The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-10-02

! With the address Of Attorney General
Wickersham and the report OF the COM
mittee on prevention and probation. the
American Prison Association concluded
its convention last night To-day the in
ternationsl prison congress opens in the
Bureau Of American Republics. Attor-
ney General Wickersham presiding. and
viii continue until Friday. and delegates
from England. Switzerland. Austria, and
other countries will discuss criminology,
penology, and kindred subjects.
Mr.. Wickersham spoke before a dinner
of Jhe American institute OF criminal law
and criminology. meeting In conjunetlon
with the American Prison Association, at
the New Willard Hotel.
Eject of Criminal Law.
There is a need Of much improve
ment in criminal procedure" said M.
Wiekerssam. There is little doubt that
the basic principle of American iuris-
prudence, that the defendant is innocent
until proven guilty. affords criminals
ample opportunity 10 escape justice.
ANY student of criminal procedure in
Great Britain is struck by the control
the Judge assumes over the case from
start TO finish. II is safe 10 say any
Judge in the United States who attempted
to exercise the same, control over the
procedure would be subject 10 impeach-
ment before long
The judges in England are enabled 10
exercise this control because they conf
mand the confidence and respect of the
public. and because they are masters OF
English law and procedure regret 20
say that this last named Qualifcatios
does not always apply to the American
criminal judiciary. Whenever an able
lawyer accepts place on the bench, we
congratulate ourselves upon the fact.
HOOdwInking of Jusiice.
"Of course, the control exercised by
ngElish judges is to some degree shock
ing TO the American mind. But il Is
equally shocking for us TO see a man
whom every one knows to be an Internal
scoundrel hoodwinking justice. and finally
obtaining aequittal after four or five
trials Multiplicity of appeals, made pos
sible by American criminal procedure. IS
undoubtedly the cause of much niscar-
riage OF justice"
The Attorney General declared for leg
lslation which will accelerate trials Pres
ident Tafts long experience on the bench
had shown him that the nation pays ex-
orbitant bills for guaranteeing that the
legal technicalities are not violated he
said. The emoluments of office for Fed
eral judges aS not sufficiently alluring 10
able lawyers to bring about long tenure
of Office. he concluded
More rigid laws governing parentsge
were advocated by the committee on pre-
vention and probation. in presenting its
anual report. A spirited debate was nre-
cipitated over the recommendations of
the committee, and a minority report
was presented by Judge William H De
Lacy. of this city.
The main trend Of the report is con-
tanned in the following:
Curb Criminal Parentare
1T is high time that the state grasn
the situation with a firm hand If we
would conserve our human resources
Measures apparently drastic in their m
teEslty, but assuredly emphatic in their
results for good. should be resorted m
With SUCH an alarming showing as from
so 10 60 per cent of the children of our
feeble-mminded Institutions coming of de-
fective heredity, is 1t not reasonable "a
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