The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-09-30

ANNAVA AANRA W hNEtNkn WTNINTN nnu
students Of prison science IL that the discirlIne
there has been much too mild, the mental train
Ing and means OF amusement much too great;
and at the congress of these men held during
the present year, the Reformatory was more
than once referred 10 as the chief instance Of that
nl-considered sentlmentsllty which carries 90
far the coddling and cosseting Of the inmates
OF penal institutions.
But the most important fact controlling the
administration Of Physical punishment at Elmira
has yet 10 be stated. Punishment there is not
corrective, but reformatory. Its punitive and
physiological aspect is purely secondary TO its
psychological one. II IL were simply for the pur-
pose Of maintaining order, the end would he
served in many instances by merely locking the
convict IN his cell: but as used by Mr.. Brockway
upon these youths bora from generations Of
criminal ancestors, IL Is n most important part of
his whole scheme Of reformatory treatment,
which comprises also military drill, far advanced
manual training, and mental instruction. And
this treatment has resulted, undisputedly, in
turning the careers Of over eighty per cent. Of
those sent to the R~eformatory into law-abiding
and respectable lives. The chief features Of Mr..
Brockway's scheme are to provide for the con-
victs to be reformed indulgents and deter
rents. Increase of privileges, better food. more
amusements, ending In release upon parole:
ANo NV thp vi utClthbo VI
privileges, ending in corporal punishment, and
in final transfer from the Reformatory 10 State
prison: these arethe deterrents. And the effect
and theory OF corporal punishment is by q sud-
den shock and Jar to the vicious mind, unrecep-
tive OF other sensations, TO Jog the criminal
thoughts and instincts out OF their old habit
into newer and better courses. The same effect
is often accomplished by q sudden, explosive
word.
Yet IL Is claimed that the punlshments at the
Reformatory have been excessive in quantity
and have steadily increased. In the first year
OF the institution. IL Is said, there were only ten
instances Of corporal punishment. Now there
are yearly over six hundred. II is alleged that
Mr.. Brockway, through unchecked power and
sensibilities gradually hardened. has developed a
sort Of mania for whipping people, so that he has
struck nearly twenty thousand blows with the
strap since no has been in the Reformatory.
Here are the facts:
First, The infection Of punishment at the instt-
tuition has averaged less than one and a half times
each day out Of the trtole number Of fourteen hun
bred inmates.
Secondly, the enemies Of the Reformdtory do not
90 much as claim that these pttntshments were not
richly descrrcd that they did not occur unless IN
cases Of stubborn resistance TO the spirit and rules
of the institution, Of repeated ricious mr. r~nutinous
conduct. or Of the practice Of appalling serldl per-
~rersion, erery knorn species Of ,rhich ertsts IN all
ts horror at the Reformdtory; and % trds shorn
that on the average nine EARNINGS lDerc sent IN each
Instance before the punishment trds inflicted.
Thirdly, for some time after the Reformdtory irds
buut It's Inmates ircre composed Of men transferred
there from State prisons. They ircre an older class
Of men, accustomed 10 prison discipline. Litte
punishment ,cds then needed or inflicted. Later on,
The Rctormdtorv became flied trith younger and
more desperate creatures sent directly from the
courts, a large percentage Of them hdrino serred
terms before at tho houses of refuge for boy crfm-
indls. Tie limit Of population Of the Reform
dtOry has nO,p nearly been reached, no other IN
stitution for youthful adult tslons having been
prorided BY the State. Obviously, the reStduum Of
tnc0rrfgple cOnricts tCho are kept at The Reform
dtorv for their full term. and ,pho understdnd only
the discipline Of the tchfp. has steadily Increased,
and has notr reached Cts mdrtmuH,. In Furnishing
and IN endedrOrfng TO reform this residtrim Of IN
corrigibts conricts Mr.. BrocklrdD, nth the mp
prordl Of successive committees Of the Legislature
and Of all experts trh0 hare rtsited the Institution,
or knOto anything Of the subject, deliberately de-
ctded TO use the strap more frequently than soli-
tdry confinement. the dirk cell being entirely
unused. finding that experience dttested both tho
greater mercy and the greater efficacy Of the
former punishment.
And suppose that during the eighteen years of
the existence of the Reformatory and the man.
agement there OF thousands Of prisoners, there
has been occasionally an instance of harsh
treatment; that Mr.. Brockway has lost his
temper once or twice and said damn" and
that prisoners were struck, in rare instances,
harder than was ethically or scientifically
proper: such has not been proved. but what II
It were2 Is 1t imagined that at the Elmira Re-
alone. of all the places In this world,
WA ran haya narfection1 Ara fhaaa man pnn. \
victs or good citizens for whom ideal conditions
are demanded? What doctor or lawyer has not
made trivial mistakes? and how Infamous and
crazy the proposition to blast a long career of
professional success because Of them.
We have devoted so great a portion OF our
space to the discussion OF the foregoing because,
IN our judgment. II Is the only side OF the case
which win admit of any sort OF serious debate
by reasonable men. We think. indeed, that we
have gone 10 the very verge OF federation in dis
cussing II at all. But 1t is dinicult for us to write
when we come 10 that branch OF the
charges asserting that the punishment at FL
mira has manned and injured prisoners. and
Mr.. Brockway has treated convicts with
brutality. With the proof before US,
as developed at the trial, that the Worlds CAM
paign here has been simply one of contrived and
SANDER, a deliberate conspiracy for
purposes which broke down utterly
under DISCRIMINATION, II is hard TO avoid the
use OF language which shall not seem TO be ex-
to those unfamiliar with the testi-
mony. Yet, recalling the hundreds of columns
Of abuse which Mr.. Brockway has received.
flled with the details of alleged specific in
Of cruelty, and remembering that
upon the trial the prosecution not only
failed 10 Justify these in any one particu-
lar. but that there WAS torn from the
mouths Of its own witnesses the admission OF
heir lies, we do not hesitate to put the Worlds
Ease here in its true colors Us a series of foully
tales running into a giddy satur-
nalia OF perjury, and procured wickedness.
What were the allegations of cruelty against
Mr.. BrockwayG That the punishments by the
strap before referred to were in themselves
. CHASTITY atroclties;" that ~conviets had been
horribly burned in their cells with red hot irons.
and their sight and hearing ruined by brutal
lows from fist or stick; that other ~convicts
'till had been strung up by the wrists OF kept
nRnacled in their cells in a standing position
thav ha,aua unpanapfnua. that man haA |