Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-10-23
.Laboring for Reform,
The Opening Meeting of the
Convention of Persons
interested i'm Prison
Reform.
Ex-President Hayes Delivers a
Lengthy Address Before
the Convention.
Prison Reform.
A CONVENTION OF REFoRMERs AT De

TROIT.
DETROIT, Oct. 21.-A Large number
of prominent persons interested in
prison reform, have arrived IN this
city, and tonight held the opening
meeting of the National prison asso-
citation in Whitney's opera house.
Rev. Charles O'Reilly, of 81. Pat
rick's church in this city, and treas
urer of the Irish national league,
opened the exercises with prayer.
Senator J. w. Palmer, chairman of
the evening, spoke briefly of the hiss
tory of prison reform, present needs
and methods of such reform and gave
some idea CT the object of the organ
ization. Judge James B. Campbell,
of Michigan supreme beach. delivered
the address of welcome for the state
of Michigan. Ex>President r B.
Hayes was then introduced and ad~
dressed the convention.
Ex PRESIDENT HAYES ADDRESS.
DETROIT, Ocs. lex President r.
B, Hayes address began with brief
allusion 70 the objects and the great
progress of the national society for
prison reform. Ho said that conserva-
tive citizens sometimes regard with
suspicion those who meet in the name
of reform, but it has heretofore been
the good fortune of this cause that at
every meeting of its friends the
theorist, the student, the clergyman,
tie editor and the lawyer has been
found on its side, who were of the
largest practical experience in the
management of the great prisons Of
the country.
Continuing, Gen. Hayes said: Pre-
limlnary to all consideration Of the
treatment of prisoners, we are met
with objections to the practical modes
of procedure by which the laws relat-
ing 10 crimes and criminals, are ems
forced. The complaint S that as a
general statement of the law is ad-
ministerea so as to
LEAN TO THE SIDE OF THE CRIMINAL
it is against the interest of the public.
Whether this opinion is founded to
the extent that it prevails, it stands
IN the way OF all prison reforms look
ing to an improvement in the cons
dltlon of the prisoner, and TO
his reformation the popular
sentiment towards criminals is in
famed by what are deemed un-
reasonable obstacles to his prompt and
speedy trial and conviction, and the
public should let the accused have a
fair but prompt trial. That there be
no well founded apprehenslons of his
escape by delay, by technicalities, or
by other undue advantages, let the
public mind confidently rest in the
belief that the guilty will not escape
and beneicent and well-advised prls-
on reforms will then have fair hear
ing and be no longer regarded as Wis
ionary projects to smooth the paths
ways of the enemies of society.
1t is not to be denied that III import
ant cases continuances for long periods
often defeat public justice. Trials are
not infrequentiy unreasonably pro-
tracted, at a large expense of time and
money. In many states intelligent
citizens are
PRACTICALLY EXCLUDED
from juries in criminal cases by the
rule on the subject of opinions formed
from reading the newspapers. In some
states the accused almost selects the
jury by TIE large number Of challenges
without cause which the law gives
him. After trial and conviction, the
judgment in many cases is set aside by
the higher counts on technical grounds,
without reference to the merits.
The rule under which these results
are obtained came to us for the most
part from England, by whose condi
ton at the time they were adopted,
they seemed to be required in order to
| protect innocent people from persecu-
ton by despotic power Here, how
ever, criminal prosecutions are not
against, but on behalf of good citizens.
Let all trials be fair and without IN
dHe advantage, either in favor of the
accused or the public; let equal
and exact justice be done
on this subject. We should appeal tc
the lawyers and the law makers for q
reform Surely we don'tia this country
need that body of technical law and
criminal cases, which in the evel days
of England's worst kings were EN-
ployed by humane judges as a shield
TO protect innocent men and women
from persecution by an irresponsible
and tyranical government.
TIE MISCHIEF
from which we suffer is not the con-
viction of the innocent but the escape
| Gen. Hayes address WIS confined tC
two other important topics. Inlelll'
gent men, said he, do not quarrel with
party government. Party govern
ment and free government are almost
on convertible ter1us, but in sone
places party government is out o.
place. All experience proves tha
party management is the ruin oi
a prison and adds no per
manent strength to the party
saving it. The divorce be-
tween the prisons and politics
should be total and absolute. By tht
connection between them the party
has rarely gained, and the prison ha'
always lost. The one great reform
entirely practicable in all the state
and in the prisons of the general gov
ernment is to apply to prison officer
OF every grade the principles and rule
of their service reform. The appoint
ment, tenure and compensation of al
Prison officers should be such
MEN OF CHARACTER,
competent TO fill thSm, will regal
them as desirable, responsible anc
honorable.
General Hayes in closing made al
eloquent appeal for the education o
young people of both sexes. Boil
sexes, in the use of not only thei
brains but also their eyes and theI
hands upon the subject. He declared
"among the capital and leading cause
of crime we must surely class the Ia
ability and the unwilllagness of on
young people to make their living b,
manual labor, and the state can d.
few things more sure TO prevent crlm'
than to provide for all her children
IN industrial education.