The Jennings daily record., 1902-08-12

Il
anthropist. tloubtfully.
Certainly" said the big man in the
easy chair He looked good-natured
and at the same time rather tired and
contemptuous He had been through
it all: the accepted ideas and the usual
people did not matter much: but there
was no reason to be angry with them
or anything else.
Il was extremely glad that our mu-
tnal friend Mr.. Timmins, was able to
induce You to come and pay ME visit.
I need not assure you Of our good
faith. You have nothing to fear
A smile flashed over the criminals
face: the philanthropist went on rap
idly
I'VE are not in with the police. l
won't say We oppose them-thaf would
be illegal-but we are not in sympathy
with them. Now. before we begin to
talk what may l offer you: A cup of
tea valiantly outing with his proof
that he was no fanatic--'a whisky and
soda? And what about a cigarette"
Thanks" said the criminal: Il never
drink At three in the afternoon. For
that natter ! never drink tea or whiS-
kew at any time: they undoubtedly
spoil the nerve. For the same reason
l prefer my pipe, if YOU don't mind?'
BY all means I'm afraid l smoke
four of these every day of my life.
and sometimes it runs to five or six
mere habit. Now my views are pretty
Well known. and it would interest. me
extremely to have the views of Il great
Il should perhaps say remarkable
criminal upon them. ! hold that the
prison ruins the body. lowers the in
tellect and destroys the SOUL The
last phrase came pat and mechanical.
The philan1hropst had used it on many
platforms.
"Undoubtedly.'' said the criminal.
"Rut what else can you expect?
Surely in this twentieth century,
the plilanthropist began. and stopped
blanllly.
Briefly, there are more stupid ana
ignorant people than clever and we'll
Informed people. Our method of treat
ing criminals pleases the stupid and iS-
norant majority
You're quite right" said the phil
anthropiSt, eagerly THAT majority
must be educated. Already there has
been some advance. Look at the sen
tences that used 10 be carried out less
than 4 hundred years ago: they would
nor he tolerated now. But there is
much to be learned. Now l see the
prison Of the future as a handsome.
we'l-liehted. airy place. with q fine
garden attached. and a swimming
bath. and--er-a gymnasium and IL
brary, and--er--everythinG of that sort.
There would be comfortable recrea-
tion-rooms: baga atelle - perhaps bill
lizards. Gambling and bad language:
of course. prohibited. There would be
an employment bureau, which would
look after every man when he had
finished his term. There would be a
system of rewards for good conduct.
sieve should believe in a refining
process
The philanthropiSt was conscious
that he had put ii better on platforms.
There was something in the criminals
good tured and contemptuous eye
that disconnected him.
How does it strike you:' he asked.
When the criminal was bic to speak
for laughing he said: Excuse melt $
rubbish, of course"
You don't think that as method of
reclamation" Again the philan-
thropist stopped blankly.
NO criminal is ever reclaimed. Peo-
pie who are not criminals. but have
made mistakes. may see the advantage
of not making any more-that happens
sometimes. But the natural criminal
remains the natural criminal. just as
the natural genius remains q genius,
and for just the same reasons. En-
vironment and cumstance may make
the occasional criminal, but the real
thng-that is inborn, that is the man
himself"
"Oh. but can't hold with you there. :"
said the pbilanthropist. plucking up
heart. That is a desperate doctrine.
And the facts are all against you. Do
you know the work that the Salvation
Army is doing?'
"Certainly. 1t is well meant And
you may depend upon a religious orgy
tn producp i'm SOME naupfa n kind of