The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1910-11-04
JUDGE JARS PRISON
REFORMERS
SEATTLE JuRisT sTARTLEs HIS
HEARERS AT PRISON SUN
DAY MEETING.

Saving Of the Criminal Should Be
Started When He ls child-Fath.
ers and Mothers Blamed for Condi-
tions Now Existins-WouId Reform
Marriage Laws.
Seattle, Oct. 31.-"You might as
well drag the untamable lion from his
mountain Businesses or his tangled
jungles and endeavor to domesticate
him along with your focks and herds
as to attempt to reform the criminal
and lead him to live according to the
Golden Rule"
With this statement, Judge j. T.
Ronald, of the superior court of King
county, began series of shocks for
the enthusiastic prison reformers at
the celebration of Prison Sunday. yes.
terday afternoon, in Plymouth Congre.
gational church.
Address Causes Sensation.
The addresses preceding that of
Judge Ronald had been along the lines
OF reforming criminals and the duty
society owned to that class. Judge
Ronald's addressed was termed reac-
tlonary, and caused a sensation. He
spoke from his experience on the
bench, and raped some of the evils
OF society. The meeting was also the
october session of the Social Service
Club. Several hundred men and wom-
en- heard the address.
"A criminal is man who, by reason
of experience, association, environ
ment, has lost his self-respect, become
devoid Of sense of justice, thinks the
world owes him a living and wickedly
and deliberately preys upon his fellow
men," said Judge Ronald.
Stop Criminal Recruiting.
Until mankind can reform its own
prejudiced nature, it is waste of time
and energy and of effort to attempt to
reform criminals. Harsh and cruel as
the words may sound, or as the
thought may seem, the only practical
course to pursue is to shut out this
class from society until death carries
them away. Devote your efforts to.
ward preventing criminal recruits
from the ranks of the young"
The speaker analysed the causes OF
crime, drawing his conclusions from
his experiences on the bench of the
superior court. He traced the down
fall of many of the boys to active fault
or passive neglect by parents.
1000 Divorces Year in Seattle.
Il am satisfied that close to 1000
family ties are sundered every year in
Seattle alone" Judge Ronald said.
1.-THE courts merely decree the down
fall of that house of love.
Divorce itself is not a cause, but
the result of cause. Safeguard and
control and regulate marriage; pre-
vent so many mismatings, and there
will be less marriage failures and less
divorces. Reform your marriage
laws.
There is another class of boys
among these prisoners who are chill
dren, not of divorced parents, but
whose parents nevertheless are in
need of little reformation. refer to
the busy father, who is chasing SO
hard after the almighty dollar that
he never sees the pitfalls toward
which the boys and girls by the hum
dreds, of the age of his own, are ap-
preaching"
Scores NeglectfuI Mother.
Judge Ronald scored the wife and
that mother who has become inocu-
lated with the germ of social climb
ing" He said:
..She spends much time studying the
latest patterns, telephoning or learn
ing the latest gossip, preparing for the
seasons receptions or card parties, or
even it may be the coming church sup
per.
sShe gives her children only what is
left after the socials. the receptions,
the rides, and that is the nervous,
tired, worthless, most useless and
most harmful part of our companion
ship. Hence the boys Of these we'll
TODD parents, like the boys of the
scattered home of the divorced par
ents, degenerate.
Parents Learn Too Late.
II have seen this society-loving
mother and this busy, rushing father
weep bitter, burning tears Of agony
that they had too late learned that the
rearing Of their children is business,
the most important business, and their
boy is worth million times more than
all the stations in society the mother
could ever reach; million times more
than all the wealth the father could
ever hope for"
Joint Terminals at Spokane.
SpoKane. Wash, Oct 29.-AnnOunce-