labor. The
| first proposition he brought up was ''The
Necessity of Productive Labor in Prisons u
The reasons beipg,given:were disciplinary.
reformatory and financial.
| Gen. r. Brinkerhoff of the Ohio Board
| of Corrections and Charities, was the first
to take up the general discussion. He be-
lieved Ohio had solved the prison labor
| problem, despite the recent opposition to
it. He described the "piece plan of prison
labor" which was, in his opinion, the soIu-
| ton of the prison labor question.
| u. r. Brockway OF Elmira, N. Y, sug-
gested many questions, but believed in the
organisation of labor in the prisons to al
low the prisoners to engage in labor in
| much the same way as If he were en-
ployed outside OF prison walls. The gov
| eminent should pay for only the expense
| OF prisons as means Of fsuppressing crime,
and all additional expense should be paid
| from the product of the diversified labor OF
the prisoners themselves.
In answer to a question, he explained
| his idea to be selection of men for that
kind of work for which they are best
adapted.
Mr.. Massey of the Central Prison OF
Toronto recited the different kinds OF
prison labor in his place, favoring the
| piece price plan.
Brothers Anthony and Stephen of New
York gave their views of reformatory
methods, the latter denouncing the pres.
ent contract labor system and telling OF
the work done in the proteetory in charge
of the Christian Brothers.
few others opposed contract labor.
Prof. Frahcis Waylsnd of Yale College
SIZED his position as favorable to the con.
/
against it is due to the system. He be-
lieved it was not yet time to pronounce
the condemnation of the contract system.
! Charles E. FELTON, of Chicago said he
had never favored any one system, but
tlat he believed that different systems
were practical under different circum-
stances. He considered the various sys-
TENS and their good Qualities, believing
the government should have sole control
| of all prison labor.
| Toe morning session adjourned at l
O'Clock.
AT THE AFTERNOON SESSION
the Rev. T. L. Milligan, of the Western
Penitentiary of Pennsylvania presided
over the discussion of the topic "Prison
| Statistics" opening with a notice Of
causes for crime and deprecating the loose
| and iDexact methods of gathering Sta
tistics now in vogue. Accurate statistics
| he considered as lying at the base of all
readable theories.
Henry Warner of the Allegheny County
Work-House, Pennsylvania, presented the
report of the Committee of the Assoc a.
| ton, submitting blank form for the uni
form collection of prison statistics, and
after discussion it was adopted.
The following resolution, offered by
President Hayes, was read by the sec
| retary:
Resolved, That a committee of three
| members of the ASSOCIATION be appointed
! for the purpose OF bringing to the atten-
ton of Congress the propriety of the col-
lection of statistics of the prisons of the
| United States and of the several States by
the appropriate department of the general
government.
The Rev. F. II. Wines of Illinois gave
an explanation of the inaccuracy of our
present statistics, urging for carefully col
| lected statistics.
Mr.. Charlton Lewis of New York fol-
lowed with similar argument.
NJ. J. Cassidy of the Eastern Pepi-
tentisry believed the cause of crime was
sometimes hereditary, and that often the
parents should be held responsible for the
crimes of their children. Neglect OF their
| children he condemned heartily.
The resolution was unanimously adopt
ed.
The president (Hayes) announced the
subject of "Women's Pisops," which
subject was opened by paper by Mrs.
@. F. Coffin OF Chicago on "Refornato-
ries, Police Mstrons," etc. She considers
the general question OF women's prisons
of vital impo tance, affecting the life and
vigor of the nation. The history of re.
formatoTies for women and girls began in
| Indiana, and the success there encouraged
similar and successful efforts in Massachu-
sets. With these two exceptions, female
convicts are confined in the State prison
| for men in separate department,
generally adapted to reformatory meas
ures. Matrons of these separate depart
ments are usually appointed for some ia
voritisnl, and have little authority or op-
porlunity to develop any plans for refoT-
nation of convicts. The thought of refur.
nation does not come to these prisons
She referred to the terrible results in many
cases where the guards have free access to
the women's cells, statirg that what she
spoke of was not simply probability, bat
statement of facts. She holds that men
cannot reform debased women, and
argued for womsn's and a girls refor-
| matory, to be entirely under the
supervision of women. AS it now is, only
| the worst criminals are sent to prison, the
limited quarters allotted them compelling
this. None are sent for reformation, buI
rather for punishment. She favored in
stitutions for women where all the sur
roundings would be elevated. She main
tanned that bad women can be reformed
Station-houses were termed "plsces o
Almost unmitigated evil" and the speaker
believed the employment of matrons il
these police stations was a step in the
| right direction. She described the worl
of a matron in one of the police courts il
Chicago. She denounced country jsils a.
many of them being disgrace to civil "a
ton. She spoke briefly in conclusion o
the work for discharged prisoners, which
is just begun.
After the conclusion of Mrs. Coffin's re
marks the session adjourned.
IN THE EVENING
a large audience came out through tn
rain, and paid close and appreciative at
tention to the exercises of the evening.
President Hayes announced the follow
ing committee to secure from Congress
measures for securing statistics of Unite,
States and State prisons: F. H. Wines o
Illinois, Gen. r. Brinkerhoff OF Ohio an
Charlton 7. Lewis of New York.
The first paper OF the evening was "Sun
dry Anomalies in Criminal Jurispru
dence," by Prof. Francis Wayland of Cor
: necticut.
, County Jails" was the subject of
paper read by Eugene Smith, recordin
secretary of the New York Prison Assoc
alton.
,, Charles Dudley Warner, editor of tn
Hartford Cotrdnt, but more general
known as the author Of much delightful
; sensible literature, read short paper o
"E iucstion as Factor in Prison Reform.
The paper was reserved for publication i
Hdrper's Magazine. 1t attempted to &c
forth philosophical basis for prison re
form, and to answer the objection tbs
= education in prisons only makes sharpe
criminals. Acknowledging to the full a
, that had been done for the ameliorstion {
prisons and the good effect upon the con
3 duct Of the prisoners themselves of ou
3 modern model State prisons, it still il
: sisted that the results were not equal to tn
| expectations of philanthropists, or in To
reform Of criminals worth the cost MOI
. radical treatment must be undertaken
{ If any considerable number of the actui
criminal class are touched and reforme
it must be treatment that would take i
the whole nature of the criminal. Th
! is to be found in education-not mel
}. teaching of knowledge, but in disciplin
!. that reached the mans body, his intellet
and bis moral nature.
Mr.. Warner continued at some lepgtl
9 and at the conclusion of his paper, E.
: Senator Chevee of Indiana followed wit
| q Dopar m, the trt,a thaOrxy ~ raforp, xr;t