St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-10-21
SUPERVISING CRIME.

mated by the national board OF cOrrec-
tions and charities to be observed as
prison Sunday" throughout the United
States and Canada, and the clergymen
of the two countries have been requested
to preach to-day on the subject of prison
reform. The end sought in the obserV-
ance of Prison Sunday is to awaken
large degree of public interest in the
question of crimes and crimlnals-the
prevention and repression of crime ana
the reformation of offenders. The ques-
ton is one now enjoying the attention
of the most profound thinkers, and there
is a manifest desire on the part
of the National Prison association to
interest all classes of society in its con-
sideration. Recognizing that the two
great agencies for the education OF pub
lie opinion are the press and the pulpit,
the officers of the association have APP
pealei TO both for their aid in awaken
ing thought, promoting discussion, and
arousing healthy public sentiment
with reference to the Importance or
adopting the most effectual methods for
diminishing the volume of crime in the
United States.
The rapid increase of crime in this
country, and the utter failure of the old
time methods, almost approaching bar
barism, to suppress it, have suggested
to modern thinkers the prOpriety of
adopting new and different methods in
the treatment of prisoners. The basti-
nadO. the whipping-pOSt and all the
Severer forms of corporal punishment
have long since been discarded. The
rigidity of prison discipline has been
relaxed. The idea has become domi-
nant that the prisoner should be treated
as human being and not as a brute.
And yet crime is on the increase. Now
it is suggested that the most successful
plan for REFRESHING crime is to reform
the criminal, and, impressed with this
idea, our prison refOrmerS have gone to
work with most serious earneStneSS to
establish mission schools in all the
prisons. To all outward appearances
the experiment is measurably success
full. The average convict is an easy
subject for missionary. When man
is deprived of his liberty and left alone
in prison cell to reflect upon the deeds
of an ill-spent life it would be singular
il he did not experience the pangs of
remOrse. Conscious of the humiliating
conditions which surround him, it is the
most natural thing in the world that
he should lend a willing ear to
anything and everything suggestive of
a betterment of his condition. But,
alas, too often the cOnyicJ'S conversion
is only repetition of the devils eX-
perience when taken suddenly i'll, who
wanted to be saint until he got well,
and then devil saint he was" Even
the converted convict comes out of
prison walls with an indelible brand
upon his forehead. Owing to the rarity
OF Christian charity under the sun the
converted convict. when released from
prison, finds no more generous welcome
from the outside world than his unre-
generate fellow. In the sight of God
he may be purified being, but in the
eyes of men the faint of his crime
still clings to him. Even those who
visited him in prison and fed him
with spiritual nouriShment will Shun
him when he comes out to mlngle in So
cety. Let an eX-cOnvict go into one of
our city churches of to-day where the
minister is discoursing on the subject
of prison reform, and if he is recOg
nized as an ex-eonvict. the finest APP
pareled members of the congregation
will avoid him as though ne were
leper. Is it a wonder, then, that the
conversion of a convict has no perma-
nent quality, and that the reformation of
the criminal classes can not be de-
pended upon as a means of SuppresSing
crime.
Yet we are not to be discouraged by
the failure of our experiments in the
direction of suppressing crime. There
are other resources and many untried
methods. Possibly we have been work
ing at the wrong end of the string. In
stead of devoting our entire attention
to the lower classes, might not the work
of reformation make better headway
if we give some attention to the upper
classes? Might not our educating meth
DDS be miseducating? There is no
educational force so powerful as the
force of example. The lower classes
largely derive their notions of prOpriety
from the conduct of the upper classes.
Is it possible to suppress crime among
the lower classes when it is not only
encouraged among the upper classes,
but too often made badge of respect
ability. When in this money-getting
age we have lowered the standard of
morality among the upper classes,
wouldn't it be queer if there were not
corresponding depreciation in honesty
and virtue among the lower classes?
AS long as we set up for our models
men whose greatness of brain and
heart consists solely in their superior
ability to bring monry from the hands
of others and to amass sufficient wealth
to obscure their vision of justice on
earth, and to darken their hopes of
heaven hereafter. what prospect have
we for inculating lessons of honesty
and integrity into the minds of the
| lower classes?
If we expect to suppress crime we
! must commence in the high places; or.
| if we hope to reform criminals, we must
| begin with those around whom society
has thrown shield of protection.
When once crime is stamped out in the
| high places it will be a comparatively
easy matter to suppress it in the low
grounds of society. Let us get around
| to the other end of the string, and work
| at that awhile.