The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1893-03-28
COL. INGERsOLL's LATEST HOBBIE.

COL. lNGEhSOLL --LATEST hObDA1'
COLONEL ROBERT G. INGERsoLL says
the criminal should be treated with kind.
nor robbed. He believes that the con
vict should be paid for his labor, and he
is really of the opinion that the convict
should not be confined within walls, but
that he should be placed on an island
where he would be able to support him
self. Compel these people," says COL
oNEL ~INGERsoLL, "to produce what they
eat and use. Those who worked would
not permit those who did not to steal the
result of their labors Such a commun
ity would be self supporting" He thinks
that convicts might come TO feel that
that their verdict had rescued them
from the abyss of crime, and that their
hearts instead of being filled with malice
would be overlooking with gratitude"
1t is pleasant to hear COLONEL NIGER
SOL talk. He talks well-better on the
whole than any American now living.
In this age of the decadence of oratory,
he stands head and shoulders above the
other takers No mt quarrels with his
optimism One is not even inclined to
fret when he is impractical.
But on the page that reports this bill
liant plea for the criminal, is an account
of the conviction of JOHN WESLEY Ell
KINs, a - year old boy, who shot his
father, knocked his brains out, and
pounded the head of his stepmotber into
a ielleY. This boy has received a life
sentence to the penitentiary. Now,
what does COLONEL INGERsoLL want g?
Does he expect the state to enrich this
human monster, while thousands Of
good and honest men find it difficult to
provide for their families? Does he ex-
expect to establish self-respect in a boy
born with the wild beast in him Does
he think he would make a good amateur
farmer on an island peopled with con
victs? The chances are that he would
kill off a few of his friends now and again
just to prevent ennui, The good colo
mel appears to think that it is possible to
make patriots and lovers out of all man
kind by permitting them to acquire a lit
But experience has shown that with the
vicious the accumulation of power and
property only increases their vices.
That thousands of crimes are commit
ted under stress of suffering no Il will
deny. He would indeed be a strange
person who would starve to death in a
town where there were bakers shops,
without getting bread by fair means or
foul One might say that under such
circumstances there can be no foul means.
And it is quite true that only a few weeks
ago a woman. in England was sentenced
to imprisonment three years for thus
providing herself and her little son with
bread. But the faults and prejudices of
certain judges must not be confused with
the administration of actual justice.
There are criminals who must be killed
or forever excluded from the rest of man
kind. 1t is best that they should work,
for they are then not such az expense to
the state-that is, to honest men who
pay taxes. But the state is not called
upon to enrich them, to furnish them
with any advantages or accomplish
mentS.
There is no reason why the virtuous
should be left without help, while aid
and sympathy is showered upon the
vicious and the dangerous. In this age
as soon as a person falls in the gutter,
and lies mud despatched he becomes an
object of great interest to the men and
women in the higher walks of life.
COLONEL INGERsoLL is right in saying
that manual training for the young and
homes for the fatherless children are the
means by which to prevent crime. But
distinction must be made between manu-
criminals and natural ones. 1t
must always be remembered that there
are brains that cOncOct crime as inev-
itably as other brains devise machines,
or compose rhymes or melodies. The
possession of such brains must be kept
THE GRIP OF THE COFFIN TRUST.
In the good old days long since past
and gone, when a man died, and his
wanted to bury him. the under.