Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1894-11-03
EDUCATION TO PREVENT CRIME.
The Most Important Object is the Care
full Teaching OF CHILDREN.

The Most Important Object is the Care
full Teaching OF CHILDREN.
The address of Gen. X. Brinkerhoff,
president of the National Prison Con-
gress at st. Paul, MIMI, was such a
view Of the advance of crime i'll this
country and in the civilized world as
must give rise to very scrions thought.
Not. however, to discouragement, but
cutie the contrary. 1t is rather call
to Il great enlargement of the work of
the enlightened community to spread
cnl ..htcnmcnt, and TO embrace
larger view of duty in education than
CONSISTS in the mere. imparting of i'll
formation. which may or may not be
turned into sound knowledge. The
inoral element, it becomes plain. must
% considered in a degree which as
yet no scheme of schooling has com
pretended. 1t is alarming to read the
i,arc figures of the United States CEN
slIS in respect to the increase of crime
" proportion to the population. In
1880 the ratio Of prisoners was one
out of 3,142; IN 1860 one out of 1,64I;
IN 1890. one out of 751. In few
States this ratio does not hold, but
upon the whole the swell has been
continuous. like a tide that has no
.l,b"
The president of the Prison Associa-
ton proceeded to outline a concensus
of opinion among the specialists of
tho Prison Congress, which begins
fundamentally with the argument thai
~all action in regard to the criminal
Silulild not be the old lex tallonlS re-
ti,lirrmcnt Of an eye for an eye and
:uuih for n tooth, but the protection
of S"cirty'-a principle which If UNI
vrrSally adopted in action, would
brush away a multitude of evil prac-
tees and oblitcrate mountains OF
VICIOUS legislation" 1t leads to sys-
TEN of graded prisons. or separate
prisons for women. OF intermediate
Irn,rnccS Except those for life or III
capital caSeS). Misdemeanants should
lie confined in warehouses and not III
ronnty jails. and recid.vists chat IS,
repeated criminals) should have cunu-
!Htve sentences, and if found lncorrl-
.;blr should be sentenced indefinitely
within Il maximum Emit with privl-
l'~r of parole for good conduct. In
county iails there should be an abSo-
lutte separation of prisoners. so that
hes" places of confinement should
not be. as they are. schools for CRIME.
reproductive labor. as moral ana ny
genie necessity. as we'll as in justice
+, taxpayers. should dominate every
'son. and as reformatory intiu-
rn"r. Industrial training is indlspensa-
hlr." prison officers should be us
thoroughly trained for their duties
rs are army and navy officers. and
,hr'r terms of office should be as Sc
";lr, and their compensation as Eb-
u all NriS
l:..io,< culture should be the leading
,.nfnrmatory influences. and a prison
school, with competent instructors,
should he an Indispensable require
i!"nt. Partisan politics must be alb
S,lrtcly eliminated from prison man
n-.mrnt if high efficiency is to be eX-
p"rlul under any system of prison
adm, II Stration.
These are principles accepted by all
r"'srn lrformerS From these Gen
"ral Hrnkcrhoff went on to enlarge
rnun The necessity and the character
Of HE education which shall apply
10 ~" cure at the root. ''lf society
would deal with its children as it is
rn< Tile to deal with them. the present
-. ''"', river of crime could be re-
dive" t, Il rivulct in single genera
:on.'' by the logic of psychology,
General Brinkcrhoff is led to the as
s""rnrr that the public school system
i"''-nS too late. and that 1.-THE first
""-ni advance must be made in the
: rrc,'on of k.ndcrgartcnS." and he
S'''.' '''"'> this conviction by the work
"r'"h HIS actually been accomplished
i" S,n Francisco by private kinder
.,,r;r,'< under the inspiration and
s:".,"rv' son of one hcro'S Christian
- N"n" which has practically recon-
"ir,,.t III and civilized some of the
,'nrirSt wards of that cosmopolitan
c'.v Nor" can be done in the formal
lion of character before six years of
ego. than in all the other years of life
".m'''n"d. says General Brinkerhoff.
c..'n" on to the other end Of the edu-
"Hti"nal system. he regards as one of
III" most encouraging Signs of the
t'w'si the increasing number of chairs
If sociology in orr colleges and uni
vc"S:t;cS. for every branch of Sociol-
r!'v = Il part of the prison question:
An 'inhlly. the churches have a duty
in thi matter.
n" Influence of education beginning
with infancy and carried on thorough
~. may develop moral ideas that will
r"r'r:''n or even prevent to a degree
:hn can't social man. but what it
Will do with the trusts. the corrup-
ton Of legislation by selfish and
rpnry-sccking interests. the shallow.
.hn"~-s'ghted work of partisan poll
ties seeking the unfit man because he
,'an be Il too1-that is a problem
creator still. Not all the criminals
~" those in prison for larceny. bur-
rlarv inccndiarsm and murder. The
careful teaching of children in moral.
""n:al. physiological and industrial
IVA 'crS. by teachers who have studied
III" science of the mind and the soul.
i. nevertheless. the most important
Object to which the interest of every
" :n''l"rity can now be directed
:'Dii ngfirld Republican,