Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-01-25
AN ADVANCEMENT IN CIVILIZED IDEAS.

AN ADVANCEMENT IN CIVILIZED IDEAS.
The speech of Robert G. Ingersoll before
the ninth annual Convention of the State
Bar Association of New York, on the SUBJ
ject of "Crimes and Criminals" indicates
the fast approach of some advancement in
civilized ideas concerning the treatment Of
criminals. IngersolI IS one of the most in
cisive thinkers and clear and lucid speak
ers in the United States. 1t is doubtful
whether he has ever had a superior, as it
is doubtful whether he now has peer.
Prior to the reformations inaugurated
by Howard, the great philanthropist, the
prisons of England were dens of infamy
and filth. Society treated its criminals
with the utmost cruelty, a cruelty which
reproduced itself in crime; and just in
proportion as society has become merciful
toward its criminal classes, in like proper
ton has the percentage of crime decreased.
The exposition made by KEENAN, of
Russian cr1elty4-to Siberian exiles DIS
closes to US 1t once the necessity which has
driven the Russian Government to exile
its subjects In other words the cruelty
of the Government made it hated, and en-
gendered class whose hatred of the Gov
eminent took the form of violence. There
can be no doubt but that merciful treat
ment of those whom the Government of
Russia finds it necessary to exile in the
interest of social order would reduce the
necessity of exiting its citizens, because it
would reduce the hatred of the Govern
ment, and necessarily reduce the eoncom-
liant violence.
The thoughts and expressions of Colonel
Ingersoll are by no means new. They
have been announced by every penologist
worthy of the title. Humane men, men
of philanthropic impulse, have long since
perceived the relation between the cruelty
on the part of the Government and the
increase of crime. There will be those
to say that Colonel Ingersoll is wasting
sentiment on the criminal classes. In
fact this has already been said by the,
blockhead class, who actually are stupid
enough to believe that here in California
we have pathological system worthy the
name Colonel Ingersoll announces a
fundamental principle of Justice in de-
- ~ ,,,,,,,,, ;r-;,,,, 90 ,r;,,,o L.,
not forfeit the labor of the criminal to the
State. A man may be restrained Of his
liberty in THE interests Of society, but he
ought to be allowed to produce, and he
ought to enjoy the benefit of what he pro-
duces. His productive energy should be
directed and controlled by the State for
the benefit of himself and family.
"a" steals 'B'sp horse, whereupon soci-
ETY. proceeds to confseate GAS" labor for
ten years. "B" may never have recovered
the horse, but he has no recourse from the
State for its loss. Ten years of GAS" pro-
ductive capacity in the way of cutting
stone, identifying prison grounds, making
iute bags for the benefit of the farmers, or
some other industrial employment, under
the direction of the State, is
confscated to society, but society
never finds it necessary to compensate 'Bp
for the loss of his horse, If "a" the
horse thief, had children, they are de-
prived of his support His wife is worse
than widowed, his children worse than
orphaned, and the State of California
actually confscates his labor for ten years.
There is nothing in the plan calculated to
reform "a" of his thieving propensities.
There is not a thing in the idea calculated
to reform the thieying propensities of
other men. In short, there is neither
coherency, nor reason, nor common sense
in the whole proceeding. "A' having
proven himself to be thief society under
takes his punishment by eon6scating his
labor, but the punishment is more severe
on his wife and children, or others who |
may be dependent upon him, than "a"
himself. His condition is quite comforta
bic as compared with theirs. Protected
largely by public opinion against the
brutal ferocity of jailers and prison-keep-
ers, he passes a measurably comfortable
life: comfortable in everything except In
the restraint of his liberty, but the family
deprived of his support live in wretched-
ness and poverty, and society is so unmind-
full of its own interests that 1t takes all the
risk of raising a brood of CAS-" children, to
become criminals in their turn. The SEN
teuce of "a" is the condemnation Of his
children to the stigma of being the off
spring of a felon, and at the same time
consignment of them to a struggle with
poverty handicapped by disgrace. The
productive capacity of their father GER
tainly belongs to them, and society would