Sunday Washington globe., 1902-03-23
Moral courase-somewhat Personal
noted citizen, writing in a symposium
of opinion on bravery says:

noted citizen, writing in a symposium
of opinion on bravery says:
Moral courage is the highest type of
bravery. The man who bears up under
humiliation or disgrace, instead of COM
mittiug suicide is in my opinion, the brav-
est sort of man. Under such circumstances
II requires far more courage to live than it
does to die
One particular instance illustrates my
meaning. In a little Western town lad
Of eighteen-a mere boy--commtted for
gerry and was sentenced to term in the
state prison In short time he was par
doned and came back to his home, an ex-
convict He lived it down. To-day at
forty, he is a widely known and thoroughly
respected citizen. IL took courage-the
greatest kind of cOurage-to do it. Prison
faint is well-nigh a mortal disease. 1t is apt
to last as long life itself. The man who
can face this world and redeem himself
after a term in prison is brave through and
through"
It is comparatively easy for boy of
eighteen to live down first Offense and a
term of imprisonment if he has the average
moral stamina of an American youth. Thou.
sands do so year after year, else there would
be a state prison for every schoolhouse in the
land to accommodate all the criminals The
writer's prison number was 29,484 and the
last serial number Of the latest prisoner con-
fined in the Ohio penitentiary is 34a35
showing that II,74o prisoners have been ad-
mitted to the prison in twelve years since
we were incarcerated. OF these II, jag pris
ouers, bur / 600 inmates are now confined
in the institution, again showing that in
twelve years TO- I4o men have suffered impris-
onment and been discharged from this one
penal institution alone. Therefore, society
has absorbed over ter thousand conEicts in
Ohio, and in the other states of the Union
proportionate number, making probably in
round figures not less ths IL a quarter of
million ex-criminals in little over a de-
cade
The discharge list Of the Ohio prison
averages over nine hundred convicts per
annum and it is an unexaggerated estimate
to place the per cent. at seventy-fve who
reform and become honest and law abiding
citizens. The majority-the very large ma
iority--of these criminals are young men,
mere youths. who were thoughtlessly led
into their first and in all probability their
last crime.
Tens Of thousands OF youthful American
criminals reform and become useful. law
abiding and honest citizens because modern
penology teaches them effectually and in
humane manner that crime does not pay.
Coming back to the writer on moral
courage, from whom we have quoted, we
desire to add our experience to his thoret-
ical conclusion. The man of middle age,
who on question of principle sacrifices
modest fortune in the interests Of his family
and his personal liberty and surviving the
penalty again cheerfully buckles to and
challenges the world for an honest living
has not only moral courage but is deserving
Of the encouragement and assistance which
he invariably-neve receivesl And the
real test Of this moral courage comes in, in
his perseverance to battle maufully on to
the end and as lie trudges along huns