Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-11-05
OUR CRIMINALS.
A Sermon Delivered by the Pastor of the
congregational Church, Oct "a, Sc.
Lake %, Is and ~.


There are subjects seldom dwelt
upon in the pulpit. They lie in the
background and are only touched
incidentally. Among these is that
of our relation to our criminal class.
es. And yet viewed from any point
the subject is one of greatest interest.
The state committee having this
matter in charge have therefore act
ed wisely in seeking to reach the car
of the people through the pulpit, and
securing also by this method sugeos-
tons which may aid them IN their
very difficult work
Only few facts can be stated and
but few suggestions made in one
brief sermon. Let us enquire then,
1st. Who make up our criminals:
They are those strictly who have
been convicted of law breaking.
The number Of this class in the
United States confined in our iails
and state prisons is over 100000.
The number received into the iailS
of our state the past year viii be
found to be over 1000 and t-c num-
Der sent TO our state prison nearly
800, while the number sent 20 the
houses Of correction and reform
schools is not far from $500. The
number at present in our state prison
must be about 700. These ccnsti-
tute only q portion of our actual
criminals, for of those guilty of
crime only the few are convicted.
2nd. What shall be done with
and for our criminals:
They should be treated Il. Grimm
ais. Crime is crime wherever
found and under whatever cir
cumstances committed He who of
his own choice violates law j. Grim
inal and must be dealt with q, such.
There is some difference of opinion
in respect to the end in the enforce
ment of law. Some assume that it
is the netting ont of penalty; others
that ii is restraint for the purpose of
protection. and others that it looks
primarily TO the reformation of tie
criminal. and others still hold that
all these taken together j. the end.
The sinner must in any ease pay a
penalty for his crime, but 40 human
tribunal is adequate to measure this
penalty, for 10 accurate scales are
put into the hands. The rctribu-
tions of human law must come rather
through and in connection with that
restraint which the proper protcc-
ton of society demands. Indeed, it
is quite impossible for any criminal
to atone for the wrong he ha, done
to himself and 10 the commonwealth.
The most that can be done is TO place
him under that measure OF restraint
that will the most cllcctuallY keep
him from further wrong and thus
impress him with the turpitudc OF his
crime. He should bo made 10 feel
that a righteous sentence Is TO be
fully executed : that neither the
power of gold nor the weakness of
the executor will cut il short and
that in no ease will the State extend
its clemency except upon The clear
est evidence Of a change Of charac-
ter II new evidence shall relieve
the criminality hc should be entitled
to its benefit Il is not the severity
of the punishment SO much as It's
certainty that restraints the criminally
disposed. 1t is the prospect of escape
or reprieve that weakcns the arm of
the law. The great objection to the
adjustment OF capital punishment
has been the uncertainty OF Il life
incarceration. so great Is the power
of money and friends, and SO incon-
siderate often Is the execution, that
the murderer feels that il detected
and CONDEMNED he has at least an even
chance to escape Che penalty.
1t is moreover a serious question
whether the free access of the public
to our prisons is wise. one object
of Imprisonment Is the removal of
the condemned from contact with the
outside world, and this brings them
TO realize that their deeds have cx-
cludcd them from that society, whose
welfare they have put ia jeopardy.
The influence upon those who visit
these prisons and upon the prisoners
themselves is not hcalthful. Much
is lost, too, in Weakening The force
of the law by these morbid express
sions of sympathy that serve to
make the criminal n hero AMI
martyr rather than an outlaw And
usually the greater the crime the
more bold and marked is the express
sion of sympathy.
The best possible rcfomatory
methods should be employed. What
ever may be the primary end of
penalty the second must be that Of
reformation. The good OF the
criminal not only, but that of the