Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1899-01-18

ishment, as it is at present melted out, is
condition that will be allowed to con-
tinue indefinitely. The idea of furnishing
for wrong doing is probably right, as it
permeates all law and all hearts ancient
and modern; but the facts in connection
with punishment are too often wrong.
| At present in most cases the lad or the
man or the woman who has been in jail
comes forth at the end of the term of i'm
prisonment only to find that punishment
has not ended with the prison cell. The
criminal in the first place is almost
always destitute at discharge; next he
/ finds that the prison stigma like the
brand of Gains upon him wherever he
is known, and Lastly that he is deferred
from honest work by the surveillance OF
the police and the suspicious of those who
with unreasonable and horribly unjust
| bias argue 'once criminal always a Grim
inal'', and so hinder him in every direction
from earning dollar on their premises,
though perfectly willing to pass him on
! to some one else to look after.
| Society at present not only demands its
'pound of flesh" of the woe begone evil
doer but it takes in effect, the precious life
as well and is guilty Of wicked usury in
compelling one misdeed to so overspread
a mans life that it is permanently in ured
and darkened even after he has paid his
rightful debt for the wrong that he has
done.
Under the circumstances so well under
stood by those who come in touch with
criminals, who is to blame for the gloom
and hopelessness and revengeful spirit
that fill the souls OF these who are forced
into the "don't care" spirit? Society!
Not the society OF distant town, nor the
neighbor over the way, but the society
made up of the man who reads and hears
this and mods his head in approval. SO
long as society in the abstract is spoken
of, we, YOU and |, are hard and harsh; we
parade phai isaically our superiority to
these cringing creatures who only ask for
a chance; and in the great scales of the
all wise our souls weigh less than those
W no do aspire and would rise if we only
permitted them.
But society in the day yet to dawn after
the hearts of men have gradually melt d
down, will not thus act. Punishment will
cease when the term prescribed has ended :;
and the criminal will claim the right to be
regarded no longer in the light of his past
and the claim will be granted. He will
if humanity is ever to be just-be ac
cepted at his true valuation as man who
ba dom. I'm or a nd n
and paid his debt to the fun The past
shall be past with him, and the judgmen
of him passed solely upon his merits and
his capacity in the p esent. Then shall
there be fewer society-made enemies of
society.
The third i+ea of present day society
being reputed to be the Improvement of
the prisoner; we can see in many states
still an absolute evasion of this response
bility. \ prison is merely made a box
for safe seclusion instead of residence
for a scientific study and improvement.
Too often the men in charge, except III
some few notable cases, like that of the
Maryland state penitentiary, are abso-
lutely unfit either by mental training or
by heart culture to understand the inn
pulses of the criminal or the ms and outs
of his nature They are merely superior
class of turnkey, a little higher in price,
and costly at any price as managers of in
situations that now do produce a crop of
human perversions but that are capa BILE
under different management OF sending
forth reformed men and women. The
new day will see this all changed, l de-
voutly foretell. The leaven is already at
work in prison associations and in visit
ing boards that are alert, and wardens
that are progressive.
The economy OF it-for after all it is
money that talks loudest will be that
some day society will be burdened no
longer with criminals that are hardened
and confirmed within prison walls, nor
with the descendants of the moral perverts
who have hitherto been treated merely as
ordinary prisoners. That day will mean
fewer "repeaters" at the country's ex-
pense, and greater economy in the man.
agement of the interiors of prisons, and
grander results after the air of freedom
is breathed again.
Why should all this be deferred? Why
not try the influence of public opinion
in your own neighborhood, with your
own decided convictions as nucleus?