The herald., 1897-10-30
TALKS CRIME
Prof. MCClatChie at Friday
Morning Club
THE MORALLY DERANGED
SHOULD BE TREATED AS WELL
AS PUNISHED
Have District Jails Governed by a
Non-Partisan Central Authori-
ty-Elmira Reformatory

Defective" and opened his address by
reminding the ladies of their influence
and substantial power with husbands,
brothers and sons, and that even though
they did not vote there was need for
them to be familiar with all vital civic
and sociological or human questions.
The speaker then proceeded by telling
of the threefold nature in everybody; the
mental and moral as well as physical
nature, all of which are interdependent
upon one another; the physical nature
seen and is studied more carefully; but
the mental, which is within, and the NOR
al, also within, are just as important,
and there are laws governing each that
are equally binding for each, and when
they are violated cause arrangement
for which each of us is responsible. We
may be born with physical, mental or
| moral ills; we may acquire any one or
all of them; or they may be thrust upon
us by heredity, but we are nevertheless
responsible first for our own and then
for those of our children.
| Then Professor McClatchie spoke of
the criminals who were such by birth;
| by ignorance of how to gain livelihood,
or to keep what they earn; by evil en-
vironment and association; by bad books
! and newspapers; criminals who are en-
couraged to be such by being lionized
| and heroized; by the present jury sys-
tenn; the quibblng of attorneys over
technicalities and other similar miscar-
riage of Justice; who are given an ex-
alted sense of their own Importance by
the eulogistic appeals and addresses of
| their counsel.
He then classified criminals as those
| who commit crime when in passion, and
experience remorse afterward; others
| who commit minor offenses because they
yield to temptation, yet are without re-
morse; others again who are truly i'm
moral in that they do criminal acts with
out temptation and without remorse;
and those who are mentally superior yet
commit crimes deliberately, are free
from passion and take it up as busi-
ness, a profession, fine art; who are
students of men and the ways of the
world, and often have fastidious tastes.
The speaker read extracts from news
papers in illustration of his points, and
then offered the opinion that each Of
these classe of criminals needed entirely
different treatment. Crimes are classi-
fed, but not criminals. The penal code
makes no effort to describe criminals,
nor prescribe the manner of their treat
ment. AllusiOn was next made to the
city and county jails, which are notori
Gus schools for crime in that the har-
dened criminal and the juvenile offend
erS are thrown in idleness together, and
the states prisons, which keep the in
mates busy, but make no effort towards
reform or to change the nature of the in
dividual.
The speaker then compared case of
moral arrangement with a suppositi-
tious case of smallpox. First there would
be a fight among the physicians as to
whether or not the patient had the small
poX; then light sentence or short course
in the hospital would be ordered because
he had never had the smallpox before,
and at the end of the time he would be
set free, whether cured or not That is
just what is being done every day with
the morally deranged.
Statistics show that rs per cent of the
freed criminals continue to lead life
of crime and they grow continuously
more cunning, more wary, more dan
gerous to society. In dealing with GRIM
inals or morally deranged, the state
should think solely of society as whole,
and administer treatment as well as
punishment. The latter has no deterrng
force, whereas the present system in
duces vindictiveness and revenge; they
think only of the act, not of the cause;
there is more humanity shown GRIMM
ais now, but no more reason; their phys
ical wants are looked after, but they
need to have their impulses changed.
Then Professor McClatchie gave a
most interesting account Of the reform
atory at Elmira, N. Y, which he cited
as a valuable object lesson. Criminals
are admitted there between the ages of
16 and 80; they are sent there for an
indefinite period, of course not to ex-
ceed the maximum time for sentence of
their individual crime, and on condition
| that they have not been in states
prison previously.
| They are first thrown into a cell, then
bathed, put in middle grade uniform,
and given a few days for reflection.
They are then taken before Superin-
tendent Brockway, who is keen OBJ
server and student of men; their ply
steal and mental condition is examined,
and their environment work and man.
ner of life. Each man is then assigned
| to a class of work, and is told that he
may work himself free within one year
if he can show clean record and stand
perfect for the first six months in the
middle grade, and the second six months
in the first grade.
| If they violate the rules they are de-
graded to a lower class, and have to
work up all over again. Each man is
set to learning trade, or at some kind
of work. There are classes in manual
training for all kinds of trades, free
hand drawing, gymnasiums, and va
riously equipped departments.
AS each inmate nears his time for
freedom his case is passed upon by
board. place of employment is found
for him, and he is let out-but provision
ally. Every month he must send in
report, endorsed by reputable citizens
in the place where he is working, for six
consecutive months, and statistics show
that IS per cent of the graduates from
the Elmira reformatory continue to live
good and reputable lives; or, instead of
the rs per cent who, under our system,
continue to be criminals. those by the