St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-06-17

known. is rising, and has been ris-
ing during the whole OF the present
crntnrv throughout the civilized world.
In France, in Germany. in Italy, III
Belgium, in Spain, in the United States.
the tide of criminality is becoming
higher steadily and rapidly. In France
it has risen several hundred per cent;
SO also for several kinds of serious
crimes in many parts of Germany. In
Spain the number of persons sent TO
perpetual Imprisonment nearly doubled
between 1870 and 1888. In the United
States the criminal population has in
creased since the war, relatively TO the
population. by one-third. here Is, no
doubt. room for falacy i'll many or these
statistics; various circumstances serve
to modify such figures IA greater orless
intolerance OF crime. more or less sue
cess in capturing criminals. and varla-
tons in the methods of dealing with
them. On the whole. however, there
seems TO be general agreement that
the Increase is real"
Under these circumstances is 1t not
about time for the average American TO
call halt upon his prejudiceS and face
the facts, for, like a fire bell at night,
they call for action?
CoNCLU SIONS OF TIE PRISON CONGRESS.
The conclusions of the prison congress
are never formulated into a creed, but
still. to those familiar with its discus
sionS. it is not difficult to form con-
sensuS of opinion.
First. then. and fundamentally. we
are all agreed that all action in regard
TO the criminal should not be the old
lex tailonis RECRUITMENT of all eye for an
eye and tooth for tooth. but the pro-
lection of society.
Second-Criminals in their character
istics are just as diverse as any other
class of people, and graded prisoners
are just as essential as graded schools II
reformatio is to be made the main OBJ
ject OF prison discipline. as it should be.
Therefore for felonS every state should
have separate room for those under
life sentence and for inc0rrigible, and
another as a refornatory for young
men convicted of thei~%-st Otfense.
In the large states lAsre should also
be separate prison for women.
Third-ln these prisons all sentences,
sxcept for life or in capital cases, should
be indetermiuate under a carefully
grounded administration, and a Grim.
inal should be sent to prlsen as an III
sane man is sent to hospital to be
cured. and not to be discharged until he
Is cured. and, even then, only upon
parole until fully tested.
Fourth-Ail miscellaneous, except for
short sentences, should be confined in
warehouses. and not in county jails,
and for recldiuistS (or repeaters, as they
are usually kn&wn) sentence ShoulG-be
cumulative, and. il found incorrigjble,
should be indefinite within maximum
limit, with privilege of parole for good
conduct.
F'ifth-County jails, almost univer-
sally, are so constructed as to compel
the association of all prisoners confined
within their walls-the young with the
old. the innocent with the guilty. the
hardened offender with the beginner
and the result is the communicating in
SuenceS morally are similar to pest
Aouse physically. The cure for these
conditions, and the only cure. is the alb
Solute separation of prisoners.
SiXth-Productiye labor as moral
&nd hygienic necessity, as well as in
Justice to taxpayers, should dominate
every prison, and as reformatory i'll
f1uence industrial training is indiS-
penSable.
Seventh-Prison officers should be as
thoroughly trained for their duties as
are army and navy officers. and their
terms Of Office should be as secure and
their compensation as liberal.
Eighth-ln all prisons moral and re-
ligious culture should be the leading
reformatory influences, and prison
school. with competent instructors,
should be an Indispensable requirement.
Ninth-Partisan politics must be abso-
lutely eliminated from prison manage
ment if high efficiency is to be expected
under any system of prison administra-
ton.
EDUCATIONAL INFLUENCES.
The most potential influence in the
prevention of crime is, doubtless, edu-
cation. Many of our wisest penelogists
believe that if society would deal with
its children. as it is possible to deal with
ahem. that the present swelling river of
criine could be reduced to a rivulet in a
single generation.
To do this, changes will have to be
made in our entire educational system,
and especially in our common school
system, and possibly with the latter it
must be revOlutioniZed.
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
In addition to all this | am more and
more impressed with the conviction
that half of the moral influence of our
public schools is lost by commencing
too late, and that the first great advance