The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-02-13

1t is equally her duty TO endeavor to
reclaim those who have gone astray,
and to continue in confinement those
who, when set at liberty would prove a
menace to the public safety 1t may
wen be asked. Why the public, who
pay for the treatment of criminals
when confined. and still more when
they are not confined continues to
graduate these ex-conyicts almost
daily into the ranks Of citizens? 1t
IS difficult of e. PLANTATION: for every
one who is acquainted with the career
Of these people who seer to be con.
ilrmed in evil doing, knows that il is
but a question of time when they will
be returned to the prison walls. For
the sake of the public they should not
be set at liberty until the proper
authorities are assured that they are
changed in their attitude toward the
public veal AS it is, Mcdonald
claims, the state releases the con
Wet. he plumbers the state, the state
pays detectives to catch him again.
he hires his lawyer and the state pays
the costs, and if convicted the state
continues to pay his living expenses.
The late Rutherford B, Hayes ar
gued that. especially in our own coun
try. crime is due to the business and
social spirit of tie day; il is the haste
10 become rich, This spirit leads often
to the crimes by those who are rich
who are not always punished. but toe
frequently admired and enyied AS to
refOrmatory methods the president
said: The jailS should not become
:chols of crime that incorrigible pro
'essional criminals should be impriS
oned for life unless they are safely
reclaimed The forms or the methods
'or the reformation of the prisoners
are. First--Labor and industry, then
comes education and religion. Man
aal training and industrial education
are the best means in this country
10 fit the boy or the girl to make an
honest living.
THE motto of one of the best re
'ormatories of the world. says Nc
Donald is no man. whatever his Of
'ense. ought ever to be discharged
rom restraint except upon reasonable
evidence that he is morally, intellect
rally and physically capable of earn
ing a livelihood 1t may be added
that the surest prevention of crime
is the triple agency OF moral, mental
md physical training. that is educa
lion in the true sense. for there is
10 phase Of the humanitarian effort
n helping man than is shown in the
'eform movement within our penal in
ititutions; especially in the reforma
DRY institutions of the young.
Among the many virtues of the late
Ex-Governor Altgeld none stand out
Is pre-emiutenly and mark him as a
nan of large soul as his attitude to.
ward the criminal classes. There was
scarcely a type of incarceration pre-
TALENT when he served as governor
hat was not more or less Inconsistent
rom his point of view In his plain
ind bold denunciations OF the prevail
mt misconceptions of justice there
we're many accusations made against
lin. but see the years pass and
more rational view of these matters
S had. we see more clearly the cor.
ectness OF his view of these ques-
ions.
In his book entitled Our Penal
Machinery and Its Victims" he mar
ties many touching incidents Of the
Injustice Of arrests. In order TO show
he spirit of MIR. Atgeld toward these
Unfortunate people and to Illustrate
he need of some reform. | quote from
he pages of bis book In describing
he arrest of a certain woman he
says: Even if ii were true that the
woman was not of good repute-
hough nothing Of the kind was proven
would her case not be sad enough
already? Ought she not al least 10
)e let alone until she actually com
mitted an offense? What possible good
can result from having brutal police
officer seize her whenever he gets
light of her and forcibly drag her off
o the lookup and make her spend the
light there and on no other ground
han that the police officer thinks she
$ not chaste woman? repeat. sup
,ose she was disrputabe, what posi-
Die blood can come of such treatment?
Il not alone sufficient to rum her.
ven If she were an angel at the be
thinning? If this was an isolated case
{ might not deserve much attention
Iut it is simply a specimen Of what
$ happenging every day in every large
,ity in the country"
Referring to our treatment of home.
ess boys he says See how tender.
y we care for the homeless If boy