The evening times., 1899-12-28

There is a certain amount of truth in
this but ii is difficult to see just what the
Judge wants TO have dcne about IL. The
probabilities are that he is mistaken about
the spring beds. although cot with woven
wire springs is a very cheap thing. espe-
ciaily when purchased In quantity, and
some prison officials may have chosen this
sort of couch as inexpensive and durable.
Ii is quite true, however that in most
prisons Thanksgiving and Christmas din
ners are marked by certain amount OF
modest luxury, and that. when the wardsrs
and other officials are honest and faithful,
the food in general is apt TO be abundant
and wholesome. Does the judge wish the
State to go back 10 the old tine conditions
of prison-life in which criminals were
herded together In Iarge rooms. with sma
regard for decency or comfort, given poor
and scanty food or placed In filthy cells in
tested with rats, spiGers. and other YER
min? What particular end Moild b. served
by such rctrogression. Would any cf the
prisoners be reformed thereby? Jrdg ng
from the way in which most habitual
crimir@ls live when at large. Is ii 10 be
supposed that such surroundings would
seem to them very frightful?
Most intelligent people will agree that
even a criminal should not be tortured un-
necessarily, OF subjected to degrading
conditions which make him worse than he
is. Enforced life in squalor, filth, and
hunger does not tend TO morality, in pris-
on or out of it, and there was more crime
in the old days when men were hanged for
stealing a loaf of bread than there is now
We are coming to see that prisons should
be reformatory rather than punitive in
stitutions so far as possible, and that 1t is
much better economy to take criminal
and make him an honest man than to shut
weak-willed. vaciIlating boy up with
a lot of hardened offenders who will teach
him TO be criminal. In many prisons
some effort is made TO encourage good
habits and inspire ambition among the
prisoners, and there are few charitable
societies which endeavor TO secure en-
ployment for the man who has been dis
charged from prison.
But it is nevertheless true, as the Penn
sylvania judge claims, that there are thou
sands of poor men who work hard all their
lives and do not fare as well as the man in
The state prison. IL is true that while
the criminal is not allowed 10 go hungry,
The honest man who cannot get worn
sometimes starves. 1t is true that some
unspeakabIe rascals have good Thanks
giving or Christmas dinner in Jail, while
their wives and families. beggared and
perhaps homeless through 10 fault of their
own. cannot get enough TO eat. This state
of things will have to be remeded some
how before We can have perfect civilza
iion. The trouble is not that the Grim
inal is treated too we'll. but that the. hon.
est man is not treated well enough. Some
plan will have to be devised sooner or
later by which every honest and indus
trious man can get employment when he
needs il. at wages which will enable him
to live decently. There will have TO be
Legislation against business methods which
favor crime. There must be laws com
pelling landlords TO house their tenants at
least as well as the yagrants in the munic-
ipal lodging houses and the burglars ana
emhezzlers in the state prisons are
housed. This viii not result in more crime,
but in less. The young fellow out of
work. tramDing the streets, hungry and
homeless will no longer be haunted by
the thought that he has only to smash
window or commit triGing offence against
the law TO secure at least the food and
lodging which he needs. \ state OF things
which inspires such thoughts simply
inake5 criminals