The Saint Paul globe., 1899-02-19

prisons of Austria the conVicts in sep
aration are taught such trades as shoe
making, tailoring, weaving button
making and woodcarving; the women
are employed In embroidering, spin
ming. quill pen making and knitting.
In association the principal employ
ments are carpentering coopering.
smiths work and brick making. while
number of the more trustworthy
prisoners are employed in road-making
and railway construction. Apportion
the employment of the men at Still
water amongst the various crafts here
enumerated, and the product of each
trade would scarcely be felt when
thrown upon the market, while the
conVicts upon leaving the penitentiary
would have dozen opportunities for
employment where they have but one
today.
instead Of prisons let US have man
ual training schools. Instead of jailers
let us have teachers. Instead of hand
cuffs and harsh commands let us give
opportunities and encouraging words
we must recognize that in inflicting
penalties we should seek reformation
which is totally lost sight of in the
effort TO make our penitentiaries profit
able perquisites. lesson NAV he
learned from the Belgian plan, where
the separate system is the invariable
rule 1t is claimed for this system. which
aims primarily at the reformation of
individuals, that no evil conseouences
nave as yet been seen to follow from
the treatment, while, on the other hand
The Belgian authorities insist that the
dread of the punishment has had a
marked eHect upon crime and has
caused great diminution in the nurn-
Der OF second sentences For INV own
part, am averse to the present sys-
tenn IN toto The natural recourse for
the convict OF today upon finishing a.
sentence Is to repair to the nearest
town, in the hope of securing employ
ment, with the chances a hundred to
one AGAINST ms securing any AS a
consequence, he again drifts to crime
as q means of subsistence
10 me the most natural, rational and
feasible solution of the question would
De Tor the state to take up some of its
most available agricultural lands. re-
mote as possible from the centers of
population and teach the convicts nrac-
tical farming. Model roads con1d he
pu1it from the state convict farm to
tne nearest railway and Shipping
headquarters established for the nrod9
ucts of the farm. AS the terms Of the
ccnVlcts expired, positions could he So
cured among the farmers of the state
nunoreds OF whom are interested in re-
claiming these unfortunate victims of
L *
ent binding twine plant could be CON
tinued at saltwater and operated bv
life convicts and those of a murderous
tendency who could not be trusted to
the discipline Of the farm F3nough
otners could be employed In the manu-
lac5ure OF clothing, tools, implements
and machinery for use upon the con
vict farm and other state institutions
as to almost eradicate the element of
competition with free labor which an
pears to constitute the principal oh
lection to the present system.
nile this is a somewhat radical de-
parture from existing ideas 1t is the
tssul. res OF careful investigation into
tne cause and cure of criminals 10
which subject I have given much
thought and attention during the mast
ten years L trust that at soma NOT
very distant date I may be granted
the privilege Of addressing this bodv
upon tne evils Of our present competi-
1--WE system and thereby awaken on
interest among your members IN ~
work OF the trades unions that anpear
10 De the last obstacle in the wav of
apsoiule domination by the trusts and
combines that are gradually but surely
apsorblng the life's blood of our ne.
eion. fou mold the key to the one
bitterly competitive condition of tne
times that is ignored by the statesmen
the fnanciers. the artists. the maioritv
OF the. clergy. scholars and scientisss
ana yet which the believers considar
the only possibility Of redemption From,
the sins Of a grossly material aua
That is the element of spiritual re-
search and beliefs outside of orthodox
lines, that Is quietly taking possess;o1,
OF the hearts and minds of vast NM nnnnA
per OF the people. When people once
thoroughly believes that it's destinies
makes for good. and sets itself To dis.
cover and place Itself in harmony with
the laws OF that power. it has ,,nitea
Itself with force whose upward