Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-04-13

EELING REGISTER
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foundation for the future prosperity
and civilization of the race.
| blame no one; I call in question the
motives of no person; l admit that the
world has acted as 1t must. But hope
for the future depends upon the intel
ligence of the present.
HOW CAN WE LESSEN CRIME?
In spite of all that has been done for
the reformation of the world, in spite
Of all the inventions, in spite Of all
the forces Of nature mat are now the
tireiess slaves of man. in spite OF all
Improvements in agriculture, in me-
chanics. in every department OF human
labor. the world is still cursed with
poverty and with crime.
The prisons are full, the cOurs are
crowded, the officers Of the law are
busy, and there seems to be no material
decrease in crime.
For many thousands of years man
has endeavOred to reform his fellow
men by Imprisonment. torture, multi
alton and death. and We, me history OF
the world shows that there has been
and is no reforming power in punish
ment. 1t is impossible to make the pen
ally
GREAT ENOUGH. HORRIBLE
ENOUGH
10 lessen crime.
nv1r
countries larceny and many offenses
even below larceny were punished by
death. and yet the number Of thieves
and criminals of all grades increased.
Traitors were hanged or quartered or
drawn into fragments. and yet treason
fOurished
Most Of these frightful laws have
been repealed and the repeal certainly
did not increase crime. In our own
country we rely upon the gallOws. the
penitentiary and the Jail. When muir
derer is committed the man is hanged,
shocked to death by electricity or
lynched. and in a few minutes another
murderer is ready to suffer a like fate.
Men steal. They are sent to the peni-
Tertiary for certain number of years,
treated like Wild beasts frequently tor
tured AT the end of the term they are
discharged having only enough money
TO return to the place from which they
were sent They are thrown upon the
world without without friends
they arc c0nvicts They are stunned,
suspected and despised If they obtain
a place. they are discharged as soon
as it is found that they were in prison.
They do the best they can to retain the
respect of their fellow men by denying
their Imprisonment and their identity.
In a little while. unable to gain living
by honest means,
THEY RESORT TO CRIME.
they again appear in court, and again
are taken within dungeon walls No
reformation. no chance to reform,
nothing to give them bread while max
ing new friends.
All this is infamous. Men should not
be sent to- the penitentiary as a punish
ment. because we must remember that
men do ga they must Nature does not
frequently produce the perfect. In the
human race there is a large percentage
of failures. Under certain conditions,
with certain appetites and passions and
with certain quality quantity and shape
of brain, men win become thieves. forg-
ers and counterfeiters. The question is
whether reformation is possible. wheth-
err a change can be produced in the per
son by producing a change in the con
ditions The criminal is dangerous,
and society has the right to protect it.
self. The criminal should be confined.
and IT possible should be reformed.
penitentlarv
SHOULD RE A SCHOOL:
the convicts should be educated. So
prisoners should work and they should
Be paid a reasonable sum for their la
Dor The best men should have charge
of prisons. They should be philanthro-
pists and philosophers: they should
know something of human nature The
prisoner having been taught we will
say for five years taught the underly-
ing principles of conduct. Of the natur-
aness and harmony of virtue. of the
disc0rd of crime; having been COnvinc-
ed that society has no hatred, that no.
body wishes to punish. to degrade or 70
rob him. and being at the time of mis-
discharge paid a reasonable price for
his labor; being allowed by law to
change his name 90 that identity will
not be preserved. he could so out Of the
prison a friend of the government. He
would have the feeling that he had
been made a better man; that he had
been treated with justice. with mercy,
and the money he carried with him
would be a breastwork behind which
ne could defy temptation. a breastwork
that would support and take care OF
him until ne could find some means by
which to support himself And this
man. instead Of making crime a bust
ness. would become a good honorable
and useful citizen.
HOMES FOR ALL.
The home is the unit of the nation.
The more homes the broader the
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