St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-02-14

inspected the state prison at Saltwater
yesterday under the auspices of the
house prison and prison labor commit
tees, suspect that 125 went and came
away in the same state of mind that one
visits museum of deformities or the
morgue. The remaining sixteen prob
ably carried away new ideas and
thoughts as to the questions of the cor
rectiOn of the criminal and his employ
ment while confined. Senator Durant
was by all means the gallant of the
party, while at the prison Warden Stor-
dock, Deputy Westby and Inspectors
Doe and Dunn were courtesy personi-
fed. The ladies of the party were Mrs.
e. w. Durant, Mrs. j. C. Flynn, Mrs. E.
f. Comstock, Mrs. w. r. Estes, Mrs. G.
P. Carpenter, Mrs. Hauke and Mrs. F.
e. Searle.
All parts of the prison were thrown
open to the yiSiters and every facility
afforded them for gaining information
or satisfying curiosity. At noon capt.
tai dinner was served in the prison din
ing rooms.
The predominating feature of the
Saltwater prison is its cleanliness; the
predominating feature of its inmates
liStlessness and general undercurrent
tendency to consider society and the
law the sworn foe and relentless judge
of all offenders. This is characteristic
made to feel that he is there to be pun
ished and not to be aided and encour-
aged to change his ways. UnqueStiOn-
ahtp fhnrp nriSnnnrc M Stiityuo n
who, for the good of society and their
own welfare, ought never to be set free.
But just as certainly there are more
men there who might be nodded into
good citizens if a powerful public sent
timent and an intelligent legislature
once undertook to study the criminal
from any point but that Of an animal.
1t is unfortunate, but true, that society
to a large extent. and lawmakers as
we'll, persist in treating the prison ques-
ton and the convict labor problem from
the standpoint of member of the In
QUESTION, or one of the jailerS of
Bloody Phillip. This spirit prevails to
day in the present legislature. and of
all things is the one most likely TO pre-
vent any of the much-needed legisla-
ton or to plunge the state into a system,
wasteful in money sense; bane-
full as far as the criminal him
self is concerned. That a convict
is a man, governed by the same
natural laws as a free citizen; subject to
the same influences of hereditary and
early environments; moved to the same
hopes, fears and passions born with all
men, has not yet penetrated the minds
of a gOodly number of the $50 gentle
men who are supposed to represent the
wisdom of the state iii their capacity of
Legislators.
In traversing the prison it was curious
to note that among those cOnvictS whose
faces were the most depraved in APP
pearance and who had the furtiye look
and Oily Cannon wheedletone, not one
could be found who would admit that
he was rightfully there, while among
those of higher Intelligence and educa-
ton | was surprised to find twelve who
frankly admitted their offenses and had
no complaint to make except the lack of
occupation.
Hal Reid is in the thirteenth month
of his sentence and occupied as school
master for class OF conyicts recently
formed. He is changed but little even
as to his anxiety to get out. Lou Muir
ray looks fieshier and has strong hopes
Of being pardoned. The fact of his i'll
nocence is fairly we'll established and |
understand that Judge Hicks is WILL
ing to sign the petition for his
pardon. The Younger boys literally
held open court during the entire day
Jim on one of the galleries, and Cole
and Robert in the library. The latter is
i'll, seriously so, should say. noting the
change in his appearance from the time
l first saw him-the day of his capture.
The question of the pardon of the boys
came up among knot of Legislators,
who had been in to shake hands with
them. There were six in the party
four favored immediate pardon; one
desired their imprisonment for two
years more Qifteen in alb, and another
desired them to be kept there until
twenty years had been served. 1t is a
part of the unWritten political history
of the state that Gov. McGill was per-
sonally in favor of their pardon, and
the chances were fair, if politics had
been eliminated from his action, that he
would have pardoned them.
-
"The error Of our present prison sys-
tem," said an intelligent and liberal
legislator to me. lis we'll eXemplified in
the case of the Younger boys; and of
John Beaver, who has served eighteen
years in the penitentiary on life seu-
tence of murder. The present idea is
that these men are not only being pun
iShed, but that other men (nOw free are
being deferred from committing MUIR
der. 1t is the verieSt humbug, no mat
ter how grave the otfense committed,
providing. always, that during his con-
finement the prisoner has given the best
human evidence possible that his moral
nature has gained control of his being.
If punishment is what is desired, why
not hang these men and be done with
expense and bother? If reformation is
the point sought, why not make our
WherefTom men shall go free at such
time as wise laws and wise administra-
tors decree?"
Still this is not the prevailing senti-
ment in Minnesota to-day, despite per-
sistent increase in crime and the pres
ence of the perpetual fact that the state
prison is most excellent institution
for the cultivation of criminal instincts.
Conversation with the convicts who
are intelligent enough to understand
their position reveals what the GLOBE
interviews did yesterday, that the con-
tract system is radically opposed by
them. They favor any plan which, in
the reformatOry sense, makes them in
part free will agents in the mastering
of trade and education. They have
reasonable desire to consult their own
instincts and natures; their own capaci-
ties, on this question of labor. AS, for
instance, "Doc" Elliott, who is most
excellent German scholar and trans
lator. has no disposition to quarry stone
nor to shovel dirt, either of which would
probably tend to destroy his pres
ent mental ability. On the other
hand found convicts quite anxious to
have steady physical labor. Others
would be glad to set type; this one can
paint, and another is capital me-
chanic.
The problem then presented by their