Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-05-12
Driving Convicts Crazy.


Even convicts have some rights that
governments are bound to respect. The
Constitution of the United States forbids
cruel and unusual punishment. The man
who. having forfeited his right to live,
has received the death sentence, still has
a right TO be killed without torture. The
man who has forfeited his liberty and
been sentenced to Imprisonment, has a
right to such treatment as will not neces-
sariy and inevitably wreck his physical
health or transform him into maniac.
Civilized States long since abandoned the
theory that their only duty toward crimi-
nails was to punish them. They had
learned. and the lesson is still spread
ing and deepening, that CHRISTIAN mo-
rality and sound public policy demand
efforts and opportunity 10 reform evil
doors New York was one of the first
States TO make a practical application
of the new theory, and that State has led
i'm the work of reforming juvenile offen-
ders and other criminals susceptible OF
rescue.
IL seems strange that, with such
record. New York should now be gaining
notoriety by the baneful operation OF "a
system that dethrones the reason of con-
victs and cousigns them to madhouse'
But that is precisely what is happening.
Here is a clipping from the Commercial
Advertiser OF recent date:
Just what was expected from the en-
forced idleness of convicts in this State Is
happening. Four prisoners have become
insane In one week in the Kings County
penitentiary. and many others, it is re-
ported are bordering on madness. This
is but the natural result of "A violation OF
natural law. Man Is an active being. he
cannot be shut up and deprived OF ade-
ouate physical occupation without doom
ing him TO death or dementia Thanks
to the efforts of intelligent philanthro-
pists, penology has been made a science,
and one about which there is not much
complexity or abstruseness. Its basis Is
common sense The confinement OF hui
man beings in idleness is known by ac-
tual observation to be more cruel punish
ment than scourging, or branding, or
ear-dropping. Yet here In New York
State a deplorable condition Is found IN
the public prisons. 1t ought TO cause
every elector who Is cognizant of 1t to
blush for the government or wnicn ne Is
an integral part"
The New York Evening sun. referring
TO the Kings county case. says
This Is said TO be result of the labor
law. so-called, because II prevents
the authorities from keeping the men
employed The unhappy victims in the
present case varied in age from % to 80
years, and their terms varied from one
to ten years. Now, II a man who has
only twelve months to put In Is turned
into maniac by sheer want OF occu-
patton, what must the effect be In the
case OF life prisoner? Ii is case OF
dying a little every day, OF staring into
the eyes of death. Torture is not one
of the methods OF modern civilization"
Ii Is the settled policy of the State OF
New York that it's convicts shah not be
employed in labor that completes with
the work OF honest. iaw-abiding citizens.
This policy was put into the States new
Constitution. The general sentiment OF
the people In that and many other States
Is In favor OF II. But no State has
right 10 torture It's criminals with per-
petual idleness. and no civilized COM
munity can contemplate such specta-
Gle without horror and detestasson- The
problem to be solved Is the employment
OF conyicts In work that will not injure
honest. free labor. 1t Is not insoIuble,
and the New York Legislature should
see to its solution without delay.