St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-11-24
FOR PRIsoNERS. AID.

Gen. Merrill, Mrs. W. H. H. Stowell, Mr.. and
Mrs S. B. Mcconnell, Mr.. and Mrs. w. S. Tim
berlake, Mr.. and Mrs. L. Fl. Maxfield, Mr.. Gust,
FOR PRISONERS. AID.
Papers and Discussions Before the
Minnesota CongregatiOnalC Club.
Ladies were present in good numbers at
the November meeting of the Congrega-
tional club in the Ryan hotel last evening,
and the attendance was rather larger than
is usual even at the so-called open meetings
of the club A business session was held
at $50 o'clock, at which some minor
changes in the constitution and bylaws
were made, and Dr.. Skeith, Rev. L. ID.
Cate of Minneapolis. and G. r. Dickinson,
Evan William and E. B. Kennedy of st.
Paul were admitted to membership. Sup
per that lasted an hour was then served in
the ladies' ordinary, after which the COM
pany adjourned to the parlors for the papers
and discussion. The general theme of the
evening was corrections and charities, but
both papers and discussions were confined
almost wholly to the corrective elements.
A goOd-siZed boom was started for some
sort of prisoners aid society, Secretary
Hart advocating it strongly in his paper,
and the general trend of the discussion was
in the same direction.
THE OPENING PAPER
was by D. C. Bell of Minneapolis, and his
special theme was Corrections and Charities
as viewed from a national standpoint.
After saying. by way of introduction, that
the prison system does not exist solely for
the punishment of convicts, nor for their
reformation, nor yet for revenue only-it
was for the well-being and protection OF
society, Mr.. Bell proceeded to outline some
what the systems in foreign countries and
those in several states of America. The
reformatory method was the best, as shown
notably in Ireland. where, from 1854 to
1881. the number of prisoners had decreased
under this system from ITO to 1913. The
Crofton system he believed to be the best,
and DR.. Wines, recognized as an expert
and authority on this ubiect had summed
this subject up when he said that its funda-
mental principle is progressive classified
ton; its supreme force, Hope. The gen
eral prison system in our country with the
circumstances, political and money-making
and constantly changing officials, is not cal
culated to reform the criminal and there is
lack of'enlightened public sentiment on
the entire, question. The speaker con-
demned the present system of uncondi-
ti0nal release with no provision for the
future condition of the eX-cOnvict
and no help to secure him honor
able employment. He condemned, too.
the present system of jails, which he COM
pared to schools where education is COM
pulsory, and where the course of study
must be followed twelve hours day, seven
days in the week. The system he believed
to be wholly wrong, and he said complete
revolution was necessary. The systems in
Ohio and Massachusetts were dwelt on at
considerable length. In the former state
board of control. five in number, had
charge of the prisons; the contract system
is not allowed; the indeterminate sentence
left to the judge largely; good system of
separation and grading; time allowed for
good behavior; compensation for work; the
restoration to full citizenship were the lead
ing features. The paper concluded by
statement that Minnesota, being in its
formative state. was in a condition to take
the lead in adopting new system and he
urged that the matter be considered speed
lily, before the character of the second
prison, for which a commission is APP
pointed, be defined.
SECRETARY HART.
Secretary H. FL. Hart of the state board
of corrections and charities followed in
Minnesota's corrective institutions. After
speaking of the graded systems proposed
by Dr. Wines of separate institutions for
various classes of criminals, he said that
Minnesota has the most complete system of
state institutions; all that was lacking was
an intermediate reformatory institution,
houses of retention, a prison for women.
1t was question worthy of consideration
whether the new prison should be a dupli-
cate of the Saltwater one or an intermedi-
ate reformatory. AS the second one would
accommodate the criminals of the state for
many years the matter should now be set
tied correctly. American prisons are de-
fective, in that the work is for revenue
only under the contract system, and this
has tendency to harden men, and the
separation of various classes is not com
plete. He did not favor the location of the
new prison on stone quarry. This would
force too hard class of work on all the
men, could not be worked all the year
round, and if cutting stone were part of
the system, it would come in direct compe-
tition with the large class of workingmen of
the state.
OTHER SPEAKERS.
After Secretary Hart, Warden Reed of
He spoke of the men with whom he had to
deal. They were weak, but generally had
good resolves on leaving the prison. What
they needed was some sort of business
and society to look after the men and help
them when they were released.
Ex-Gov. Pillsbury, member of the COM
mission to locate the new prison, was the
next speaker. He said that people had too
much sympathy for the convicts. They
had committed crimes and should pay the
penalty. Hardly criminal was sent up
but there was petition for
pardon in circulation. and it was
usually signed by leading citizens. To
illustrate, when he was governor, man
stole 1920, 900 and was given the light term
of five years. In two years move was
made for pardon. Petitioners were nu-
merous and good and well-meaning, but
too soft citizens of Minneapolis had told
the mans wife, whom he pictured as
beautiful. young and accomplished lady, to
take her little girl and go to him, the gov
ernor, in the hope that so much beauty in
tears might move him to pardon the man.
This was all wrong. He urged that young
criminals be sent to the reform school. For
the second state prison he favored reform
atory institution, and he was opposed to
the contract system.
Gen. A. B. Nettleton spoke in the same
vein and heartily Endorsed Prisoners Aid
society. He was followed by Secretary
Hart. who outlined briefly system for such
a school, as means of furnishing employ
mani oud pivinp ho n,,blio