The Evening post. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1888-1889, 1888-11-23

CHICAGO, Nov. 23.-One of the greatest
gatherings ever assembled in Farwell
Hall had for its central figure last night
ex-President Hayes. Every chair in the
big assembly place was full, main floor
and gallery. Long lines of standing PEG.
pie thronged the aises nearly TO the
stage and the main entrance was packed
III way that was a reminder of the
brushes at national convention. The
occasion was the concluding session of
the State Board of Charities and Correc-
tions, the special feature of which was
to be an address by Mr.. Hayes on
prison Reforms"
Fully $500 people were present when
Secretary f. II. Wines called the meet
ing to order and referred with evident
satisfaction to the outpourng as worthy
tribute TO their guest. Mr.. Hayes had
been given a rousing cheer by the audi.
ence as he mounted the platform, and
there was a renewal of the applause at
the first mention by Mr.. Wines of the
ex-Presidents name. Mr.. Hayes said:
This greeting is more agreeable to
me than perhaps you imagine. The
purpose, of course, here tonight is to
attract attention TO prison reform, and
the presence of such q magnificent as
semblage is to show that the effort has
not been lost on the intelligent people of
Chicago. The cause is won when we
get the ear of the people"
The speaker explained the aims of the
National Prison Reform Association-to
improve the criminal law, to better the
methods Of procedure, to facilitate the
execution of these laws, to better the dis
cipline in the State institutions, and TO
care for the prisoners after discharge.
While there was so vast an expenditure
of the peoples money on account OF
prisons, it seemed surprising so little
interest was taken in the prisoners them
selves. Perhaps the reason is the doubt
in the public mind that there is an even,
exact, prompt execution of the laws.
This lack of confidence possibly is what
leads people to have less regard for prison
ers, and by indifference to virtually say
to them when by chance they are caught,
you have made your bed, now lie upon
it,"
The speaker alluded to the oft repeated
escapes generally to Canada of those
guilty of bribing city councils and State
Legislature VI edNlHSO NiipbHHiSAo
and the like Could it be possible that
the two great English speaking countries
were always unable to protect their in
nocent citizens and must each receive
the refuse Of the other? Could they not
contrivc to break up these cities of
refuge for this large and remarkable
class of criminals?
But what was the result even when we
did get the postponements
and technicalities till the people were
weary. Men fittest TO serve on juries
were excluded because, forsooth, they
had read the papers. This leaning to
the side of the accused was an abomina-
ton in this country In this age. 1t had
| come down to us from the days of the
worst of the English kings, when the
humanity of judges invented the techni-
calities as the then necessary shields
| against
| The evlI now was emphatically not the
| danger of the conviction of the innocent.
| The danger here is the probable escape
of the guilty. Nine out of ten of these
old British presidents acted at present to
protect the guilty, not the innocent, and
such practice should be swept away.
The speaker dwelt at length on. the
anomaly of great numbers of habitual
criminals being at large, and though
| known to a moral certainty to be pursu-
ing their fearful vocations, but only mo-
Tested when caught in an overt act.
| When a man by repeated convictions
had been proven for practical purposes
irreformable the place for him is prison
for life.
There at least they would not be
| teachers of crime. They would be warn
4 4 80 tln Ion, 81
against us. The nation should see to it
that every boy and every girl, rich and
poor, was made able by skilled labor to
earn an honest living. This principle
of manual training extended further.
1t was worse than absurd to put convicts
in prison, as he feared they were doing
in New York, saying to them you shall
do no work." and giving them over to
the devil and his works.
One thing that could not be afforded in
a broad sense by the people is to prevent
skilled labor in the prisons. Differ as
the members of the National Prison Re-
form Association might on some points,
| they were all agreed on this. The
speaker did not, as q general thing, be.
lieve in non partisanship 1--WE don't"
said he, "believe the mans head is level
who don't know where he belongs on
election day." [Cheers.
But there were things that should not
be subject to the exigencies of partisan
ship, and chief among them were the
prisons and the police.
Mr.. Hayes closed with an eloquent
plea for the improvement of the status
of the police of our cities, and an invi-
tation TO his listeners to associate them
selves with the National Prison Reform
Association.
In Pure Water and Ice,
| Baltimore sun.