The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1909-08-31

The state owes the convict
nothing. In law, and for the public
good, II has the right to separate him
from society, and punish him for HIS
crime. About the most APP
proprlate reformation not only for
the prisoners, but for the times gem
orally is that one recommended by
the old Texan:
1.-The rigid enforcement of the
law, and the successful incubation
of the doctrine of an old-fashioned
Methodist HE'LL
"a man who believes he will be
punished here, and hereafter for his
crimes. is usually amenable 20 law
and such condition Is consumma-
ton devoutly to be wished"
If the Times theory is absurd. we
must insist that the State journals
suggestion that "convicts would be
regarded as guests of the common
wealth at a house party" is a trifie
extravagant, and the idea that the
|penitentiary might even be sought
for its benefits-mainten and
education" is slightly overdrawn.
Still--accepting the State Journals
argument with the seriousness of its
|wording-we offer this point of adj
vantage. the state might then dis
pense with commonwealth attorneys
and permit criminals bent on scholar
ly attachments TO plead guilty before
the Judge and choose their course of
study.
Considered from the State Jour-
mails point of view, il seems remark
able that criminals have crowded the
Kentucky penitentiaries, though they
have no college preparatory course
and the old fashioned Methodist
HELP hasn't frightened anybody into
being good-aiwAys excepting the
debonaire editor of the morning
paper at the state capital.
''The state owes the convict moth
ing"
In Gods name that rs a phase OF
humanity that well matches a religion
which emphasizes He'll. The editor
of the Kentucky State Journal would
make 1t cold for us in this world and
hot for us in the next.
Let us regard the matter fairly
from the beginning. Men are not
sent to the penitentiary as punish
ment The fallacy of such course
has been proven. The theory once
prevailed. If we send men to the
penitentiary for punishment we get
the worst of Il. unless we kill them
there or hold them for life; for when
they come out they are worse, and
nurse a grudge against society. So,
II We send them there for punish
ment. We make them only the more
dangerous and then set them free to
wreak vengeance on us again.
We really send men to such insti-
buttons for two purposes: to correct
their evil tendencies, and to restrain
Others from following their example.
Punishment can only humiliate and
hurt a man. and that degrades him
What we want in our penal institu-
tons, are conditions that will make
these men better. We must ascer-
tain If possible the cause of their
evil tendencies and correct them
There may be some extravagant no
tions advanced by those, who see the
evil of our present system and de
sire to reform ii without expert
knowledge; but that does not make
the whole policy of reform ridiculous.
II is right expensive to provide de-
grading influences to make our
criminals worse, and then turn them
out better equipped to prey upon us.
We have the charity to believe
that the vast majority of those crimi-
nails in the Kentucky penitentiaries
are unfortunate; that they never had
the chances the rest of us have
abused; and that they are as capable
of being Improved, as We are certain
they are capable Of being degraded,