Butte semi-weekly miner., 1889-01-16

DO = - -, MIN = xAAN a
states for this purpose. am sure thai
IOnly needs prompt and earnest attenfiL
to secure the valuable reservation fof q
educational interest Of the Territory.
| PENlTEHTIARY AND HOUSE or REFoRN
The punishment OF crime is part ol 4
business Of human govern. emit. The r'<l
OF the people TO punish crime by methot
prescribed by law is perfect. II issaid t1I
"Eelfpreservation is the FIRST law Of a
ture, = and Resist ance to wrong is an !
herent right 1t is upon these principl'
that the governments undertakes to profe'
it's subjects and preserve itself against Grim
and hence laws are enacted by the author
ty OF which the agenciee OF the goyerl
ment seize the violators oil the laws An
ltransgressors OF the rights Of citizens, IN
Isubiects him to discipline, confinement 9
death. This is penology, and IFS history
coeval with the history OF government
People living under an organized govern
ment have absolutely no right to punis
any offender without law. To punis
without law is the grossest violation {
laW--it is crime. Lynch law, wherever
exists, is savagery, or is evidence OF u1de
veloped or OF degenerated society. No
should the government impose punisllnen
i in any spirit of vengeance. The govern
ment OF Montana has, through the year
OF it's growth for q quarter OF q century
provided by law punishment as pepsl lite
loo be imposed upon wrong doers, tempered
according to the degree OF crime. Chic
iamongst those penalties is confinement il
the penitentiary. The territory has neve
yet built or owned state prison for tn
confinement and punishment Of its crimi
nal classes. The United States has peni
tentiary within the territory, at Dee
Lodge, and ever since the beginning OF tn,
year 1874 the Territory has secured tn,
confinement, care and support OF its con
victed criminals in that prison, under con
tract with the United States government
and there they have been confined. male
and female, lid and young. OF what
ever nationality. No prisoner is re
quired to work one hour OF the time foi
which he is there confined. The Institution
is q very slightly, we'll provided and we'll
kept home, furnished with the best medical
skill, kind nursing, ample supply OF reading
matter and q chaplain. The buildings and
grounds are admirably arranged for the
safe-keeping, comfort and health OF the
convicts. These considerations, with the
vigilance and skill OF the present keeper,
Hon. e. s. Kelly, show the remarkable
fact that no death has occurred there with
in the last three and q half years. There
are but seventy cells provided there in
which to keep prisoners. This limited pro-
vision for room has nscessitated the put
ting OF two convicts in each cell, and, in
addition to that number, there are periods
of time when ten to fifteen others nav.
to be Eedded on the floors OF the
open rooms, and guarded with extra at
tention to prevent escaps. The Territory
has thus paid for boarding in idleness the
convicted criminals since January, 1874.
two hundred and seventy thousand dollars,
and the Auditors Office shows the fact that
these annual outlays are increasing from
three to seven Thousand dollars every year.
You are therefore confronted with the ques-
tion, whether you will continue this i'm
pfovident mode OF treating the wrong-doers
OF this Territory, or. as other governments
have done. you will provide a penitentiary
and other institutions to meet the wants of
Montana's people for confinement and
punishment OF the bad and evil-dispose1
subjects OF the government?
All civil governments OF which history
gives us any account had their system OF
and fashioned in their own
CHOSEN way their execution. But we are
proud Of the fact that America gave to the
world the first penitentiary, and here was
born the idea OF reformatory discipline ia
q prison. This grand conception, as u
means OF repressing crime and reclaiming
fallen men, was taken up by all the states
Of this confederacy, and until about the
year 1885 the American states were lead
ing the civilized world in their enlightened
and ndimpreved methods Of Furnishing cr;xazs
Since then, however, England and some sf.
the older governments have outstrippe1 1
and gone far in advance OF our peopis.4
has a place among the American
and is now in sight OF
securing to her people full and
equal political rights with tho,e OF other
sovereign states Of this great confe1eracy
of states: the swelling tide OF immigration
10 this great empire OF unfolding wealth
yives to the thoughtful statesman no un-
certain sound, it's warning voice counsels
10 prepare and lay well the foundation OF
avery department. OF this rising govern
nent, and especially to provide the anplest
security to the citizen against crime and
violence. Montana cannot afford any
onger to neglect and refuse to have state
prison. one Of such architectural proper.
lions and dimensions, extent and security
as will fully answer all the present and
uture demands oi this growing power, and
The same put under such humane govern
nent and control as shall comport with the
enlightened age in which we live. Montana
) no longer an orphan, capable only OF ex-
,rcising such power and doing such things
ss the Congress OF the United States allows,
Jut is full grown, well-matured intelli-
yence, selfreliant, and fully capable OF
carving out and shaping her own institu-
ions, and giving direction to their admin
stration. Shutting prisoner up in u bas-
DOT enough. It is neither just to him nor
10 the state to stop with that little meas
ire OF punishment; but, in addition,
there should be imposed on him
1ard labor, in his confinement
within the walls OF the pris n
louse and behind the bolted doors. This
i an element OF discipline which should be
aud enforced by the correc-l
tive hand of the state, and the guilty criuii-
nal should in this way be forced to con
Tribute in some degree to his own support
while drinking OF the bitter cup he himself
has prepared. There il no hiding the fact
that crime holds high carnival in our land.
The detection and punishment OF crime
iorm one OF the greatest items OF cost to
our government; and it requires armies OF
officers to hunt and discover criminals, and
yet governments are powerless to prevent
The commission OF crime. The hope OF
eternal bliss and the fear OF eternal woe
are alike powerless. The convict required
TO work in prison, as honest people do out
,ide, will be prepared to better fill his
place as free man when again turned out
upon the world.
HOUSE OF REFORM.
It is source OF sorrow and regret, and
hangs as dark curtain over the hearth.
stone OF many homes that many Of the
7ouths OF our Territory, while yet in the,
morning OF life, fall victims to crime, and
become subjects OF punishment by the gov
In the absence Of any other pro.
,ision for their confinement they are sent
i, the county Jail or to the penitentiary,
Ind tn. re kept in idleness, the associates OF
,lder men who are hardened and skilled in
rhine. Thus the state is actually putting
n apprenticeship the offending youth TO
he tuition and molding OF the very worst
men and most offensive characters
n the commonwealth. These young
PUPILS, already marked as felons, are
eady to absorb and become saturated
With sin and the evil spirit, cherished and