St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-10-26
ON PRISON SUNDAY,
Supt. Myers, of the Reform
atory, Talks Of the Cau-es
Of Crime. .
The Desire to Grow Rich, in
His Opinion, Is the Chief
Cause.
To This DR.. Smith EXeepts and
Says 1t Is the Evil Pas
SiOnS. +
Secretary Hart Talks Of the
Growing Antipathy to
Prisons.

A large congregation was pres ent at
the Peoples church last evening. The
pastor. Rev. S. G.. Smith, announced
that, the day being known as Prison
Sunday. he had much pleasure In in
Producing Supt. D. E. Myers. of the st.
Cloud reformatory, who would deliver
an address upon 1.-The Cause of Crime"
Supt. Myers then delivered the fol-
lowing in substance:
How to deal with our criminal popu-
lation is one of the most difficult prob
lens of the age; the state at large has
shown all Indifference in regard to the
matter that can only be accounted for
by the selfish condition of society. 1t is
only OF recent date that any effort has
been made by the state to deal with this
problem on rational grounds. and little
progress has as yet been made.
We have many phases of crime in our
modern civilization, and almost as many
kinds Of criminals. The first class that
comes up for our consideration is the
professional criminal. He is always
born, not made. Every fiber of his body
is alive with the criminal instinct. He
does not know what honesty and truth
fulness mean, sand he can never be
taught. Neither ancient nor modern
HiClnOuo w tniilS lOl SuCH Il
person as this. His disease is inherited
and incurable, and when discovered he
should be sentenced to prison for life,
so as to protect society from his incur
SlOnS.
The next and far more numerous class
is the weak criminal. The criminal in
stinct is only partially developed in him.
He has, sometimes, pretty clear Ideas of
right and wrong. Ii he had been born
with silver spoon in his mouth and
surrounded with good influences he
would probably never have gone wrong;
Or if he did, would never have been
caught. But he was unfortunate, and
/ was born both poor and tired. Raised
vice, all his better instincts are
blunted. Without any equipments
for life's struggle he is thrown upon his
own resources at an early age to make
his way in the world. BY far the largest
| per cent of this class are either foreign
| ers, or native-bOrn children of foreign
| parentage. Transplanted from differ
| ent civilization into our own.the parents
are out of harmony with their surround
| lngs. They are not criminals, III the,
| comprehensive meaning of that Term.
| They are weak-their necessities have
| been great-they have been tempted and
| they have fallen. 1t IS the history Of
| the tragedy of the human race, repeat
ing itself in the individual. A very
large per cent of this class, by proper
treatment. can be reclaimed and re-
stored to society as good and useful
| citizens.
The last class shall mention are the
accidental criminals, who, under some
| great excitement or pressure of circum
stances commit crime. Most cases of
this kind have not the criminal instinct
at all. They never intended to commit
crime. If they had not been found out
they would probably never have coma
United another. This class need only
be kept from criminal association and
be taught self-control and they will be
all right. have now given you some
idea of the different classes of criminal
| will now mention