, 1890-03-13
THE WOES OF SINNERS
Colonel Bob Ingersoll Talks
to Lawyers.
GRIMES AGAINST CRIMINALS.
His Listeners the Members Of the
Now York State Bar Asso-
citation.

Colonel II. G.. Ingersoll made the
following address before the meet
ing of the state bar association at
Albany, n. ", n few days ago.
Colonel Ingersoll spoke on
"Crimes Against Criminals" and
prcfaced his remarks by stating
that the object of hin address was to
suggest and not present Arguments.
Then he pictured in eloquent Ian
quagc the torturcs inflicted upon
criminals in an effort to reform
them In days long passed into his
tory and proved that these tortures
had failed in their purpose, a. crimi-
nal statistics which he had gathered
completely proved. AS to the caus-
a. which lead TO crime Colonel In
gersoll asked his hearers these ques-
tlons;
"Arc the brains of criminals eX-
actly like the brains of honest men?
Have criminals the same ambitions,
the same standards Of happiness or
of well being? fla difference exists
In brain, win that, In part, account
for the difference in character! Is
there anything in heredity? Are
vices as carefully transmitted by
nature as virtues? Does each man
In some degree bear burdens imposed
by ancestors? We know that dis
eases Of flesh and blood are trans
mitted-that the child is the heir
of physical dcformity. Are diseases
of the brain--are dcformitlcs Of the
soul, of the mind, also transmitted"
The speaker referred again to the
ancient and, incidentally, to the
modern treatment of criminals, aud,
linking that line of thought with
the possible physiological condition
of the lawbrcaker, said: SIS II not
possible that the tyranny of govern
inents, the injustice of nations, the
lierceness of what Is called the law,
produce in the individual ten
dency in the same directions? Is 1t
not true that the citizen is apt to
initiate his nation? Society degrades
its enemics-the individual seeks To
degrade his. Society plumbers its
enemies, and now and then q citizen
has the desire to plumber his. So
ciety kills its enemies, and possibly
sows In the heart Of some citizen the
seeds of murder. Oh
course, society has the right to pro-
tect itself. The right Of self-defense
exists, not only In the individual,
but In society. The great question
Is, How shall this right of sclf-de-
fense be exercised? What spirit
shall he i'm the nation or In society
the spirit of revenge, u desire TO de-
grade and punish and destroy, or a
spirit horn of the recognition of the
fact that criminals are victims?
There Is no reformation I'm degrada-
ton. Whoever Is degraded by so
.ciety becomes it's enemy"
Referring TO the possibility OF
changing the present methods and
laws for the protection OF society
against the criminal class, Colonel
Ingersolls suggestions Were careful
ly and lucidly eXpiained. "a man
in moment of want,n said he,
'steals tile property of another and
Is sent 10 the penitentlary. The
circumstances Of each individual
case arc rarely inquired into. In
vcstlgation stops when the simple
fact of the larceny has been ascer.
tained. Nothing is allowed for sur
romdings. 4 man Is taken to tho
penitentiary. He Is clad in the gar.
ments of IA convict. Hell degraded,
he loses his rpme, he Il designated
by u number. He H. no longcI
treated ms human bcing--he be-
comes the slave of the state. Moth.
Ing IL done for his improvement
nothing Tor his reformation. lie l.
driven like II beast of burden; robbed
Of his labor, leased, IL may he, by the
state to contractor, who gets
out of his hands, out Of his muscles,
out of his poor brain, all the
toll that he can. He H. not allowed
to speak with fcllow-prisoner. Al
night he il alone in his cell. lie
remains for the time of his sentence,
and when that expires he goes forth
branded man. He is given money
enough to pay his fare back to- the
place whence he came. What IL the
condition of this man? The iirst
thing he does Ii to deny his person.
nlity, to assume "a name. He en-.
deavors by telling ialsehoods to lay
the foundation for future good con
duet. The average man does not
wish to employ an cN-cOnvict, he.
cause the average man has no conf
denco in the reforming power Of the
penltcntiury. Under these circum.
stances, what avenue II open to the
eX-convlct? lie naturally drifts
back into the society of those who
have had like experience, and the
result Is that in IA little while he
again stands in the dock charged
with the commission of another
crime. Again he Is sent to the pen.
itentiary-and this is the end III,
feels that his day is done, that the
future has only degradation for him.
PAY CoNvICrs FOR THEIR LABOR.
"Why should the state take with,
out compensation the labor Of these
men? and why should they, after
having been imprisoned for years,
be turned out without the means ol
support? Would II not bo far better
far more economical, to pay these
men for their labor, to lay aside
their earnings from day to day, from
month 10 month and from year tc
year-to put this money at interest
30 that when the convict is released
after five years Of imprisonment h,
will have several hundred dollars OF
his own-not merely money enough
TO pay his way back to the place
from which he was sent, but enough
to make IL possible for him to com.
mence business on his own account,
enough 10 keep the wolf of crime