St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-06-19

THE CHAPLAlNS.

Rev. George HickoX. d. d.. chaplain
of the Michigan penitentiary, presided.
The fourth chapter OF the gospel of ST..
Luke was read, and all united in sing
ing
'All hail the power of Jesus name"
Prayer was offered by Chaplain &. c..
Maddox. of the New Jersey peniten-
tiary, after which was sung
''More love to Thee o Christ"
President HickoX then delivered his
annual address, his theme being The
Prison and Its Work." his experience
of twenty years as chaplain of the
Jackson, Mich, penitentiary qualifying
him to speak with 'lhe spirit and the
understanding" upon his subject.
''How to conduct. manage and diSci-
question:" he said. New conditions OF
social, scientific and moral advancement
will repeat the question. How to do
prison work is a question also which
will be an open one, and call for and
control the thought of every well-se-
lecIed prison officer. The work of an
officer in any position must be done,
and we'll done.' The constant question,
which may not pass, will be how-in
what way"
In consecutive order he discussed the
Industries of the prison; education in
prison; what instruction should be
given men in prison; the correction of
criminals: restoration 10 citizenship.
Finally he took the position that 1.-THE
state is more largely than others respon-
sble for the inferior standing aud the
lncompleteneSs. and the inetficiency of
the work of the prisons. 1t has not
given suitable attention to their cOndi-
ton, nor made adequate provision tor
their work. Ard those having the imme-
diate care of the prisons are responsible
as well. They must find out,and this they
are doing and will continue to do. They
will discover and apply methods of re-
form and advancement. and carry those
processes to place where the people
will look upon them with pride, and ap-
prove them, and then push those meth
DDS to conSummatlOn. This lmpaSS-
able duty and Its work must continue to
be intelligentiy impressed upon the at
tention and the better Judgment of the
popular mind by experienced and sue
cessful prison men. In order to do
this the institution must he furnished
with suitable and needed appliance for
its work. But nc appliance. no help,
10 outlay will be enough, in the absence
of cOnSlderate, willing, practical and
competent officers. And those will not
be obtained on inferior salaries.
Furnish our prisons as we may,
study, find out and supply as we can,
We will labor heavily ami slow if ell
numbered by the presence OF unedu-
Gated, profane, Incorporate, immoral
and loveless officials. Prison officials
should be men whose character and
habits of life and speech are in marked
contrast with those of the men given to
their care. Good prison men are those
Of kindly heart, charitable spirit, and
of firm, wise and practicable rule.
Men whose silent presence is
actual and inyincible discipline. The
presence of the former class is inevita-
bly, demoraliZing. Have competent and
qualified men, who have passed exam
nation, touch the prisoner with silent
and weil.directed influence on every
side of him. Reach his inner being, his
thoughts, his senSlbllities. and his will
by the silent forces of positive, upright
character. Requests, orders, commands,
must be given and spoken. But the
right arm OF prison rule is the presence
and exercise and the influence of con-
scientious and superior and positive
manhood. This type of prison admin
would be at once largely satisfactory
and increasingly successful"
THE COMING CHAPLAIN.
Rev. William }. Bait, for nine years
chaplain of the Massachusetts reforma-
tory. delivered a strong and able adj
dress upon the coming chaplain. A few
of the gems of his remarks have been
culled in the following:
1.-The Old-time prison stands con-
demned. Not to punish, but reform
should be the purpose. Not vengeance,
but the making men better is what is
wanted. 10 lift up, to convert,
should be his aim. 1t is but little use
to restrain the wicked by punishment
unless you reform them by education" d"
"The warden has begun to have new
responsibility; he has become a new
man indeed. The man who oftentimes
was the prison warden in the old days
is not the one to be at the head of a
great institution such as Christian
prison ought 10 be. What was once a
graceless office is now seen to be such
an office as even the good Samaritan
might he asked to fill. The warden to-
day must have fine qualities as we'll as
strong qualities. He must be able to
inspire as we'll as to queil, to direct. 70
discriminate, to judge as we'll as to gov
ern with strong hand.
"What shall we say, then, of the COM
ing chaplain? We will say unhesitating-
ly his Office needs more useful man, a
stronger man, a better equipped man,
more thoroughly Drained man, a man
who can do larger work than ever be-
fore. The traditional chaplain has been
regarded priest, minister; he has
scarcely associated with his charge in
any intimate way. The day for the ira
ditional chaplain has gone by. The
chaplain of the future is to come into
the prison for a higher reason"
Here the speaker drew a portrait OF
the ideal physician, whose mission is moi
to prescribe drugs. but to keep watch
| and ward over the sanitation, the habits
| and methods of the inmates. in word
| to cooperate In the supervision of the
whole hygienic system of the institution,
becoming. so to speak. the right arm OF
the warden in the physical we'll being
of the men. The coming chaplain will,
or should, sustain just this relation tC
| the mental and moral man, making the
whole subject of the highest welfare OF
the prison matter of study, solicitude
and constant prayer. In this he in nc
way intrudes into the warden's place,
ne encroacheS not upon his Supre macy
but becomes his chief helper-"a priest
may live in prison, shrlve the dying,
write letters for the illiterate. enter.
tain the lonesome, but in the new his
place will be larger than this. One oil
the greatest tasks, as the speaker
/ fhnnnhf Inn hov t. T.: