Omaha daily bee., 1905-10-24
HELPING UP THE CRIMINAL
Making Good OitissnS Rather Than Punish
mSnt the True Aim.
WclAUsHNY TAKES ISSUE WITH eARWN
Judge Lindsey of Denver Speaks at
the Evening Session on the
Juvenile Court and It's
workings.
fFrom a stan Correspondent.)

From Stan Correspondent
LINCOLN. oct. A.-(Special. delegates
and visitors crowded TO the doors this
morning the class room in st. Paul's
church, in which was held the meeting of
the warden's department OF the National
Prison association. and listened with in
terest to the speeches that we're delivered
by some Of the greatest students of crimi-
nology in the United States The same
interest was taken in the afternoon session.
which was given over to the chaplains'
department while the wardens held a busi-
ness session. though some excused them
selves from this meeting to visit the state
penitentiary and others to visit the Coun-
try club.
The personnel of the prison association
has been a complete surprise to many who
are not familiar with the association, in
that instead OF the delegates being fanatics,
bubbling over with sentiment and SYM
pathy for the convict, they are level
headed, conservative business and profess
sional men, who have the inclination and
the means to spend some of their time
and to give some of their talent to the
uplifting OF humanity. The congress is
anything but a gathering of fanatics.
The meeting is well up to the expectation
of the local committee and the officials
of the congress. President Garvin said:
This Is splendid meeting. In point of
attendance it beats any meeting we have
ever held. The arrangements are abso-
lutely perfect and have never been exceled
In any other city. In many of the places
twice the size Of Lincoln the attendance
has not been h,,lf as large as It is here.
This attribute 10 the interest in the
work by the p pie of Nebraska and Of
Lincoln"
McCEaEEhry Opposes Garvin.
The principal address of the morning ses-
sion and the one In which the congress
probably was more interested than any
other, because of the reputation of the
speaker. was that by Major r. W. Nc
Claughry. warden of the United States
prison Of Leavenworth, Kan. Major Nc
Claughry took issue with President Garvin
on the indeternalnate sentence law in that
he upheld the law and pointed out the good
that would result under its provisions. He
expressed himself as having absolutely no
sympathy fer that class of reformers and
prison helpers who focked to a prison cell
armed with flowers and tears to smooth
the way for a convict. The question of
making good citizens out of convicts, he
said was one where good common sense
was needed and not tears and flowers.
The speaker referred to the old days
when all prisoners had to wear the striped
suit and had to walk with the lock step
and when everything possible was done
to humiliate the convict and to impress
upon him the fact that he was being pun
shed. The thing In view then was humili-
alton and not compassion. In those days
re said, the guards were selected because
:hey could shoot straight and that was
heir best recommendation. Then the pris-
Ill 10 hn nVp2
paper and was absolutely cut off from
all knowledge Of the world. Society has
improved to such an extent that now news
papers are furnished the convict and the
= striped SUITS fast being done away With
y together with the lockstep,
Business Today.
The program for Tuesday will be moro
of n business nature than any of the othel
meetings The day will be taken up in thu
reports OF committees appointed at the las
national meeting. Tomorrow night F'reder
lex H. Mills of New York City will delive
an address on The Essentials of Prisoi
System"
Gives Chance for Reform.
Now the question was reformation ant
not punishment. He believed the indeter
inmate sentence law was the greatest he'll
to bring this condition of affairs about ant
make good citizens out of convicts who Il
the old days would have been lost withou
an eftort on the part of society to save him
The prisoner should be made to understan
that the warden was his friend and no
his enemy. The convict should be confine'
until he is reformed and under the indie
terminate sentence this could be done, an
II the man failed he could be brought BAG
into the prison and given further assistance
IL should not be the purpose. he said,
mako saints out OF convicts, but to max
good. useful citizens. and II the prisone
refused to become tractable he should b
confined until he does become good or b
confined permanently.
The prisoner should be taught that he ha
made war on society and that society is nc
making war on him. When this is done, h
said, the convict will become like tame
wild steed and win look upon society as HI
friend and will become good citizen.
Major MeCiaughry was in favor of Pre-
bation schools for first offenders and II
sisted that the person who committed HI