Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-17

perience I am forced to the conclusion
that the discipline of the average pris-
on hardens and degrades, and is per-
petual exhibition of cruel, arbitrary
power. Treatment that puts an i'm
passable gulf between the prisoner and
society will never make a convict bet
ter Men in prison, much like those out
Of prison, can be made better and they
can be made worse, according to their
treatment, environments and oppor-
tunities. A prisoner never will be re-
formed by being wronged. Did Ven
geance ever make any man or woman
better?
Grim Joke In Los Angeles
Look at what we are doing right
here in Los Angeles county. Over the
sheriff's office on Temple street ap-
pears in huge letters the inscription,
Hall of Justice And the office is run
on the fee system And we flatter our
selves that we are a nation with a
sense of hymorl
do you understand what this fee
system is? Under it the officer gets
Sc much for every prisoner he brings
to the county Jail. His income depends
on convicting men, and country con-
stables in this county made so much
that the board Of supervisors some
time ago had to limit their remunera-
ton to $1,000 a year. 1t is still COM
mon thing for them to run UP bills
against the county for 5000 and over a
month, and that in mere villages of 300
or so population.
"The Prison Reform league has
shown this by extracts direct from the
county records. The system is a di-
rect incentive to our officials to be-
come man-hunters instead of execu-
tors of justice and preservers Of the
public peace. The more they can en-
courage the commission of crime, the
fatter their pocketbooks. 1t leads to
every kind of plot for the entrapment
Of the poor and is utterly subversive of
justice.
"a spcial committee of the American
Prison association condemned it in
1907 in the following terms: We
turned up plenty of ugly testimony to
the effect that when a county sheriff
is paid for his services in fees, rather
than by salary, ne must have the
sturdy virture of a Cromwell or Lin
coin to preserve his soul In state of
grace. The testimony from all parts
of the land demonstrates that the fee
system tends to injustice, to false in-
prisonment, to delay trials, to plunder
of the public treasury, coming and go
ing, in and out, TO partisan corruption,
to official robbery, to the def1lement OF
the character OF the agents of JUS
tice.' Is 1t possible to frame a strong
er indictment?
Golden Rule Winner
"Consider, on the other hand, what
has been accomplished in the matter
of doing away with useless arrests by
one man. 1 refer to the Cleveland
chief of police, Frederick Kohler, who
reports that, as the result of the "gol-
den rule plan which he inaugurated
less than two years ago, there has
been a decrease of 20,333 arrests as
compared with the record of 1907, add
ing that better than that there has
been decided decrease In the amount
of crime and property stolen, and an
increase in the number Of criminals
apprehended and punished Who can
estimate the happiness added to life in
Cleveland by this one mans action in
stopping that flood Of needless arrests,
made solely that the police might
build up q reputation for activity?
"I am thankful to say that sub
mitted recently to Mayor Alexander a
CODY of the six golden rules adopted
bv Mr.. Kohler, and received from his
secretary a note saying: The mayor
approves of these rules / had hoped
as much from an administration tnat
is avowed for reform, and trust that
the sentiment may crystalize into ac-
ton here in Los Angeles.
"The objects of the Prison Reform
league on behalf Of which speak, are
the sentiment may crystalline into ac-
the uuintessence of the philosophy OF
revenge: reform OF the administration
of the criminal law, and restraint to
be for the sole purpose of protecting
society and reforming the offender