The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1890-01-30
CONCERNING CRIME.
Col. Ingersoll Speaks Before the New
York Bar Association.
Crime Against Criminals the Subject
of His Address.

of His Address.
ALBANY, n. Y. Jan. 21.-The state bar
association met here to day. President
Adnoux addressed the convention. He was
followed by Col. r. G. Ingersoll. COL In
gersOll's address was on "Crimes Against
Criminals" In his most eloquent vein the
colonel recOunted the cruel treatment of
criminals in past times. and drew attention
to the fact that the more severe the pun
| ishment, the greater the increase in crime.
He attributed this to the brutalization of
the people through the infictiOn and con-
temptation of such punishment. He then
suggested the inquiry why men should
commit crimes at the risk of torture or
death or degradation. His answer was that
mems minds and natures may be so defOrmed
that it is just as impossible for them to do
good as it is impossible for some men to be
sculptors or philosophers. The criminal
should not be punished any more than men
physically deformed. But society must
protect itself against criminals. though it
should not punish them. Here Col. Inger-
soil gave some statistics showing that while
| in 1850. with population of 23.OOO 900,
we had between 6. 900 and 1000 prisoners,
in 1880. with SO 900. 900 population, we had
So, 900 prisoners. In 1850 we had $4,000
insane; 1850 we had 81 900 insane. This
shows that our system of punishment is not
| PREVENTING CRIME AND INSANITY
from increasing faster than the increase in
| 81. 900 homeless children. and &C, 900 pau.
pers in almshOuses. Was there any con-
nection between this fact and the number
of prisoners? The speaker. after arguing
that degradation of prisoners is almost GER
tain to prevent reformation. went on to
say: For hundreds of years the world has
endeavOred to destroy the good
by force. 1t was impossible to des-
troy the longing in the heart of man for
liberty and truth. Is it not possible that
brute force and cruelty and revenge impris:
Onment torture and death are as impOtent
to do away with vice as to destroy virtue?
TO me it has always been a mystery how
the average man, knowing something of the
weakness of human nature. something of
the temptations to which he himself has
|
life. the things he would have done had
there been opportunity, had he absolutely
known that discovery would be impossible
should have feelings OF hatred toward the
imprisoned. 1t is possible that the average
man assaults the criminal in a spirit of self
defense. Does he wish to convince his
neighbOrs that the evil thought and impulse
were never in his mind? Are his words a
shield that he uses to protect himself from
suspicion? For my part, sympathize with
all failures; with the victims of society;
with those who have fallen; with the i'm
prsOned; with the hopeless; with those who
have been stained by verdcts of guilty,
and with those in moment of passion have
destroyed, as with blow, the future of
their lives. How perilOuS, after all. is the
state of man. 1t is the work of life to
build great and splendid character 1t is
the work of moment to destroy it utterly,
from the turret to the foundation stone.
HOW CRUEL HYPOCRISY IS.
Is there remedy? Can anything be
done for the reformation of the criminal?
He should be treated with kindness. Every
right should be given him consistent with
the safety of society. He should neither
be degraded nor robbed" After portray
ing the pitiful condition of the ex convict in
his struggle to get work and live an honest
life. and picturing the usual result-expOs
ure. discharge. renewal of crime, and re-
turn to prison-the speaker asked: why
should the state take without compensation
the labor of these men; and why should
they, after having been imprisoned for
years, be turned out without means of sup
port? Would it not be far better, far more
economical, to pay these men for their Ia.