St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-10-13
PRISON REFoRAIERs.
Prevention OF Youthful Grimm al
ity Under Discussion.


PTTTsBURG, Pa, Oct. 12.-Hon. r. B.
Hayes, president of the association,
called the national prison congress to
order this morning for the third days
session. The interest is increasing, and
the attendance was very large. Rev.
Father Voight, of New Jersey, led in
prayer. After miscellaneous business
had been transacted, Judge Frances
Wayland was introduced. The subject
OF his address was How Shall the Chill
dren of Vicious or Cruel Parents Be
Prevented From Becoming CriminalS?'
Among other things Judge Wayland
said the immigration laws should be
SO amended as to bring to our land the
better class of foreigners as far as pos
sible. Education is most effectual when
begun early. This truth can hardly be
questioned when associated with the IN
mates OF penal institution. Almost
any warden will affirm that his most
hardened criminals are graduates of re-
form schools. The early education of
the young in aSSociating with youthful
criminals is consequently of the worst
sort. Marriages should not be permitted,
unless both parties are morally and
materially fit. After Judge Wayland
had concluded his address the question
was discussed in general manner. A
very interesting talk was given by c..
w. Round, of New York, who de-
nounced the influence of reformatorIeS.
Father Caneyin, of this city, said that
if the homes can be reached and the
fathers and mothers infused with the
spirit of Christianity there would be no
need of penal Institutions for the
youth. By the constitution of our
state religion cannot be forced upon
any child. There Is no morality with
out religion.
At this juncture in Father Canevin's
address Warden Patton, of Indiana,
asked him whether the child should be
taught that the laws Of church or state
should stand supreme in the teaching
of the children. The father made a re-
ply which brought forth the hearty ap-
plause of the audience. He said !:
Teach the child its duty to the church
and it Is already learned in its duty to
the state. The great principle of
Christianity should not be lost"
The congress then adjourned for an
excursion down the Ohio river for a
witt to the Riverside penitentiary.
This evening, when the congress re-
assembled, Michael J. Cassiday, warden
of the Eastern penitentiary, Philadel-
phia, read paper on his Impressions of
the prisons of England, Ireland, France
and Belgium. He said the prisons of
the four countries visited were distinct
in all respects. In ireland and Eng
land the inmates of the convict prisons
in physical appearance are much the
same. They are mostly below
thirty-five years of age, many of
which are first convictions and
not of the crime class. These
facts do not seem to be considered
or any means employed to rescue in
diyiduals from the accommodating crime
class. The principle adopted is to re-
form all. In our prisons the system is
dependent for its results on the officials
of the prisons. He was under the i'm
preston the ticket-of-leave system in
Ireland-paroie, it Is called in the United
States-has not produced the results the
projectors expected.
John H. Patterson, warden of the New
Jersey state prison at Trenton, followed
in AN interesting and comprehensive
paper on the parole system. He said
the proper subjects for control were not
the hardened criminal who has repeat
eddy violated the law, but those who are
not so Wlfully wicked as weak. The
session closed after the reading of a
paper on criminal statistics by DR.. Ro-
nald Falkner, OF the University of Penn
sylyania.