Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-12

adequate was the criticism Of Texas
conditions compared with the facts
that have been finally unearthed; know
ing how ridiculous, for example, We're
the reports of Illinois officials when
compared with the horrors legislative
inquiry recently disclosed, and how
misleading the statements of wardens
have proved repeatedly to be, know
ing these lamentable facts l hesitate
to jubilate too enthusiastically over ru-
mored reformations. For conditions in
| several of the penitentiaries named
have been until quite recently infa-
nous beyond description. and infamies
of long standing are not abolished in
the tWinkling of an eye. They yield
place very, very slowly, and only un-
der pressure infinitely greater than that
yet brought to bear.
Congress at Seattle
However, Mr.. Finty has given us an
excellent account of the congress at
Seattle 1t is by far the best 1 have
had the luck to read, although here
again I disagree materially with many
of his reflections and conclusions. The
storm raised by Judge Lindseys radi-
cal address, and the hurricane that
followed the reading Of a paper advo-
eating the sterilization of criminals,
dies wading in fearlessly and without
mincement of words when the presi-
dent had declared that the subject
must be discussed, their presence not
withstanding. / think Mr.. Finty is
right when he remarks that the eX-
tremists are to be found chiefly among
the women and preachers. As he
phrases it: zone mother in Israel de-
clared that eve must have eunuchs for
the kingdom of heavens sake
In fact the ladies seems to have
been all on that side which seems to
me most merciless, and for my part
feel grateful to Warden Frank o. He'll
strOm of the North Dakota peniten-
tary. who told them bluntly that they
did not know the real cause of crime
"Ninety-nine out of one hundred Grim
inals," he said, " had become SUCH not
through Inheritance but through force
of circumstances and environment"
Dodging the Issue
Right here my fellow-craftsmen
seem to grow week -kneed and dodge the
issue. They tell us gravely that the
first step toward prison reform Is the
ella ssifcation Of prisoners, and add:
"First of all il is advocated that the
environment which produces criminals
shall be reformed. This proposition,
going to the root of the entire trouble
or most Of it, is rather beyond the
present subject"
Beyond the subject of "Our Penal
System and Its Purposes" If you do
not mean to go to the root of the sub
ject why write on it at all? And it is
because you do not go to the root that
you attach what seems to me prepUs-
ferrous Importance to the opinions Of
the so-called practical" men. For you
will find that these practical men ara
invariably those who tell you how
much experience they have had with
the individual criminal; who grow elo-
quent on his weaknesses and inherited
vices. and explain with infinite detail
the best methods of regenerating the
fallen sinner. But never a word win
these same gentlemen say of the eco
nomic and political conditions that
manufacture criminals and their
opinions therefore, are precisely the
most fallacious that any mortal can
waste in his time in gathering 1t is
the old old story: they cannot see the
forest by reason Cf the trees.
Did He Mean the Lords?
For example, DIR. Gilmour, warden of
Central Prison, Toronto. Canada, and
president of the congress. was among
the warmest advocates of sterilization,
and sternly asked the question: Are
you ;.ware that one in every 1872 of the
population of England is a charge upon