Omaha daily bee., 1886-11-07
NUMBER 132.
PRISON REFoRMERs.
EN-President Hayes Addresses tn,
National Association NJ ALBANIA


National Association at Atlanta.
ATLANTA, Ga, Nov. 6.-The National
Prison Reform association assembled hero
tonight at O'Clock with a good attendance I
of members from al, parts of the country.
The opera house was crowded with an
audience representing all parts of Georgia.
Ex-Governor Bullock made the opening ad.
dress as resident director of the association.
He was followed by Governor
Mcdaniel and Mayor llillycr in addresses
OF welcome. EX-President Hayes, president
of the association, then spoke.
After u complimentary reference to the
choice of the place OF meeting the speaker
said: 1t is altogether fitting aud proper that
at the threshold proceeding the memorial
address shOuld be delivered by u distinguished
citizen OF New York, Mr. DorSheimcr, on tho
life and character of lIoratS Seymour, tho
INDUSTRIOUS gentleman who for many years
was president of this association and who
was eminent alike as q statesman and as
philanthrUDSt n peruSal Oi the programme
ior the week will show the Intelligent reader
that almost every important top!c relating to
prisons and prison systems, to crimes and
their prevention, to criminals, their treatment,
occupations ana reformation ot both sexes
and all ages, Will at some period of the meet
ing be not merely in order, but under discus
sion by members of the association. do not,
theTeiorc,now enter upon any of these topics.
A few words, however, | may may vcnturetO
offer Us to the origin and transactions of tho
welcomed and as to some OF its principles
and purposes. The father and founder OF
the National Prison association was the late
Rev Dr.E.C. Wines, the learned devoted ana
persistent leader of American rcfoymers in
prison discipline" In 1869 DR.. Wines pro-
posed TO the prison association of New York,
holding of a national prison congress, hut the
New York association deemed it incNpedi-
ent to take the initiative in a iayor of the pro
al lN hmm .nn xyi inn .,r
his plan, and after consulting with few
gentlemen in Boston and New York he pro-
posed the following draft for a call tors
deeming prison discipline vital interest OF
society as wei as one of the greatest of social
problems and on both these grounds,
worthy of the :. closest study
ing national congress for a conference on
criminal punishment and reformatory treat.
ment, to be held in the autumn of 1870, in the
one signatures, The speaker then reverted
to the first meeting of the association and de-
tailed its objects. The facts as to prisons and
the treatment of prisoners during and before
that period are strongly unaccountabc and
almost beyond belief. They are so atrociOus
and forbidding that one cannct even attempt
fully to state them before an Intelligent audi
ence like this, Turn to the pages of any
volume of history or licton in
which the author dares truhfully
to expose. the miseries of prison life
ferrei to, and the thoughtful and fair minded
will be at no loss to discover one of the
causes why civilization and christianity have
moved forward with such hating steps. A
writer in the North American Review OF
July, 1889, describes the prisons OF NIasSa-
chusotts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and
other states as they were about sixty years
ago. The details are too shocking to be re-
peated. The results, lie states, can be eiven
in a few sentences. He describes the prisons
as, "abodes of horrible sin, and