St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-06-20

acquainted with the opinions and essays
of tie most noted scholars and philan-
thropistS who have contributed to the
fund of Information and counsel upon
this subject, from some of whose writ
he quoted freely. He took the ground
that prison management should be
established and maintained for the pur-
pose of detention and correction, and
not for intiicting exemplary or retribu
should not be treated as GRIM
inals. but as men, and their
crimes and otfenses not permitted
to become topics of conversation among
officers. We should not deal with
crime in any sense, but with the man.,
No arbitrary rules and regulations
which would subject the men to sense
less severity of prison discipline, which
to the sensitive is more intolerable than
should be tolerated. The men ought to
be given every opportunity possible to
exercise their rights and privileges as
members of community for improve
ment and social intercourse. Moral and
ethical conditions are only possible by
contact of citizenship, which is the only
means of subduing ungovernable pas
sions of men. The closer the contact
the higher the civilization. One of
the details of good management
in congregate prisons is that
the convicts should be organized into
squads and companies, and marched
and Unanswered as soldiers, differed
by captains, whose duty it should be to
treat them as company of men and
to look after their wants and neceS-
sites, and to report faithfully and With
out fail to the warden or deputy warden
every request, even be it to report the
officers conduct; and if the officer fail
in the discharge of his duty the prisoner
should have the right of appeal to the
warden or deputy warden at the first
opportunity presented. The lhen should
be permitted to wear their hair and
boards as they chose, if they keep them
selves clean and their hair and boards
kempt and properly trimmed. A
free hour should be given them
of an evening i'll which they can in.
dulge in conversation, song and music
Tney should have facilities for reading
at all times while not in the workshops
and furnished with books, magazines
and newspapers. The unlearned sent
10 night school and given every oppor.
tunity to gain all elementary education
All officers and men, including con
tractors, superintendent and foremen
should treat the men gentlemanly anC
courteously. No man should be allowed
to lay his hands upon prisoner unless
i'll self-defense or to separate comba-
tants. The lock step, together witt
other useless and degrading methods
or menacing influences tolerated
Character and individual worth shoult
be recoA niZed as the essentials 10 goot
conduct and reformed habits.
Their ideas are new in fact and
novel, but who is there to gainsay tha
this practical prison man is not correc
and sound in his premises. Punish
ment, Capt. Patten said. was the
most serious question with which prIsol
management had to deal; it should
however, be justly administered, not a.
OF restraint or correction. There wa.
not a bit of sentimentalism in thi:
speakers remarks, but a broad ant
magnetic humanity, which his auditor:
frequently recognized by applause
HIS concluding sentence was eloquent
''Prejudging sentiment should have
nothing to do with conviction or treat
ment or criminals. 1t is either gushing
or maudlln, and always arrives at er
roneouS conclusions. 1t is always max
ing mistakes, but never cOrrectS one
Its conclusion is an assumption, ana it.
edict vicious. 1t caused the persecution
of the saints, the stoning of the proph
cts, the burning of the martyrs and tn
crucifXion of the Savior. 1t is unfit t,
manage penal institutions or reform
criminals. Justice, tempered wit
mercy, is the shibboleth to command.
SUPT. SCOTT
followed with paper upon prison ad
minstration, which has an admirabl
bearing. In his opinion the personne
Of the prison determines to a large eX
tent its character and the quality of it
discipline. The official staff should con
sist OF men of superior qualification
and especially adapted to the governin
of men. 1t is not sufficient that the
should be men of correct habits and Z
fair judgment and capabilities, but the
should also possess that rarer personal
ity which makes them power for goo
among men, commanding respect, who's
word enforceS implicit obedience with
out apparent effort. These true disc
plinarians may be few in number, br
there are many who have this inherel
quality which can be developed into
real power under proper training. and
discerument is exercised III the selectio
cfofficers there is no reason why a sui
able staff may not be developed in ever
prison. At the head of this staff thel
Should be, not cast-of politician. but