The record-union., 1897-02-14
DRIVING coNvIcTs TO INSANITY

is in error?
DRIVING CONvICTS TO INSANITY.
| New York is confronted with a grave
problem. Having prohibited the use Of
convicts in labor of any kind. the nearly
5000 prisoners are going insane. Idle
ness is doing it's deadly work and con-
verting thousands of men into maniacs
If this is reformation the term has re-
ceived a new and startling definition.
/ If the ideas of certain ''reformers"
| are carried out in this State we will
have precisely the same condition in
California that threatens New York
There the convicts have sentinpetftions
piteously pleading in the name of the
| Almighty to be employed at something.
A suggestion has been made in that
State that the men be put on an ath-
letic track and given so many miles of
exercise daily: but there is large per
| centage of the men who cannot be thus
exercised by reason of age. infirmity
and general incapacity TO take vigor-
Gus exercise. Moreover, it has been
demonstrated that enforced exercise at
stated periods affords no solution of
the difficulty for the very excellent
reason that it does not employ the
mind
| England for many years employed
| the treadmin for occupation, but its
ceaseless round simply manufactured
maniacs. For it is a proposition that
cannot be disputed with reason that
| employment of those in confinement
must be productive; the prisoner must
| feel that there lis some result, tangible
and practical, of what he does When
that realization is upon him he works
with his mind as we'll as his body, and
both are kept in healthful condition
| Some may remember the story of the
poor fellow who begged to be given op-
portunity to do something to earn a
dollar for his food and lodging. man.
believing himself to be benevolent and
philosophical, answered the appeal. It
will give you weeks work az 81 50 a
| day and a place to lodge if you are
worthy of it," Delighted with such
prospect the applicant acceded. He
was set to work carrying blocks of
| wood from one side of a ward to the
other where he had TO stack them neat
ly. The job was finished in an hour.
and he asked what next Garry them
back" was the reply. When that was
done, the order was carry them to the
other side again. The man continued
this process work for two days. when
Its monotone and uselessness so
pressed upon his mind that he went to
his employer and begged to be re-
lieVed of the contract. He would for
felt his weeks wage and starve rather
than endure the agony of the profftless
labor he was given to do.
The anecdote illustrates the whole
subject. If the object of punishment
is reformation, the protection of soci-
ETY. and the prevention of crime. the
worst possible use to which we can put
the subjects of such ends is impris-
oned idleness.
Our convicts should be diligently en-
ployed and at labor productive and
mind engaging. There is no good rea-
son why they should eat taxpayers
bread in idleness. They can be given
plenty of labor in prison, whereby they
can clothe themselves and supply other
State institutions with many necessary
articles. OF course this will be said to
be system that interferes with free
labor. Bur close study of the PROPOSE
tion Will disclose the fallacy of that
objection.
A true interest of labor is to lessen
taxation that there may be more
money to use in promotion of indus
tries Every free man who works sup
ports in whole or part some man held
in enforced idleness. Free labor must
be conserved, as a matter Of course. in
all possible ways, but it should not be
a companion order that convicts shall
eat bread in idleness and live housed
and clothed comfortably at the cost of
the men VINO sweat at the brow to
meet the expense of maintaining pris-
ons
The Marysville Appeal favors en-
ployment of convicts in the building of
public highways. : To that we object
because it is uneconomic. To do that we
viii have to establish travelling bar
racks and bodies of guards at enor-
nous expense, added to which Will be
costs Of transportation, while current
| cost Of prison maintenance will go on
just as III does now.
Moreover, such employment will be
direct and unnecessary interference in
the field of free labor. What we need
is vigorous employment within prison
grounds for all stalwart and physically
capable prisoners. For the weaker
provide employment TO which they are
capable Of responding. All such en-
ployment must be of an order that will
be seen by the prisoner to be productive
or beneficial results. The exercise
track and the trea6mHl Will not ac-
complish the desired end They will
not save the convict from becoming
charge upon the State as an insane be-
ing. 1t is bad enough that we clap
the tyro in crime and the hardened of
fender into the same prison, thus Civ
ing the latter ample opportunity TO cor
rupt the former; but If, in addition to