The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-09-24
WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK
The Function of Punishment. ];
70 the Editor of The journal

vi 81, ne FUNCTION OF punishment 4 IS
To the Editor of The journal
It is with much regret that I have read
Of SO many lynchings in the last few,
months. was GREATS relieved to- learn
from your columns. that the number Of
lynchings is actually growing smaller each
year2 I have been very much pleased
to note the attitude of IL he j o u r n a in
opposing this modeeof punishment, and
in supporting one Of the chief bulwarks Of
our civilization-theN courts of justice.
In most Of the explanations offered by
prominent men for .theteause of the lynch
ing mania, it has been stated that the
people were afraid that, if left to the
| courts, the criminal might escape alto
gether or, att least that justice would be
| too long delayed. This undoubtedly has
| something to do with the case, but does
1t really get at the cause of the. lynchtng
'' n our wild ana Ns!5olly vest" before
the courts of justice were established,
every one who had any regard for decency
had to appoint himself judge and sheriff
| had to decideif man was unfit to live
| In his locality, and then put him out of
/ it, usually by shooting him. And it seems
to me that we have naturally inherited
this feeling of personal responsibility;
| that, If there is a. wrong, we must set IL
right and do it quick.
| But here is another cause Of the lynch
| ing mania, not SO laudable, but Tar more
| fruitful in developing the lynchings spirit.
i + In. this crude western administration OF
Justice, shooting was considered too good
! for some criminals, they must be hung
| their death must be covered by disgrace.
But the west is not lalone in this feeling.
| The fundamental principle governing the
! punishment Of criminals has always been
I that that punishment must be In proper
ton to the gravity or Nervousness =of'the
| crime. -. ...
Now, hanging is the worst that any
| Judge and Jury can do for an ordinary
! murderer; and when anyone commits
particularly atrocious., crime the people
feel that hanging is too good for him
i and if some fend commits brutal as
sault on one of the weaker sex, and espe-
! cially If the victim dies in agony, this
feeling of proportionate justice demands
that the perpetrator Of such an outrage
be made to suffer as his victim has suf-
fereds They know that the courts will
not torture any criminal, so they must get
up mob that will dos
! Now, if punishment in proportion to the
crime is the only principle upon which to
81 deal with criminals, I don't know but
the mob has the right of It.
4 Back Of all this Lies !, the question:
stWhat is the mission of punishment
1 What ought we to try to accomplish by
| imprisoning or; otherwise punlshlng a
criminal?
Some seem to think that the only mis-
sion of punishment is one of vengeance
This, as you have intimated, is utterly
unworthy Of our modern civilization
Others say that the. criminal must be
made an example of in such a terrible way
that others will be afraid to commit sim
liar offenses This has in 1t the thought
of working for the general good, and sc
!, | it is certainly a better motive than thai
of mere vengeance; and perhaps it is the
best that can be done for some on the
lowest moral strata. But tyrant never
gains any very hearty allegiance we
cannot scare a man into Wantlns 70 &c
right
> | The third conception of the mission o.
punishment is to imprison dangerous
characters for the safety Of society Thi:
| is still better. When a man shows tina
he has no regard for the rights or hap
piness Of others, he ought mot to be al
g lowed to go at large, to prey upon SO
ciety But the ma tural effect of depriv
8 ing a man of his liberty is to make hin
yengeful. We cannot convert a crimina
into a law-abiding citizen by shutting hin
rp in prison. If confinement is to beneh
the criminal he must be treated In suc1
a way, while in prison, that he will wan
y to be good and do right. This, to me, i
x the great mission Of punishment. Tn
change from the old to the new penolog.
is set forth in the names given to tn
places where Offenders against publ
morals are kept. We used to have dun
. geons and prisons; now we have peniten
tiaries and reformatories
or course the chief factor in this worl
OF inducing men to want to good j
the church Insofar as she has done thi
she has been success. 70 the extent tina
e she has failed to do this she has failed Q
!, / accomplishing her mission. And when
:! ever she has expended her energies i
efforts that did not tend to make me
unselfsh she has gone outside OF he
4 work.
:, The Judge and the warden are learnfn
= that their chief business is to help tn
church in this work ofmaking bad me
want to be good. That 1t is no part G
their business to wreak vengeance on tn
head Of an offender. That while 1t is thei
business to make the law terror t
evildoers.'' and to keep criminals In con
fnement for the safety Of society thes
should both be done in the way best cal
culated to make law abiding citizens OF
OF the laW-breakers. And the people az