The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1890-01-31

<ce II ~ II not Good Gospel <crmoi
la Disguise what Our Youth should b.
Taught IN the schools
ALBANY. n. A.. Jan. 2a-rhe Stat,
bar Association met here yesterday
President Arnoux addressed the Associ
alton, and was followed BY Colonel X
q. Ingersoll.
Colonel Ingersoll's address was on
<'Crimes Against Criminals" In his
most eloquent vein tho Colonel re-
counted the cruel treatment Of crimi.
mails in past times. and drew attention
10 the fact that the scverer the punish
ment the greater increase in crime. lilo
attributed this 70 the brutalizing of the
people through the infection and con-
temptation Of such punishmcnts lie
then suggested the inquiry why men
should commit crimes az the risk Of tor
turc. or death, or degradation. Ills an
swer was that mems minds and natures
may be so deformei that ID Is just as i'm
possible for them 10 do good as j. j. im-
possible for some men 10 be sculptors or
philosophers. The criminal should not
physically dciormcd. But society must
protect itself against criminals. though
IL should not punish them.
Here Colonel Ingcrsoll gave some sta
tlstics showing that while In $780, with
4 population Of $4,000. 600 we had boz
tween 5000 and 1000 prisoners. in 1850.
with 5O,000.ooO population. we had So
900 prisoners. In 1850 we had ZOO in
sane: in 1850 We had ~, 600 insane. This
shows that our system OF punishment is
not preventing crime and insanity from
increasing fas ter than the increase in
population. In iSs0 too. there We're 81
900 homeless children. and 0O.o0o pau
pers in almshouses Was there any con-
nection between this fact and the num-
Der OF prisoners? The speaker, after
arguing that degradation 81 prisoners is
almost certain to prevent reformation,
went on TO say:
For hundreds OF years the world has en-.
ldcavored to destroy the good BY force. 1t
was impossible 10 destroy the longing IN the
heart Of man for liberty and truth. Il il not
possible that brute force and cruelty and re-
vcnge. Imprisonment. torture and death are
as impotent 20 do away with vice 70 de-
sfrOy virtues To me Il has always been
mystery how the average man-knOwing
something Of the weakness Of human nature.
something of the temptations to which he
himself has been xposed-remembering the
evil Of his life, the things he would have
done had there been opportunity. had he alb
soiutely known that discovery would be i'm
possible-should have feelings of hatred
toward the imprisoned. l. IL possible that
che average man assaults the criminal in
spirit Of self defensc2 Does he wish 70 con-
vince his ncighbors that the evil thought
and impulse were never in his minds Are
his words a shield that he uses 10 protect
himself from suSpIclons For my part.
sympathlzc sincerely with all failures with
the victims Of society, with those W no have
fallen, with the Imprisoned. with the hope
less. with those who have been stained with
verdicts OF guilty, and with those who, In
the moment Of passion. have destroyed. as
with . bic W. the future ~ their lives. How
pcriious. after all. r. the state Of man IL Is
the work OF a life 10 build a great and splcn-
did character. 1t is the work OF moment
20 destroy IL utterly, from turrct to founda-
ton stone. How cruel hypocrisy T.. l.
there any remedy? Can any thing be done
for the reformation Of the criminals lie
should be treated with Kindness. Every
right should be given him. consistent with
the safety OF society. lie should neither be
degraded nor robbed.
After portraying the pitiable condi-
ton OF the ex-convict in his struggle TO
get work and live an honest life and
picturing the usual result-exp osure,
discharge. renewal Of crime and return
70 prison-the speaker asked:
WHY should the state take without com.
pensatlon the labor ~ these menY And why
should they, after being Imprisoned for
years. be turned out without the means OF
support Would 1t not be far better. far
more economical, 20 pay these men for their
labor. 30 that when released the convict Will
have several hundred dollars Of his own.
enough to make It possible for him 70 COM
mence business on his own account. enough
~ keep the wolf Of crime from the door ~
bis hcartf suppose the convict comes out
With five hundred dollars This would form
brcastwork. fortress. behind which the
man could fight temptation. II this were
done. thousands Of convict- would think OF
penitentiarics as the place In which they
were saved they would feel that the YER
diet Of guilty rescued them from the abyss
ofcrime- The heart OF the poor convict in
stead OF being filled with malice would over
now with gratitude. He would feel the
benefits Of this course; and the result would
BE- good, not only 20 him but TO the Nation.
Al the convict worked for himself. he would
do the best he could. and the wares pro-
duccd in the penitcntiarlcs would not
cheaper the labor OF other men. There are.
however, men who pursue crime a voca-
tiOu-as a profession. what shall be done
with these men and women? Put one thou.
sand hardened thieves an island; compel
them 70 produce all they eat and use. Those
who worked would not permit those who
did not 20 enjoy the result OF their labor.
such q community would be self-support
ing. Let women Of the same class be put by
themselves. Those who are beyond the
power Of reformation should not have the
liberty 70 reproduce themselves. Tn ey
should dwell apart and dying should leave
no heirs
Colonel Ingersoll then argued against
che death penalty for murdcrers, and
gave striking instances showing that
judicial killing not only does not deter
from murder but inspires to further
murders. lie also remarked that such
killing encourages mob violence. as the
mob reasons that the criminal should be
killed anyway, and might as well be
killed without trial as with. Returning
70 the question OF reforming criminals,
the orator said
m we are to change the conduct Of men.
we must change their conditions. Extreme
poverty and crime 20 hand In hand. A.
long as children are raised Ia the tenement
and gutter. the prisons viii grow full The
gulf between the rich and the poor viii grow
wider and wider. One Will depend on cum
ming, the other on force. II Ia a great Ques-
tion whether he who lives In luxury can az
ford 20 allow others 70 exist in want. The