New-York tribune., 1886-11-07
THE PRISON CONGRESS.
AN ADDRESS BY EA-PREsIDENT HAYES

The Bosrd of Directors Addresses Of welcome were
then made by Governor Mcdaniel and Mayor George
Hyer Of Atlanta Ex-Prcsident Hayes, who is prcsi-
asnt of the Congress- made the following response:
When the members OF she National Prison Association
ay~ar Detroit, MchlTan accepte: The invitation
OF the Mayor and citz ms of Atlanta to hold thet next
annual meeting here, they counted confidently upon
havins good iime" 10 thi. young wide-awskc ana
ciiy They believed tho welcome Of At
fspta aud Georgia would mean not merely thai social,
friendly greeting which cheers the visitor enters
ccc of unfamiliar faces and whca at once places hun
At ease AMI at home but they also believed that the
principles the AIMS aud he methods OF our association
ywnnd nave IN ihs community intelligent ant
riaSIe hezrinx which is based the scrptura msxip
Pave all hold wntcn good" The
ecrsl and generous Welcome Ivy THO Governor and the
sssp,. ns that our snto pations viii bs more
reazsd Our nope aad trust are tat Ihe goodness OF
our will amply supply any detects In oar presen-
n"y,or the ~e-k that our meetings Will he held IN
tcnaance he addresses. papers and discussions
nroyca for IN programme which has been prepared
for tnc cover very wide Heidi II Is altogether
ftne and thai at tne threshold Of our prOcrei
.irgu.bed ci,,zrn OF Nrw-Yplk. Dorshei er.
lie and ch,rac,rr of HorAio seymour. the iusrious
centetpan for president OF tnis
sssac,,I"r, and who was eminent alike AS statesman
and - a phsnihrOpisi. prrdsai OF the programme
for tse week snow tae Intelligent reader thai
almos every important topic relating 10 prisons aud
prison systems crimes ana their preveuton TO crim
inals t6cr treatment occupations aud refoim nation of
both aud Of all ages viii at some period OF TIE
meeting 5e not meroiy ID order out uuuer discussion oy
members of the association do not, Therefore. now
View words however may offer the origin and
tran..ction< % association whose melBb"ts have
bee o.
Des sad purposes The father and founder Of The Na
tiona Prison A ISOLATION wes Rev Dr. E. G. Wines. tne
learned deyVi persisien lea rr o. American re-
e,s'u IN, pr'son A.soiaon in Nrw-Ynrk OF wnlch
Sc spouJlDg secretary the holding oia Nation
Prison Congress. Ut the NewY"rk Association Judged
r. tinrx,eirnt TO take Of the pro
posed convention. Dr Wines was profoundly Impressed
win portsnce OF his plan. and after consulting
win iew gentlemen in Boston an New-f"rF preparei
the following drAft of a cali for National congress
terrs of sci-y of the OF social problems,
an on bOth these gionnis worthy OF the closest
National congress for conf criminal punish
nrnt ana tory treatment. 10 be hed IA tue au,
Tnis call received nnciy-ons SIGNATURES CLASSIFIED
iollows: rwenty;tv lens OF prisons II snper;
prison boards. me nhrrs of boards Of
tate cnart-s cnapla,ns OF prisons and reform
ami IS phisntfr is s. 10 pur uuce OF TINS call
the FIR. Nau"nti Prison tonsress - hei IN Cincn-
nsti IN Ociohe' 1870 ls mos important action per
hsps tnr apoi' ncnt o con- ntee To Iagr steps
for the organization of p~rmanen national prison
ISOLATION Ine "J "i the as."cltu"h as stalel ia
the OF the Ciac nn' Congress ana aiterward
in Is c, aricr and constitution are aS follows;
Flrs-lhe am loratinn Of the laws IN relation 10 pub
lie III urnAers, and the mode OF procedure by
wncn such iaws ar" enforced. ,
secori-Tne Improvement OF the penal, correctional
snd r-iormaIory institutions throughout the country.
and the government and discipline thereof,
inciudu.s the appoiutmrnt o. boards o. control and
Th,ra he of and procuring suitable ami
empioymen for di-chsrsed prisoners an esre-
caiy for sucn as may or shall have gwen evidence Of
rei,rna; ion Of iie
been dom by individuals and State and other societies
IN the centur, The alton Of this
GiatIp
the act+ prisons and the treatment of prisoners
and before that perioi are strange. unaccount-
and forbIddipg that cannot even attempt fulr
state thrm before an snce this Turn
70 the psge OF any voum~ story fiction in winch
the dare trnbiully TO expose the miseres OF
prison ife in cvizeI countries during tue period re-
ierrrd and the thoughtIui and sIrmnded VIII be at
no loss 10 discover ono OF the causes wny civilization
and Christianity have mover forward win sucb hallns
steps Read McMasteTs History OF the People OF the
sso in the very communities from which GET our
iavorie systems OF popular education: ana you
with .oaihing words cannot express Mark
Twain. in his Prince and Pauper" a book which
Cruso~. picture OF the harsh and crue times IN
Ensland eaghing down almost 10 the present century.
when petty offences punished with desth ami
when all imprisonnrn was lsin'ey worse IN 40 death
In v"u.Dic article OF more than fory r.s.s de-
an,n aud other they sixty
years between 1920 and 1880 The details are too
given in a sentences. lie describes the prisons
"tne abodes OF horrible and filthy, squalid. unsl
ace wnrh scarcely any one visited except on official
busuesA The result tnat prison bee
came secret place governed by it.own laws or rather
sSe Sy s "M% ~ Of an sesnensd city which man not
beonging 10 ii had any knOwedge Of wnat was trans
sSrrr @r som in he land was bed or crime MUIR
Gers theits and robberies devised there day after
day. being who came within The sphere ~
III" influence of sAcn asysten became inevitably more
90 "a The means for preventing crime became
IA ACT (le means not only lnuliipyin also OF
rsnd'rln II more cautious. more expert, more sys-
tea attic and dangerous"
,orbrar 10 extend those quotations. They afford
indcatona faint indication II Ia trurof the de-
porsble condition OF prisons ami prison disciiine Ia
country and throughout the world when prison re-
formers and prison reform associations began their
work. In America the Importance. OF association was
recognized Defore dependence was achieved.
ana local formed the inve-tig ton OF
prser abuses vigorously pushed and the p"bica-
Of r~sulls discOv red attracted attention.
Great good was ace"npsnei Gy % ,nrss soeetirs % Ba,
OF the necessities and diicultIes OF situation hsd
the sAgaciy 10 discover that with the vast changes
The relations betwe the re"pe of the states
by tho noDdments the institution, AMI perhaps
si1 by the interests acit-s for intercourse 50
far the increases OF pri,on reform arc concerned
thr proplo Of slI the states are indeed one
people. rno criminals OF New-York OF to-day
or IN Alant. Toe p~ope OF eAc1 STATE are interested
infor les iestILg crime and prisons
at Washington would be sufficient value to the coun-
try part OF the Depar ment of Jusca DIR. Wines,
wisely nizng the now conditions In our country by
Reason OF alterations OF the orFane ana improved
means "f Int-rcOmmunic tioD. founded and organized
the N4lional Prison Association.
IL has he'd successful and structive general meet
ing. in Cincinnat. Baltimore. Saratoga. ST. Louis and
Detroit special meetings in NowYork ChIcago aud
oth~r ces resent aud taxing part Ia AL the proceed
ings OF meetings have be1n the most distinguished
praslIcsl experts who nave the control aud manage
of the lr ding penal AMI refornst"ry Institution.
OF our country. you name the famous prisons anu
prominent aud nnusnti meuper. OF this society. In
like the eminent utents and writers-ibOso
no hAvr iny~strated az home ana abroad the whole
ticipAats in the of TINS association. Prac- |
tice ami toe'ry. rxprimont aud specui.tion: OBJ |
snd IN man OF work, are found side by side No
with discussions papers OF tna
e,ty ean fan noticed the Increasing harmony in
principlr, purpose and methods OF all the ~irinsnts
brou ts meetings. Is faifh IA that the
ps.pe of the United forever hereafter to be
more closely united Than ever before. We believe that
and the natnrs OF things have
api compelled To have tn. same interest the sane
history aud tue same destDy Oar union the language
OF the suprs'ne Court is ian indcstructiDe Union OF
lndestrur rttbir stsfeA
We st~p further We believe society so com
pnssd together that Provdencs hath so ordained and
dsth IN that whether We NO Ill nav" so
o. not " must an are our brothers Keepers n"
In safely iurtrnched ana crime
asd hsme and wrsiched,ess 10 which they I"si
Let and criminal be for2otte0 or dsrrgarded
sad whole society will suffer from the SAINT OF
hnnas Like boot poison IL will spread
ttvs ard tho ocal system unt II reaches
tbs benri. This serious and mighty trutn imroses
duty which socsty afford TO neglect. CivilI1ed
eFe.sty eabuot neglect IL and 1--we. No well-infOrned
Uksisuan socisty ever will neglect It.