The National tribune., 1891-08-27
TREATMENT or CRIMINALS.


derer of pretty Christie Warden, shows
clearly that there IRE men who are MS
naturally criminals rs tigers are beasts of
pTey, and that it is simply nonsense to talk
about reforming them. The more oppor-
tunities that they have the more crimes
they viii commit, and it is the duty of so
cicty to recognize this Elct and put them
permanently out Of the way of doing harm.
Abbott, alias Amy" has been criminal
ever since he was old enough to know the
distinction between right and wrong, and
has been a grievous affection to every COM
munity that he has infested The only
recognize promptly his hOpelessly evil
character and get rid of him definitely. 1t
would be better if such men could be killed
early in life, but with our morbid condition
OF public opinion this cannot be done. The
next best thing is TO transport them to some
distant region and keep them there. The
Russians and French act more wisely in this
matter than We The Russians send such
men as Amy TO Siberia, where, if they are
supposed TO be not completely hardened in
crime, they are allowed to work farms and
build up homes for themselves and their
wives, under rigid surveillance, which pre-
vents their ever returning to plague
the communities which have been freed
from them. If they have committed
some specially heinous onense they are
doomed to lifelong labor on the roads or
in the mines. The French have much the
same system in operation at Cayenne.
Criminals who are regarded as not thor
oughly bad are allowed to work out their
sentences in the prison ut home, but the
irretrieyably vicious are sent to Cayenne
for life. Certain classes Of these are allowed
TO establish homes there, and the men and
women, when the officials deem it prudent,
are permitted TO marry. France is thus,
without shocking the mind with whole
sale executions, as permanently relieved of
these villains rs if they had been guillo-
tined. Some system like this should be
adopted in this country. 1t is scandalous
that every little while the community
should be shocked by new crime by some
man who little while ago was hunted
down for an ofrense, given a trial at great
expense TO the County, and sentenced to a
term IN the penItentiary, from which he is
released only TO renew depredations on
society. II would be well if we could take
some group of islands in the Pacific, where
the soil is fertile and the climate balmy
enough to give wishy-washy philanthropists
no chance Of complaint, and make it the
permanent home Of men too bad to be
allowed to live among u.s. As rule, when
n man has committed one burglary, one
robbery, or one grand larceny, he will COM
nit another whenever he thinks he has
good chance. We ought to be able to say to
such men upon their second conviction:
Here, we must be permanently rid of
you. We cannot be continually annoyed
arresting and trying you, and public opinion
will not permit your being hanged, as you
richly deserve. But we must get freed from
you for good, and we will therefore send you
for life TO this pleasant island, where you
can build you a hut, raise all the food you
need, catch all the fish you want, and lead
lazy, easy life. You will not be harmed,
but you will be where you cannot harm
anyone, unless possibly those who are crimi-
mails like yourself"
If we could send to such a place few
thousand men who are habituaI criminals,
and who are also the training-masters of
others in crime, the good results would be
enormous. The decrease in the criminal
expenses Of the Counties in the Nation
would soon be sufficient TO pay for whole
archipelagoes in the Pacific.
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