St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-10-14
CRIME AND CRIMINALS.
Politics, Licentiousness and Gam
bling Greatly to Blame.

Politics, Licentiousness and Gam
bling Greatly to Blame.
PITTsBURG, Oct. IS. When the ma
tioDal prison congress opened this morn
ing Chairman Charles Z. FELTON,, of Chi
cago, presented the report of the stand
ing committee on police. The report,
among other things, says: "The leading
uperintendents of police are almost
unit in laying the chief detriments to
police management to politics, licen-
tiousness and gambling. These forces,
especially the latter, are made part of
the unwrltten platform Of parties and
are utilized by candidates for Office and
officials, more especially for pecuniary
ends. Nearly every change of munich
pal administration causes a change of
policy in regard to these offenses. AS
result our larger cities are rapidly fall
ing into line with those in Europe in the
magnitude of the social evil, and public
gambling has not decreased.
The number of fallen women has
alarmingly increased in the past few
weeks, the result Of lax administration,
of demOralizing social and industrial
conditions and of confusing sentiment
of opinion in the public mind, as fol-
lowed by the authorities in treating the
l4C COlililllllCC DCilSN6 lIldl
the social evil can be suppressed in some
communities. but not in rural districts
and in cities where the population is
Heterogeneous and cosmopolitan. Public
gambling is open to similar criticism
and cuts more prominent figure in
politics than the social evil and ought to
be suppressed. but for the collision be-
tween gamblers and Officeholders. In
this country other causes favOring the
increase Of crime are the case with
which habitual criminals avoid arrest,
the lightness of sentences, laXity of dis
ciplipe in prisons, the present senSeless
views of the public and the acts of legisla-
lures as to systems OF prison labor and
its ease to the prisoner; the comfortable
quarters and quality of food; their easy
access of visitation, and the readiness
with which sympathetic public ac-
cepts as true the complaints of prison
ers."
At the conclusion of the report it was
announced that the following officers
had been elected by the wardens' asso-
citation: President, Joseph Nicholson;
vice presidents, j. FL. Patterson, New
Jersey; James Massey, Ontario; r. s.
Dawson, Alabama: E. S. Wright, Riv-
erside penitentiary; secretary, r. w.
McClaughrey, Chicago; treasurer, John
G. Wilton, Massachusetts. 1t was also
announced that the board of directors
had selected Baltimore as the place of
the next meeting in 1892, and Chicago
for 1893.
Capt. j. W. Pope, of the United States
army, then read an interesting paper on
Crime and Criminals in the American
Army" detailing the various classes of
crime and their punishment.
In the evening another session was
hni OF foh A,-- Lob,
uperintendent of the reformatory
prison for women, Sherwine, Mass, read
a paper on discipline in Female Pris-
ons." Mrs. johnson said: I'VE aim to
give each woman the mental and moral
treatment best suited to repress evil
tendencies; to arouse aspirations after
better life; to move her to practical
repentance and convince her that JUS
tice and not revenge calls her to account
for violated law. We bear i'll mind
these things-frst, that in the majority
of cases, circumstances make the crimi-
nal; second, that the purpose of punish
ment should be to operate upon the
mental and moral nature of the crimi-
nal; third, that except in aggra-
waited cases, such as we yearly en-
counter, the punishment which follows
Immediately upon the offense is seldom
wise one. II punishment is admin
istered while woman is still excited
and defiant; while we ourselves are
doubtless irritated and disturbed, pos
sibly only partially acquainted with the
case, we find ourselves in every instance
the loser"
Mrs. johnson then outlined in detail
some of her methods, such as the use of
flowers, the companionship of domestic
animals, the sight of children in the
nursery, good music III the chapel, ETC.,
with the purpose of touching the hearts
of the offender. and quickening the
spark of divine nature in her. This
done, the hardest part of the problem
is solved. In conclusion, she said, if
time were allowed and suitable persons
could be found for positions of respon-
sibility, no woman would pass out of
the doors without having at least the
purpose to lead an upright life.
The congress will adjourn tomorrow
night,