The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-17
SUNDAY WITH REFORMS
PRISON CONGRESS DEvOTEs THE EN-
TIRE DAY TO GATHERINGS.
Public Meeting mt Plymouth Last
Night-Rev. DR.. Haines's sermon
AT the RefOrmatory.

were attended by the members OF the Ma
tional Prison Association. 1t had been an
nounced on the programme as popular
meeting, and proved to be exactly what it
was supposed to be. Short speeches shaped
to fine point were in order. Prison re-
forms and the humanitarian side of con-
trolling convicts were the subjects alto
gether touched on, and not once did
speaker see fit to bring up any ideas look
ing towards severer methods of handling
prisoners.
The opening remarks were made by Rev.
Frederic Z. Dewhurst, pastor of the church.
who, after a prayer by Archdeacon b. NJ.
Spur, of Moundsville, ". Va, addressed
the audience. saying in part
when the president asked me to speak
tonight / felt much embarrassed as to
what topic / should take in order to say
something. interesting to you. l asked the
executive committee what phase of the SUBJ
ject of prison life should talk on and they
told me that prison reform was to be in
order and that could talk on prison re-
form from the standpoint of preacher"
l disclaim both the ability and disposition
to present the subject in that manner
There is, however, one thing that appeals
to me and that is that in all such matters
~NitSSAtiilAs3 TIC puUliC anu lIQiNluudl BOOu
of man there seems bound to be spirit
Of professionalism creep in, which, while
a good thing inasmuch as all good is best
intensified through specialists is apt to de-
generate in time into the cold exchange of
opinions touching prison reforms, which
has become identified with the stock brok-
er's ticker. 1 remember the story of the
great Saxon lord, Earl Goodwin, whose es-
tate was swallowed up by the sea and is
now known as Goodwin sands, one of the
most dreaded spots by mariners in the
English channel. While near the scene of
the lost estate some time ago. L heard the
sailors talking about the Goodwin sands and
asked some of them what caused the seas
to swallow up the land. One of them told
me seriously that the church was really the
cause of 1t all, because a bishop of that
time took the stones which had been
brought TO be used on the sea wall and
built steeple with them and thereby when
the storms came he sacrificed a large area
of DEMONSTRATING country because of his
desire to build steeples. Each one in dis
cussing this great problem of reforming
criminals should do without bias, be-
cause otherwise we are stealing stones with
which to build steeples The universal prin-
| ciple laid down by Christ was that Sab
| bath was made for man and not man for
| the Sabbath have no ministerial views
to advance, but 1 am glad to have the OPP
| portunity to talk about thought in prison
| matters.
This congress is a gathering of special
lists, experts and students, and it's work is
one of the characteristic marks of the age.
| We could make little progress without spe-
cialists although there is possibility of the
| idea becoming hurtfui in that it develops
professionalism, which is apt to lose sight
Of the higher aims of humanity in the work.
ing out of problems of government of penal
| institutions. The one key which turns all
| locks in history is religion I mean this
| literally. 1t connects all events and all
characters Science, aims to coordinate
with truth Religion binds us over to in
corporate science in our lives, and the man
has hard case to defend who says the
present prison reforms not due to re-
ligion. Gods vengeance Is free from all
malice and when meeting together for the
method Of doing things. No single life
should be cast as rubbish on the world.
duty of us all to restore the criminal to
manhood, while at the same time protecting
society from his wickedness There is an
abundance of truth in the words, Man is
better than sheep.
MR.. DAVIS, OF TERRE HAUTE.
Following Rev. Dewhurst came Sidney P.
Davis, of Terre Haute, who said: cit has
been said that this gathering is one of pro-
fessionals. If that is so, then / represent
the legal department of prison work in In
diana. am more and more convinced, as
study this subject, that all work must begin
at the fountain head-among the children
Save the child and you will have no GRIM
inals. The unhappy truth is that in the
past vindictive justice has been the human
attribute in dealing with unfortunates who
have transgressed the laws. Even now it
breaks out occasionally. When the war cry
was started in this country recently, was
not Remember the Maine in itself full of
human vindictiveness? Indiana when in it's
pioneer days, became committed to reform
atory justice instead of vindictive justice,
but it was a long time before we got 1t.
Formerly reformation was neglected. and as
bad
Here Mr.. Davis reviewed the history of
the founding of the Indiana Reform School
for Girls and Women'S Prison, closing with
the passage of the indeterminte sentence Jaw
by the Legislature of 1897 of which he said:
1.-The ndeterminate sentence law was the
best measure ever pass ID by any Legislature.
Up to that time reforms in this State were
empty words. and petty offenders were sent
over to prison for short terms SO often that
punishment lost its effect and terrors. Grim
inals who could easily have been reclaimed
became hardened under the old law. In my
own county have known men to go over
to prison ten times. The penitentiary had
that very large proportion of crime arises
from the inability of man to make an hon.
est living for himself, either by reason of
lack of a knowledge of trade or the pos
session of habits which prevent him work
ing at the enc he has. 1t has been said
that the indetermnte sentence law is cruel,
but the Supreme Court in upholding the
validity of it said it was the safeguard of
the manhood of the convict, and assured
him of that great essential to every pris-
cner-hope. None of us can safely assert
as we do that could not be criminal.
Many live through life without legal sin,
but is it not largely the result of their sur
roundings?"
JOHNSON. OF FORT WAYNE
The next speaker was Alexander john
son, superintendent of the Institution for
the Predetermined at Fort Wayne. lie said:
he took the character of farmer as that
occupation was ore in which he was more
largely engaged than any other. Branch
ing out into the subject of prison reforms.
he said: Since last years meeting / have
spoken in many churches about prison
Sunday which is the last Sunday in Octo-
Der. with view to getting the people mere
interested in the lot of men confined in our
penal institutions, and having AT least one
day when convcts can be brought into con-
tact with new men and new things from the
outside world. | have also thought over
the wonderful things done by our T.egis-
lature in 1897, and arrived at The conclu-
sion that my occupation as n speaker on
prison Sunday was gone. Think of 1t, the
intermediate prison, indeterminatc sentence
asked for. has been given us. lSut there Is
still much TO do Indiana has this RI do