Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-23
IARVIN STARTS SOMETHING
Considerable Difference Of Opinion Over
Indsterminate Sentence Law.
SAYS GOOD WILL COME OUT OF DEBATE
Delegates 10 Prison Congress Attend
Church Services, DR.. swearinEen
Delivering the Annual
Sermon.
CFrom a Stan Correspondent

W the NdtlOnal Prison association heard me
annual sermon this morning delivered by
Rev II. c. Swearingen at the First Pres
byterian church. attended services at the
penitentiary chapel this afternoon and to-
night listened to short talks by prominent
citizens and visitors at st. Pauls Metho-
dist church. Several of the visitors this
morning occupied pulpits in the various
churches and spoke of the aims Of the as
sociation and its work. So successful has
been the meeting so far that at the conclu-
sion of the days proceedings National Sec
retary Millgan said:
The meeting is starting out fine and ]
believe we will have one Of the most sue
cessful and beneficial meetings we have
ever held. Not a single hitch has occurred
We have never had better beginning"
number of delegates arrived during the
night and this morning. among whom was
President Garvin of wetherfeld, Conn. who
was tied up for four days owing to wash
outs on the railroads, and who has spent
the last four or fve nights in berth on
the train. The president was about tired
out when he reached Lincoln. but he was
able to attend the services this morning
and he wears "smile that won't wear Off"
When asked for a statement regarding the
association and its work he said
Level Heads wanted.
Il am too tired to talk at all, but I do
want to say few things. 1 want to say
that l have no sympathy with hypocriey
and sentimentalism, which is noticed a
great deal in charity workers Men are
needed in this kind of work who cannot be
stampeded. Your own governor, Mr.
Mickey is that kind of a man. He uses
good, hard sense in dealing with such mat
ters. 1 have noticed his utterances and no
is right. Men are wanted whose hearts are
in their work and who are not carried away
with every ism that comes along.
There probably will be considerable op-
position to the statements in my annual
| report and hope 1 have succeeded In stir
ring up the members of the association.
A good stirring up won't hurt anybody, but
| will result in good. l am absolutely op-
posed to the indeterminate sentence laws
that have been enacted. They have proven
failures and have not resulted in the good
that was expected OF them. There is no
question but what the theory is sound and
| righteous, but as a matter of fact its prac-
! tical working has proven far short of
what was expected OF IL. In introducing
the system we have to contend with the
| opposition OF the prosecuting attorneys, as
we'll as a hostile court and legislature,
which is usually afraid to enact the proper
kind of a law.
The only way the indeterrninate SEN
tence system can be made to accomplish
1 good is for She prosecuting attorneys ana
the courts to cooperate with the legisla-
/ lures and with the exercise OF caution and
good sense by the pardoning powers. With
out these Il is bound to be only a partial
success.
1.-The state reformatories, too, have not
accomplished what was expected of them.
In fact the success of the reformatories
is very limited. They have accomplished
something, but there is great room for inn
provement."
Something Wrong I'm System.
District Judge Day of Omaha. who is in
attendance at the meeting, when asked
concerning President Garvin's statement
about the indeterminate sentence law. said
'I have not made a sufficient study OF
the proposition to speak with any au-
thority. / know, however, there is some
thing radically wrong with the present
system. In my two years on the criminal
bench I have sentenced three persons tc
the penitentiary twice. There Is something
wrong when a person who gets out OF the
nenitentiary starts anew on a career OF
crime. I take it that It Is because there
Is no one 10 look after the convict wher
he is released and hold him UP until h'
, secures a position. He is given suit Of
clothes and IS and having been in prison
has lost track of how things are done ou
, In the world. 1t is a hard matter FOR hin
20 secure employment. He tries 1t prob
ahIv till his money is gone ana then M
returns 10 stealing. I have no doubt tina
Great many criminals inherit their ten
, dancies and this raises another great ques
, ton which will have to be settled.
. number Of the delegates take issue witt
, president Garvin over the attitude on tn
! indeterminate sentence law and oetore IN
convention is over there probably Will b
| general discussion of the SUBJECT
I More NOtabIes Arrive.
I rJncoln never entertained a more dis
. tine,iished body than the National Priso
3 association Men and women prominen
. ever the United States are here taking a
e active part in the proceedings and wi
-or,a,n throughout the week. Among thos
e yvbo came in last night from other state
we're A II. Leslie. superintendent OF tn
Allegheny work house. Pennsylvania; A
Y sanders, clerk Of the State Board @
CHARITIES and Correction of Pennsylvania
y | Iobn p Powers, superintendent of indus
tries Of Sing Sing; r. II. Kennedy, superr
,endent of knitting industry at Sing Sins
q Gates, chaplain OF the Kansas Stat
reformatory; r. w. McClaughry. warde
d NJ the federal prison az Leavenwortf
o Mrs r. w. McClaughry; Fred II. Mill
5, sales agent of the New York prison; Al
e drew ]. Wilcox. warden of the Rhod
J. island penitentiary; George Lewis smitl
II member Of the state Board of Charities {
IS Rhode Island; Mrs. Phil A. Holland, rel
ID resenting The Detective" Chicago; A.
e Cressman Of Indiana, Joseph T. Scout ger
ID eral manager of the New York state r,
formatory; John D. Murray, superintender
N Of industries of Auburn, N. Y, prisoI
'e q NJ Kelley, physician Allegheny wor
b, house Pennsylvania; n. w. Jones. waIde
ID ~ the Fort Madison, Pa, penltentIar,
sr Nrs Anna Mcpherson. Mrs. Na;alla
el Gordon OF Denver; c. f. Haddox, wards
ie of the West Virginia penitentiary; samu
% Barrows, corresponding secretary u Il
rs association, New York; Mrs Barrows,
N Emory Lyons, Central home. Chicago: !
lg n Irwin, warden Manitoba, Canada, pen
A. tentiary; John H. Calhoun. New ,Yorl
l. Ensley Moore. chaplain penltentiary
Jacksonville, ILL.,; Frances A. Morton, SUI
erintendent of womens reformatory, Ma
sachusetts Amos j. Butler, clerk Of Il
OF BOARD OF Charities Of Indiana; c. II. Han
a. | trustee reformatory OF Indiana VILLA
TX p Cooper member OF the Board Of Char
i ties OF Indiana: W. f. Collett Of Denve