The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1898-11-24
Prison Reform and Good Roads.

Prison Reform and Good Roads.
Just now seems to be very gOou
time for the agitation of the above sub
iects There is a committee inVesti-
eating what can be done towards the
former, and nature has been providing
us with an example of what is not a
good road.
The people, farmers especially, when
the roads get heavy and teaming tedl-
Gus and costly, or woroe-impassable-
get to complaining and saying, we
must have better roads, we can't stand
this any longer" And they begin to
think along The line of crawling or
putting on crushed stone, and they
think along until they come to the cost
which at once disheartens them, and
they feel they must put il off little
longer After while the roads begin
to get a little more passable. The
smile comes out, the good road ques-
ton is out OF date.
But the more we think of the amount
of travel there is tOday-more than
there used to be and of a nature that
cannot be put off or avoided; and the
benefits to be derived from being able to
move our produce, or even ourselves at
any time with degree of comfort and
>speed-the more we must realize that
some actual work must be undertaken
soon towards providing good roads
through our country.
One of the prison inquiry committee
has said that the men come out of our
prisons worse morally and physically
than when they went in. Most mora
and church people unite in saying that
the prison should be refOrmatory in
character, that the object of the SEN
tence should not be vengeance, but to
teach them better. How to accomplish
this is an old question. There are IN
derlying principles which should be
thoroughly studied. You catch man
amuck, grab him by the throat and
make him promise to do better. But
you cannot keep him by the throat un
til you are satisfied that he is better.
Neither can you let go and treat him as
if he was better, but you must let go
and keep your eye on him. That is,
give him period of probation, a
chance.
Now, we all know that a term spent
in the states prison carries with it a
brand, which if known, begets pref
udice, strong and similar to the " color
line." For proof of this I refer to the
work that Mrs. Ballington Booth has
found necessary and is doing to get
discharged prisoners started in the
right ways again. l also refer you to
your own private knowledge ofyourself.
What then can be done to remove
this greatest of bars to prison reform
or. making the sentence reformatory
instead of all penal penance? If all
were alike endowed with such mental
never run the risk of doing the unlaw-
full, then penance would be the only
thing necessary. But short look into
human nature reveals many strange
facts, and very many of the cases, if
studied, would undoubtedly reveal a
weakness that needs kindness and help
rather than punishment.
But how is this to be accomplished?
1t cannot be left to individuals, though
in many cases they have accomplished
what the government could not.
The proper function of the govern
ment is father to the people. Gov
eminent started with the father, went
to grandfather Patriarch, king, etc.
The Kaiser and Gar call their subjects
children. Should our government be
different because the people are the SOW
ereigns and act by proxy? How does
the father treat the hayward or erring
son? AS soon as he is sorry he is for
given and the wrong forgotten.
Gould we not pass law similar to
that of North Cardinals allowing GER
tain classes of prisoners to work on the
roads under foreman, but without
guards. Providing for good behavior
and faithful service reduction in time
similar to what's given now, bnt per-
haps larger, with perhaps parole for
those who have done exceptionally we'll.
Providing heavy penalty for escape, etc.
And this service by common consent
not to be looked upon as brand, but
as a period of probation from which
they can, by good conduct, emerge as
free from faint as they we're before.