Sunday Washington globe., 1902-03-16

lective capacity, Claiming tnS IAkht 10 pre-
serve itself from the assaults OF the Grim
inal, is bound, by its assumption OF sinless
legality, to safeguard the prisoners cor
poral and spiritual welfare. II has neither
the moral nor the legal right, in its own de-
feuse, 10 brutaize the moral nature nor to
impair the physical manhood of the
prisoner. On the contrary, it is obligatory
on the part OF the state to develop and to
properly direct the moral faculties of the
prisoner that he may the better realize the
enornity Of his offending not alone against
the state but against himself and his God
And ii is, in the material sense, most
solemn and imperative duty on the part of
the state TO qualify the prisoner, by
iudicious discipline and useful industry, TO
earn an honest living on his final discharge
FROM prison
The state failing in any of these essential
duties is Indifferent to its own interests and
unjust to the prisoner. 1t IS morally
culpable in restoring 10 freedom male
factor whom il has failed to qualify morally
and mentally for the duties and RESPONSE
bilities of citizenship. If we have habitual
criminals and prisoners repeatedly sent
enced TO confinement, we must place large
share of the responsibility on the state,
duties of a Christian government.
The church, and organizations OF this
character, owe it TO themselves, their
country and TO God the Christian duty OF
directing the attention Of the public and the
press, and of importuning the state through
the lawmaking power, 10 such reforms in
prison. reformatory and correctional insti-
tuition management and conduct as will in
sure TO the prisoner the full exacton of the
states moral duty and legal obligations, TO
the end that the fallen may be reclaimed
and humanity triumph in the regeneration
of the erring and in the Christian better
meut and preservation of society itself.
The moral instruction Of the prisoner
should be the FIRST an most important part
of his training, and all other acts and duties
should be subservient thereto. In fact,
without moral awakening in the criminals
nature. reformation, if affected at all, would
be merely artificial Hence, hold that the
first duty of tIe state toward the prisoner,
in the interests of society as well as III
obedience to the commandments Of Him
who is the Father of all, is to subordinate
| every material interest TO the higher obli-
CATION Of the moral welfare of the criminal.
Practical applications of reform principles
must be sustained, they are founded up
on the doctrines of the Christian religion,
but some liberties must be taken with their
technical, OF strictly orthodox definitions
| in leading the criminal to their full and
legitimate acceptance. Religious instruc-
| ton, to relieve the moroseness or tighten
! the sombre atmosphere of the prisoner, can
! be varied with pleasing additions Cheer
! fulness, modified by the routine OF dtsci-
! pline, makes discipline, as well as religion,
more attractive, or, at least, more accepta-
bic. Privileges, too, have their softening
and humanizing effect. The visits Of friends
newspapers, books, musical Instruments
HOLIDAYS and entertainments, are cOllec-
lively and separately educational along the
line Of creating, building up and complet-
ing the reformatOry character Of the crimi-
nal The greatest risks are justihable IN
the end sought, for the end is The enlight-
eminent of a darkened human soul and the
rehabilitation Of a fallen fellow creature.
The moral side of prison life should be full
of trust and confidence and hope in, and
for. the prisoner Trust him, appeal to his
manhood, his budding integrity trust him
uot loosely OF capriciously, however, but
with the firm hand of the master, the dis
ciplinarian and the parental authority OF
moral and mental superiority The hrst
requisite, the greatest aid to morality and
religion in recIeating the criminal and fitting
him for an improved and better existence,
is INDUSTRY. Labor is the prime necessity
Of a bearable existence within the walls OF
a prison. And this labor should be method
ical certain and natural. Idleness is the
chief characteristic of the embryo criminal
he cultivates it. II is to him a second
nature In no one particular is the criminal
s..1,., fal
man than in this, to him. natural acquire
ment. This vice is the original sin of the
criminal, and he can never be cleansed oil
its consequences except by the baptism Of
labor
The necessity. then, of providing occupa
ton for the idle hands and mind of the
criminal is Of the FIRST importance. Tha
this occupation should be useful and pro
ductive there is and can be no difference o.
opinion. The plan Of employment which
guarantees steady and unvaTying labor foi
prisoners is the most desirable, having IN
view their industrial training and the ac
ouirement of routine habit and method il
their daily lives. Indolence, listlessues'
and the criminal disposition to avoid al
that is orderly and laborious must be grad
ually cured by the nsistence Of methoC
and discipline, but congenial tasks or em
ployment, made acceptable by encourage
ment, should be at all times carried out BY
the prison management wherever and when
ever possible. Incentives and reward,
should be generous and numerous, to neu
tralize the natural conviction of the pris
oner, that he is being driven or forced
against justice and humanity to toll anc
live for unsympathetic or unfeeling task
masters. These must be judiciously be
slowed on the deserving that the indolent
the ill-regulated or insubordinate may have
ever before their eyes the object lesson o.
the justice, humanity and sympathetic
vigilance of the prison management AT al
times, and on ali occasions, in the prison
court, as in the shop, the chs pei and in per
sonal contact with the prisoner, the prison
officials must, by act and admOnition, Grad
icate from his diseased and suspicion.
mind any feeling or conviction that he Is
regarded with repulsion, and that he is con
demned to unTemitting toll for the exclu
sive benefit Of others as punishment for his
crime. The prisoner is conscious that he il
being punished by his enforced labor anC