St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-07-16
the Rev. DR.. Dana.
former visit to st. Pr

the Kew. DIR. Dana, After alluding 10 a
former visit to st. Paul, when it was a
small town. he said:
In twelve states of the union laws have been
ehacted' In compliance with which the governor
mas appointed number OF persons, varying from
SIX to fourteen, equally selected from both politi-
cal partIes, and refoImatory institutions of the
state In the best organized boards the governor
OF the state is the presiding officer, with vice.
president appointed by the board to relieve him
OF the detail OF committee WORK and to preside in
MS absence. These men make the whole subject
| study.
TREATMENT OF THE INSANE.
IN no department has greater progress been
iIaue' ana nothing illustrates more clearly
the great benefit of these national conferences,
tnah the improved condition of the insane.
Ihemical and mechanical restraints have been
abandoned The close supervision of attendants
ana ofhcers has greatly diminished the abuse of
patents ana the summary dismissal and punish
i h OF those engaged in such offenses
hlndness Is the rule, neglect the
exception. and cruelty is almost phenomenal
closely allied with the care of the insane is the
treatment OF feeble minded and idiotic persons
In several states institutions for the education of
feeble nded youth are in successful operation,
anu the results are most encouraging. The use
1uiness of these efforts has been limited and
greatly hindered by the lack of custodial care for
IeeDIe-minded adults While experience has
shown that they can be educated in tae learning
OF the schools to a considerable extent and
ing and several industrial arts to the capacity of
sel1-suppert, 1t has also demonstrated that they
cannot be instructed i'll selfrespect and self-re-
stFaiEl SuilclentIy TO enable them to go out into
the world to earn their living. If protected from
society and prohibited themselves from preying
upon 1t, they can undoubtedly support themselves
by Their own labor. In some of the states custo-
DIAL institutions for women, and also for men, have
been founded and the result has fully demon
strated their usefulness and their benefit to So
clety. They are seif-sustaining and are very val
udUle ASSISTANTS / preventing the nj
periSm anu crime.
lRjSON LABOR
the subjects of labor in prisons and reformato-
rles, me progress OF PRISON reform and the condi
tlon OF federal prisons and prisoners will occupy
the thoughts of the wisest among u.s. In this de-
partment, more perhaps than any other, is the
Fract'cal II test tie theories, experience an
nounces the verdict. There will be compara-
lively little progress in prison REFORM especially
i'll the South and West until it is clearly
demonstrated that weil-regulated prisons
may be made seli-sustaining. The labor of
l,2uJ or I.SU0 abiebodied men, who have no house
rent to pay. no opportunity to purchase liquor,
VINO never get out OF work and who WORK all day,
should certainly be sufficient to support them IN
an economical manner 1t is not right that hon
est, hard-working taxpayers should be burdened
with the support OF convctS in order that theories
may be ventilated or demagogues kept in Office.
There Is no incompatibillty between judicious
prison reform and honest and remunerative prison
labor. With directors carefully appointed by the
and serving without compensation; with warden
capable of filling the cashiership preside ncy of
national bank, with commensurate salary and
with knowledge that his position is for life or
during gooi behavior with public sentiment
which VIII demand the entire separation of
all personal as well as charitable and
refor.natory institutions from the grasp of party
politics, there VIII be but little difficulty in
selecting su table system of labor. in making
the prison seli-sustanng, and maintaining the
most approved measures OF reform. Nothing is
vale Il aOHn lar bn mo
in the United States than the emancipation of
all benevolent, penal and reformatory institu-
lions from partisan control In the doubtful
states the institutions are the football for
tending pafties, and all the wisdom and good
Judgment OF one administration may be nullifed
by another. Stability is an essential to success;
and Tor many prabems time is the best solution.
One of the great objects OF punishment is the
prevention of CRIME, and it is possible that this
may be attained, in many cases, by the reforma-
ton Of the offender. During the last year great
progress has been made in this direction, and it is
now announced rs possible that 10 per cent. of
first offenders may be reclaimed.