The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1909-06-01
ROBERT |NGERSO[[
ON CRIME
CONTINUED from Page Three.O

L am SdJlSIlou ludl the ulSClpIluS
of thea verage prison hardens and
degrades. 1t is for the most part a
perpetual exhibition of arbitrary
power There is really no appeal.
The protests die in cells and the poor
prisoner feels that the last tie be-
tween him and fellow men has been
broken. He is kept in ignorance of
the outer world. The prison is a
cemetery and his cell is a grave.
In many of the penitentiaries there
are instruments of torture and now
and then a convict is murdered. In
spections and Investigations go for
naught. because the testimony of a
convict goes for naught. He is gen.
orally prevented by fear from telling
his wrongs, but if he speaks he is
not believed-he is regarded as less
than a human being and so the i'm
prisconed remain without remedy.
When the visitors are gone the con-
vict who has spoken is prevented
from speaking again.
Every manly feeling, every effort
toward real reformation, is trampled
under foot, so that when the con-
vict's time is out there is little left
on which to build He has been hui
inflated to the last degree, and his
spirit has so long been bent by au-
thority and fear that even the desire
to stand erect has almost faded from
the mind. The keepers feel that they
are safe, because no matter what they
do the convict when released will not
tell the story of his wrongs, for if
he conceals his shame, he must also
hide their guilt.
Every penitentiary should be a
real reformatory. That should be the
principal object for the establishment
of tn prison. The men in charge
should be of the kindest and noblest.
They should be filled with divine en-
thusiasm for humanity and every
means should be taken to convince
the prisoner that his good is sought
that nothing is done for revenge
nothing for a display of power and
nothing for the qualification of NAL
ice. He should feel that the warden
is his unselfish friend. When con-
Wet is charged with a violation of
the rules-with characterization, or
with any offence, there should be an
investigation in due and proper form,
giving the convict an opportunity to
be heard. He should not be for one
moment the victim of irresponsible
had some rights and that some little
of the human remained in him still.
They should be taught things of
value-instructed by competent men.
Pains should be taken, not to punish,
not to degrade, but to benefit and
ennoble
We know, if we know anything,
that men in the penitentiaries are not
altogether bad, and that many out
are not altogether good, and We feel
that in the brain and heart of all
there are the seeds of good and bad.
We know, too, that the best are
liable to fall and it may be that the
worst, under certain conditions, may
be capable of grand and heroic deeds.
OF one thing we may be assured
and that is, that criminals will never
be reformed by being robbed, HUI
inflated and degraded.
Ignorance. filth and poverty are
the missionaries of crime. AS long
as dishonest success OutrankS honest
effort-as long as society bows and
cringes before the great thieves
there will be little ones enough to
fill the jails.
All the penalties, all the punish
ments. are inflicted under belief
that man can do right under all cir
cumstances-that his conduct is alb
solutely under his control and that
his will is a pilot that can, in spite
of winds and tides, reach any port
desired All this is, in my judgment
a mistake 1t is a denial of the in
tegrity of nature. 1t is based upon
the supernatural and miraculous
and as long as this mistake remains
the cornerstone of criminal juris
prudence, reformation will bel mpos'
sible.
We must take into consideration
the nature of man, the facts Of mind
hte power of temptation, the limi
tations of the intellect, the force o.
habit, the result of heredity, the