New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-02-24
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
PENOLNGICAL PROBLEMS.

PENOLCGICAL PROBLEMS.
PRISONERS AND PAUPERs: Study Of the Al
normal Increas' Of Criminals and the Public Burden
Remedies. BY Henry NJ Boes, NJ. a. limo PIP
3lS. O. r. Putram's Sons.
The writer OF this book has had much ana long
experience IN the administration of penal laws and
especially the management OF conyfcts IN the great
prisons of PENNSYLVANIA lie has, moreover. carefully
examined the statistics OF crime In the country al
large, and he has reached the conclusion (Which MS
figures directly rcinforce that crime Is largely on The
increase In United States, and that If the present
methods are maintained II must swell year by year In
cost and everything else until the people are fairly
forced apply themselves to the penal reforms which
are recommended in these pages. Mr. Boles, how
ever II at be said, does not take issue with
other experienced penolOgiss. On the contrary. he
takes frequent opportunity to show that he and they
hold identical beliefs about the treatment and the
future OF crime. What 6ferentates him from his
predecessors is thorough going nature and sweep
ing scope OF the remedies which he so boldly adVo-
Gates.
Thus the reader will soon find that the author has
no faith In any called rcformatory scheme far as
habltual criminals are concerned lie holds that all the
laborlous and costly efforts hitherto made to degenerate
this class have been than wasted. For he
maintains that the habual criminal Is what he Is
through a perverted and defective organism; that he
Is literally permeated by vicious hercdy that III aud-
ton TO this all his education Is during the most
that all his normal dispositions and tendencies move
in that direction: that, In short he cannot help him
self change himself however hard he tries TO 90 So
Mr. Boies might-nay in eur judgment he shonid-haNe
marked the fact that society Is Itself doggcdly op
posed to reform of the criminal and that this OPP
position takes the shape OF ostracism which makes
his every sentence perpetual and which excludes him
from the hope of public cemency.
II may be that this state OF things is inseparablc
from the situation but If that only shows that is
time the situation was altered. But Mr. Bocs has
drastic remedies to propose. What he asks. is 10 be
done with great class OF "defectvcs who return
to crime again and again, and who obviously cannot
be prevented from returning long rs They have
anv intervals of freedom? The plain answer of Mr..
Boies 10 this crucial question l., Don't let the ha'
bitual criminal return TO freedom" After third
conviction. in other words he proposes to make the
sentence for life and he holds that this would produce
excellent results In several ways one and not among
the least shty, he argues would be the prevention
Of breeding criminals In the course OF certain ume
the present of them would die out; and unless
new generation put on the stage by careless or
evil legislation, there would be good ground for ex-
pecting quite widespread moral expansion.
OF course far-rcaching plan as this could not
stand upon one feature alone. 1t must be combined
with the wisest measures for the purpose The labor
OF society must be devoted for years and in terrible
earnest to the raising OF its "mudsllls" The blight
OF ntemperance. which even now produces about %
cent OF all The crime committed III the country,
would have TO be dealt with. All kinds OF help to
social progress would have TO be applied, not in
tentative and ragmentary fashion, but with organize
and persistent energy Nor can II be said after every
conceivable allowance has been made for the influence
OF salutay change that the prospect would be so hope
full TO make The proposition really practical qu"S
ton. In the first place 1t could never be disen'anGle
from politics. for 1t would come directly home TO the
"business and bosoms OF the men who in all modern
communities aim Mt acquiring State control by utiL
Ing the dangerous clements" One can imagine with
what undisg uscd horror the hcnchmcn OF Tammany
would receive proposal to sequestratc all the ha-
bitual criminals. Where, then, it wouid be said,
shall we get votes at critical junctures, our In
huence." all the sinews OF our strength
Any practical who may have imagined that
scheme OF this kind could be enacted without the most
determined and persistent resistance knows little oil
the forces which have TO be reckoned with II ever
we are to make end Of the habitua criminal class
We fear that long and difficult period OF preparation
must be anticipated. Thus far-and the fact is sig
nifcant-the most enlightened views OF the most ex-
Serienced penologiss have nine times out OF ten been
simply rejected by those who ought to have given
them the most respectful attention. Before any
change for the better can be hoped for In this con-
necon the public will have to be stirred up as TO
realize that bad penology is only another name for
public robbery and that millions OF the peoples hard
earned taxes ore annually drained away to fill gaps
as hopeless the jars OF the Danaides.
A few thinkers have already reached the common
conclusion. But the whole question IS too new
to the majority and understanding 1t they do not
feel interested IN 1t. Nevertheless the publication OF
such book as this but produce certain effect
upon public opinion for nearly everybody who thinks
at all is we'll aware that the Of criminals
and paupcrs costs far too much. Now, when ii Is
shown that only is the excessive, but that IL
does not keep pace with the growth OF crime, the
conclusion must be clear TO all. We in fact pay,
ing two or three prices for the keeping Of de-
fectives and we not really reforming them at all.
OF this last statement may seem 10 need some
notification The truth Is that the criminal per
centage is being constantly raised by the introduce
large extent represents the least desirable and most
dangerous elements the populations Of Europe can sup
ply, Then there Is the negro faction 10 be con-
ddered but gather from Mr.. Boies that there is
real hope the future Of that 1t Is the foreign
and especially the nom ngsh-speaking elements,
which increasing the percentage OF crime, and
who will doubtless continue TO do this so Ions as the
people put up with the situation.
These are among the graver questions which Mr..
Boies discusses in a very frank and ouspOken way,
and none who read his book doubt either his
carnestncss or the general fitness OF his informatlOn
All these psychological problems are being pushed more
and more into public notice Clearly not few OF
them will have TO dealt with at long distance,
and those who avail themselves OF Mr.. BOless intro
ductlon TO the subject will be prepared to consdeI
them intelligently.