New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-09-22

- .. 10, cr,me DR. wines refers 10
,h..e things sober.y. without betrayins any '"o"s"
NJ humor Yet such displays on the par '"
nretends to be a science would be funhy !" !" W..
not for the danger that Is hidden "'"'' 49,
O,,v n. common sense OF ordinary people ~''
save criminal anthropology from oeco' - ,,h...
crime Its literature is already CROWDED VIII" ""e''
OF the dead .,ov.a
=, =. nv a course which common sense approve"
that the real workers IN prison reform na'e "are
any prosress toward their goa.. which is co"'e'e.s
the lessening and. II possible the totai e"',''o
~ crime Common OWNED that no'h"s "a'
Gained by treating the criminal as II ne were oy
-. d,ra-er, from other persons How to man.
40. hin, WAS not a matter OF theory. but ma''e.
~ exoeriment The bes, methods could De atta'"eu
by trying every plan that had any prooao,
ts favor But they could never De at'a"e' =,
startling from theories which denied the poss'o'"''
10 reform II an apostle OF science sets up M
principle the paradox that The crimina' aione
normal not the honest man." as one excited oe-
h.ter d,d at the Congress OF Criminal Anthropoiosy
IN Rome he simply excludes himself from the nst
Of those whose advice IS worth anything HIS no.
ton Of what is normal volatesshe ordinary use Oh
language.
The same must be said Of the man Who denying
that the criminal is master OF his own ac'S pu'"
his faith in an epigram 1.-THE greater fhe CRIME inc
less the responsibility OF the preparation sys-
tenn Of law logically evolved from such a PROPOSE
ton as this would depopua,e Utopia. let alone
country Of only average morality. Yet such e''
tenn has been proposed-a programme OF an I'M.
proved criminal Jurisprudence In wn'ch ID 'ou
no pace for repentance and amendment on 'he
mart OF the culprit" The elimination Of the cr'mi-
nal Is left as the sole function OF the criminal law.
That Is to say, all that John Howard did. ana AL
that has been done since his time, though appro'eu
by common sense must be deemed useless. 10 I'LL
this DR. Wines opposes the familiar definition OF q
ma ture science as a scheme OF knowledge the per-
lection of which rs shown by tho capacity OF
those who have mastered 1t to read the future, as
astronomers for instance. are able TO foreteh the
precise moment OF an eclipse. while meteoroosists
can rarely foreteI the weather twenty-four hours
in advance" He adds that. Judged BY this stand
ard. criminal anthropology Is still In the STATE OF
adolescence II not OF infancy"
As against all general speculation and theory
building DR.. Wines maintains the views OF practi-
cal men that change in the penal system should only
be attempted where Its necessity has been shown
The highest need of all is the cultivation OF a
healthy and intelligent public opinion. But there
ganzation In which all honest living.
In which the young may be secure from temptation
In which hope shall not be taken away from those
who have offended Above ALL less use should be
made Of the prison The abolition Of the prison is
the dream Of the prison reformer." Not that ne
would have the prison go long the need for Il
remains. But In what has already been accom-
plished among criminals h. sees the promise OF
some far-or divine event Even practical men have
their Utopian visions