New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-06-05
THE POOR AND CRIMINAL CLASSES
NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF CHARITIES AND COR


i
NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF CHARITIES AND COR
RECrION.
WASHINGTON, June 4. About 800 delegates
to the twelfth annual National Conference of Charities
and Correction have arrived In Washington and
many are expected before tho end OF the week
The delegates to the number Of about 200 visited Mount
Vernon to-day The meetings of the conference held
in Wizards Hotel which has been deliberately and TASTE
fully decorated with flags aud streamers for the OCCASION
The first meeting called to order at O'clock this
evening by Judge Macarthur OF the Dis
triet Supreme Court, chairman of the committee.
The address Of. welcome was delivered by James b.
Edmonds, president OF the Board of District Commits
| siOners.
letter was then read from Mr. Lamont, stating that
the President could attend the meeting owing to
pressure Of official duties.
Addresses in reply to the speeches OF Welcome were
made by ex-Governors Anderson, OF Kentucky. and
Hoyt OF. Pennsylvania.
Philip C. Garrett of Philadelphia. president Of the Con-
ference, then delivered the opening address, After
pairing the as OF the last century and the general way
OF regarding the criminal and the insane classes at that
time with like institutions and views Of the present day
he said IN part:
Ignorance Incidence. intemperance uncontrolled anger
and hcentiousn ess originate alike large part OF tne
crime insanity docy defect and paupersm with
which society is afflicted; II not directly Indirectly; II
in the FIRST generation in the second It, therefore,
behooves socioogsts and phanthrOpsts ana ponticaI
economists less to turn their attention. first or all TO
|
ton which, under the Divine blessing may Is hoped.
greatly reduce the appalling number Of the classes who
/ believe the common idea as to criminals is,
that they are bad men, worse than the rest
sands out OF jail more wicked than large part OF those
behind the bars The reason is this-and this is
the fact which men forget Crime Is not the same
law only Tue uhwhlppcd wicked. therefore, include
those whose Offences against the Divine law
are not on the statute book. leaving
Of via ma
this very important consideration should lead us TO
regard those OF our Fellow mes who have ntrnged the
snned aud come short of the glory OF God We are not
lions such az this put out OF sight the idea of
revenge In punitive measures, ana gives pr1mn9aee
| within prison walls necessary sequence OF crime, II
reformation of the offender can be accomplished ID
another way, and IN the treatment of offending child
hood ana youth II be effected in many other ways
| and much better effected.
IL the duty OF every STATE duty fron neglect OF
which the commonwealth VIII be the sufferer to provide
system Of Institutions Rropgry Planned ana equipped
Frst.-Keiorm schools Tor children, situated In the
country IN separate home ike c0tages accommodating
not over nifty pupils each aud with honOr Us INC oasis
secondReformatorie for first offenders between SIX
teen and thirty years OF age, ON the Elmlra plan.
| 1hird.-Penitentiaries to which limited number OF
local places OF detention, properly distributed over the
state oruntried persons only should be tributary ANA con
nected with these comfortable quarters for Witnesses
These places of detention should supplant the ja Inc
penltentarles should prOVde ior as muen %
a. possible hardened criminals and determined desper
young Delng kept lille POo
sbility communication by sign signals with Others
and never to by them The reformation of those
| who may reform requires this.
The only class entreS excluded from this benofcen
plan reformation Is the professional criminals VINO
have devoted themselves life OF crime and by long
habit have become hardened In evil ways as TO De III
corrgble ana unreformable For these the purpose OF
disappears and society owes IL to herself u
save the community from absolute certainty vi Hesl
depredutiOus every tine the prisoners terms e1
plfe by keeping them in limbo. I seems
as though criminal codes should be so modhed as e
place somewhere the power TO retam all such neorri
gibes behind gratings for life, or else, by rapidly Gu
mulative sentences with each successive conviction,
| effect nearly the same result.
Mr. Garrett spoke OF the treatment OF the insane
ex pressing the opinion that II there is any value
skilled medical treatment for this class Is the duty
the state to give them the benefit OF It,