Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-01-16
CIVIC lNHUMANITY.
RAppr cALrscu breaches A SER
MON on THIS SUBJECT.
SOclETYS DUTY TO THE ERRING.
proper Efforts Shouid he Made TO
Effect Their Rcform-renitenh"
Convicts shouid he Wen Employed
While In Prison

Ahaba Synagogue last night on the SUD
tect OF "Civic humanity" taking MS
text from Genesis tx, g. He said that TIE
teachings of Judaism emphasized above
many other things. the obligations OF
our common humanity. When the an
Gent Jewish state was formed Vt was
theocracy, II is true, but every man sioou
as a responsible integer OF the "hoie'
The Hesitation of Moses was supreme
in Its day. and in many respects unap-
preached in our day. Not In the special
and individual enactments. Many OF
these are untenable in our changed condl-
lions. But tho principles substantial "
them were broader, more humane than q
great many OF which our nineteenth CEN
tury civilization boasts. He then saio
he wished to dwell upon the thought Oh
the relation Of the State to those VINO.
for one reason or another, were unuer It's
direct care. His attention had been at
tracted by an item in New YORK paper,
which stated that one Of the conVicts hau
committed suicide In the prison at SAhs
Sing because he could not stand the en-
forced idleness which the Legislature mad
thrust upon them. He also touched uiSn
an incident which came under has notice
in the Virginia pcnitentiary.
LAWS OF THE STATE.
The State. by the consent of the gov
erned. enacts certain laws, whose viola
ton is considered a danger TO the state
GENERALLY, and TO the citizens individually
Certain OF these laws ave based upon the
grounds of general morality, certain ones
upon the peculiar conditions Of a locality
For almost all violations, except those re-
sulting in particularly atrOcious murder
or violent outrage. the punishment was
Imprisonment The terms Of confinement
in county or city Jails were too short 10
be spoken Of. lie referred especially TO
penitentiaries, where the terms last from
a year TO lifetime. The question 10 be
considered IS. Are these institutions 10
be regarded Us punitive only? When an
eyiidoer is incarceTated for certain
length OF time, is he TO be held there
merely as a wild animal in a cage, solely
that he might do no harm While he Is so
held? Or is it not-rather, should 1t not
be-the purpose of this incarceration, not
only TO prevent the exercise Of the
vicious tendency, but 50 TO treat him
that that vicious tendency be lessened,
IL not altogether sabdued. that when
freedom is restored there is given back
10 the world a man whose disposition
toward wrong has not merely been held
in suspense for awhile, but one who has
been, so far as possible, improved by his
confinement, so as TO be ADLER to bear the
burdens Of life and 10 do battle with
its difficulties?
PREVENTION BETTER THAN CURE
Society has an interest, must have an
interest, in every one Of its members,
even when they are removed from its
midst TO go behind prison-bars, for the
simple reason that these latter will
emerge, in the course of time, from
their segregation. and become again ac-
tive components OF II. 1t is TO the in
terest of society that every one of its
members be physically and morally
healthy, as 1t is best for the body that
every one Of its organs and limbs be
sound. Human experience has proven
that prevention is infinitely better than
cure. In the sociological world is this
especially so. 1t is wiser for city to
be clean and guard against disease than
TO stay the rayages Of an epidemic
after it has come, because of the lack
of sanitary precautions. In penOlogy
this truth has come at last TO be recog-
nized as being applicable not only to
those who have never committed crime,
but as well 10 those who have
done so, that they may do so no more.
Therefore, il has been a wise provision
in the penal institutions Of several
States that their inmates have been en-
ployed in various useful ways, taught
trades and handicrafts, so that when
they 60 out in the world again they are
better prepared 10 face the problem of
daily toll and existence But in reply
10 the demands of various labor or
CARNATIONS and unions. which asked that
convict labor be stopped III every
direction wherein ii came into competi-
ton with free labor idleness had been
practically forced upon the vast ma
jority Of cOnvicts in the penitentiaries
Of those States which acceded TO the
demand. The results are evil. The
item referred to, telling of the suicide
OF one. tells its own tale. Wardens of
such prisons where idleness has been
enforced tell of the frightful increase
Of insanity among the inmates, and that
the convcts are more morOse more
stubborn, more refractory, and more diff
hcult TO handle than when they are per-
mitted TO work.
CONVICTS SHOULD NOT BE IDLE.
Ii is not right. A man does not lose
his claim upon humanity because he
has done wrong. Who Is scathless
from IL? 1t is barbarizing to take away
this redeeming and disciplinary measure
and place the bane of idleness upon con-
victs Ii is debasing the human being
10 the level of a Gagged beast. whose
bodily wants, and nothing more are sup
Piled Idleness is the greatest provoca-
tive Of crime. Man is demoralized with
put labor. The speaker said he was not
disposed so much TO blame the working
men as the legislators. The former were
acting under the impulse of self-preser-
alton. and were not sufficient students
OF social economics 20 see that their ac-
ton In this direction was short-sighted.
and had Interior. evil results. The lat
Id ha 4. dc hV.H III
Ignorance or policy. DR.. Calisch said
he was glad that such conditions did
not obtain here in Virginia, and hoped
they would not. But there was one
thing he wished to mention. A child had
been born TO one of the female convicts
In the penitentiary Thanksgiving-Day 1t
was wrong that this should be permitted
TO occur The State had no right 20 put
this fearful handicap upon human being
entering upon the race of life. ii was
sent forth into the world with the brand
OF Cain upon it's brow. How easy would
be for IL the descent into the Avernus
of evil life! How difficult the path "a
honor and rectitudel The child Is In
nocent of wrong. and ii Is inhuman to
permit IL 10 draw its first breath in
prison walls, TO see. the light OF day
first through the grated window Of a
cell. Some provision ought 70 be made
against the recurrence or such thing
The mother should be permitted to &c
TO some place outside the prison during
that period. We owe this TO the unborn
child We owe It 10 humanity. not "a
degrade Il In its innocence. We cannot
shirk the responsibility for we are each
our brothers keeper, and from our hand
VII God demand our brothers life
Crime is a moral sickness, and our penal
institutions must be regarded as moral