St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-01-25
PRISON REFORM.
An Able Address by Dr. Byers at
Plymouth Church.


Plymouth church was filled last evening
with representative audience, all classes.
occupations and churches having members
present. The opening services Were con-
Quoted by DR.. Dana, who, at ther cOnclu-
sion, introduced Dr. Byers of Columbus.
o. Tall, venerable in appearance, and
gifted as a speaker, he held his auditors en-
rapport with himself and his theme for over
an hour. Beginning with the narrative of
how he was drawn into prison work. he
spoke of his experiences as a chaplain in
reaching the hardest eases, and interspersed
his address with Incidents amusing and
pathetic. now provoking laughter and then
tears as he presented the phases of criminal
life and character as they had come under
his observation. The lights and shadows
were skillfully brought out, and the need of
sympathy for those drawn into crime was
lmpressively set forth. The main occasions
Of crime, he declared to be negative condi-
lions of shameless ignorance and in occu-
patton. Twenty per cent. of 2, 40 cOnvicts i'm
the Ohio penitentiary never had home, or
knew any parental care and nurture. 4
reform in the homes, ne said. was the most
Imperative reform of the hour, for we are
largely what our homes made US, and lack
Of good homes is one of the prolific sources
of crime. SiXty-fOur per cent. of the same
number were ignorant and IA per cent alb
sOlutely illiterate, that is could not tell a
letter. This was humorOusly illustrated by
cases in school, where efforts were made TO
teach this class. There "a per cent. had
no trade or occupation such as would yield
man a livelihood. This was not idleness.
but inability to secure self-suppOrt through
lack of proper training in early life. Edu-
So. 20.
and in all reformatOry institutions
the school and shop are indispensable
and mutually supplement each other
The progress of prison reform leads to a
total revolution of prison methods. The
indeteminate sentence plan, the classical
ton of prisoners and the grading system
are now essential, and must be universally
adopted If crime is to be stayed and crimi-
mails reformed. The Jail should admit of
this system and also the county workhouse,
and barbarities and crudities still attaching
TO our penal institutions should come to an
end. Every lookup, even. should allow of
the classification and separation of its in
mates, and no penal institution should ey-
clude the element of hope from its methods.
The claims of the homes whence the crimi-
nails of the land have come were presented
with great power and pathOs that touched
all liotCliClS. 1HStdllc6S were clIeU shown
the lifelong sorrow Occasi0ned parents by
the hayward courses of children. These
homes and parents are entitled to our re-
membrance, and should be borne in mind
by the church in its intercessions. The
gospel, he said, when rightly brought to
bear on the erring, can reach even the most
unpromising. But, said the speaker. we
must not forget that There is lots of gospel
in good beef steak" and when you 90 to
the hungry and starving it is not PRAYER
that is most wanted, but food. Feed such
and then you can preach to them. Kind
ness melts the most obdurate. and few are
the hearts that do not respond to mselfish
and neighborly deeds.
The address was replete with anecdote
and bristled with good points, and was at
once instructive and inspirting.
DIR. Byers preached yesterday morning to
the prisoners at Saltwater. To day he
visits the reform school, and tonight is the
guest of the Congregational club at Mime