The Topeka state journal., 1899-06-14
Novel Plan Regarding the Phil
ippines Advanced.
Idea of an Ann ArbOr ATTORNEY
Is Given.
GOD BANISHED ADAM
From the Garden of Eden When
He Sinned.
Banishment of a Criminal a
Solution of the Problem.

Ann Arbor, Mich, June IA. F.
Sawyer, one of the most brilliant law
yers of Michigan and having forty
years of experience in confronting
criminals, both in their defense and
prosecution, today made an address at
the Congregational church-to which
most of the university professors be-
long-upon the subject, What is the
proper treatment of criminals after
they have served their sentences?" He
advanced the novel theory that banish-
ment was the only solution, and argued
for the utilization Of the Philippine Is
lands for a penal colony He took the
stand that the reformation of a criminal
under our system is impossible, and
made most of the argument of heredi-
tary traits of criminals He said:
In my Judgment the precedent SET
for US by God himself in banlsn1nS
Adam after he had committed the crime
in the Garden of Eden should be fol-
lowed, and all the criminals who are
found among US should be sent Where
they can get all the barbarism they
tions of sensual eXistences are easy
enough for the most indolent, let US
send them. To the Philippines they
would be an inValua BILE help. They
would become industrial missionaries,
better than Christian missionaries, be
cause of being more nearly IKE the
rOgueS among WhOm theV WOuiu pe
sent They would better understand
each other than either of them now
understand the missionaries.
u would like to see the treatment
which we apply to missionaries and
criminals exactly reversed by sending
the criminals to the heather and plac-
ing the missionaries under that great
forcing process, the penitentlary or
course with such changes in the institu-
ton as would adapt it to its new in
mates, but adhering to the principle
that righteousness, like crime, is best
cultivated by gathering large quantities
of it together in one spot. We would
intensity piety at home as we now in
tensify crime. Our home Righteousness
would be irresistible.
"One reason why the heather can not
get along better with our missionaries
is that the ethics of the missionary, un-
less he is sent to them baked, are too
high for them. They can not trust a
man who does not mean to cheat them,
who looks upon the restraints of civiliz-
alton as too few instead of too
many, upon the methods of industry as
being too sordid instead of too honest,
who take no delight in stealing, does
not know what it is to lie, has only
one wife and never whips her They
believe he must keep on hand some
concealed stock of deeper villainy than
they have discovered, and they will not
ethicalIy or aesthetical1y mix with him.
''They are like the American Indians
in the presence of puritan and Saxon.
fellowship. But in Mexico, where the
treacherous Spaniards; in Canada, where
the easy going, Hcentious French: in
Bra ziI. where the marauding Portuguese
taught a lower standard of morals, races
blended and made neighbors. The saw
ages We're civilized. So if we send our
criminals to the Philippines, the full
blood and half-blood Filipinos would
meet them on the shore with the salu-
tatiOn, Welcome, we love you for the
enemies you have made. You hate the
restraints of civilization; so do we. You
want more liberties; help yourself.
There is no politics here: you want a
little license, take twenty. 1t is the
custom of the country. What do we
ask in return? Only that if you have
any new tricks show them up
Thus they would mix perfectly and
the Philippines sunny strand would be
Christianized. AS fire drives out fire,
so crime would destroy crime. and un-
der the doctrine of the survival of the
fitteSt' a better race of men would
spring up to bless instead of to curse
mankind