The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-10-27
CITY Ticket Office, Is ". Wash. St.

gregated in unwholesome quarters, are not
beds of crime. So all these conditions
must be reached and improved IL we nope
to lessen the criminals
1--WE must even 60 back of the home In
many cases and improve the soclal c0noI-
tons in which homes are situated. There
are places where a child born into the
world is about as certain of becoming a
criminal as that ii appears. This is the
problem of our civilization and 1t Is sucn
that to test to the utmost our civil
institutions.
1.-The remedies are improved condition OF
of the laboring classes; better places 10
live, less hard work and more opportunity
for Improvement, the RESTRICTION ana maj
destruction of the liquor trafnc, the eouca-
tional edvantases extended and where
influence and power, without which all the
other agencies are ineffective. The nome
must be redeemed before we can redeem
the best possible substitute must be al
forded in country homes or In the best
equipped and hest conducted institutions,
which adopt the home life as far as pos
sible.
LAS for the treatment of the criminal let
me say that 1 would not encourage by any
thing / am about to say the foolish senti-
ment seen too often in these days which
lavishes upon bad men a sympathy which
excuses the crime and heroizes the villain
| No. let crime be ever treated, not as
| misfortune merely, but a wrong which de-
| serves severe treatment at the hands OF
| honest justice. But this can be done with
no violation to the higher and holier
| claims of love and mercy. Whatever we
| do, one purpose should control and deter
mine us to redeem the criminal to manhood
| and society. In other words. all our prison
methods should be reformatory and should
| aim not to punish merely. but to return
| the prisoner to the gate better than wnen
he received.
How little has this figured in the meth
| DDS of the past and how little II is con-
sidered to-day. If this Is to be accom-
| plished great changes must come to our en-
| tire course Of penal treatment. We must
| begin with the courts themselves. The de-
| waiting for trial under the conditions of
| life now existing Is one OF the most fruit
full sources for not redeeming criminals.
| schools of vice where many boy learns
his lessons from which he becomes a con-
firmed criminal. The Juvenile court already
| in operation in shis city under the wise and
| kind management of Judge Stubs and his
| assistants is an important departure in
the right direction of correcting many evils
| This should be sustained by all our citi-
| zens and brought to higher degree of per-
lection. This Will in time be effected
1.-THE prisons themselves should be i'm
| proved and made places where life Is en-
| couraged to higher plane instead of
| crushing out what little is left of noble
traits. The jails of this country as a rule
| are disgrace to our civilization. The
| prisons are better. and yet they may stand
| much betterment
1.-The State Peformatory should at once
| or soon as possible be brought to care
| for those juveniles who are not yet to be
classed with criminals, and methods should
be introduced that will improve the boys.
| This Is needed Or new institution should
| be built under the control of the truancy
| department of education which shall meet
this great need: This kind of provision is
| greatly felt BY those In charge of the
| Juvenile court.
Then the treatment of those who have
come from these places is often such that
IT is almost impossible for them to do
other than turn again to their former life.
Without friends or influence, the whole
world against them. there is but one way
needs our attention and effort more than
this. l read letter from an officer In one
of the prisons of our State not long ago
commencing man for the work he had
done in securing places for these unfor-
tunate men to work, and so keeping them
from temptation and falling. That letter
was addressed TO Mr.. Wheeler, of the Res
cue Mission of this city. and he is worthy
of all the praise. What man has done SO
much and what; could this city do in recog-
milton of this fact so worthy of its good
record for philanthropy than to give to
this helper of fallen men a good comfort
able and modern building. well equipped,
to help? 1t is not right to let this matter
go longer. We owe Ii to him and to this
class of men, raany of whom are restored
to manhood and usefulness to society.
But this is but the beginning of our
responsibility m this matter of treatment
OF the dismissed man. can say no more
for the lack of time. 1 would, in closing
call attention to the hopeful outlook. What
an Improvement since the days of Howard
and Elizabeth Fry. The old Newgate Prison
of London is nav being torn down to give
way to an improved building How sig
nificant is this This old building has wit
messed all the important changes in prison
reform in the nation which Is the best &c
enforce law, ard at the same time to re.
deem its prisoners of any nation on earth
The experiment has proven successful, anC
now new bsilding must come, so ad
vanced is its steps in this way Will.
We, as nation, who boast Of every gooC
thing, quite In advance of all other nations
have been SADLY behind in this reform W,
are rapidly changing, and a few years will
witness such Sdvancements as will max,
the leaders of the world"