The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-10-06
THE
HASTE MADE
BY OFFICIALS
PRESIDENT OF PRISON CON-
GREss SAYS FIRST I'M
PRISONMENT CAREERS
OF CRIME.
Attorney General Declares Modern
Legislation Tends to
Convince Law
Violators.

ashln9ton, Oct. with dele
gates present from thirty-nine for.
eien countries. the International Pri-
son Congress assembled here
with much form and ceremony
Attorney General Wickershan
officially welcome the visitors
to the United States OH behalf
OF the President. and briefly adj
dressed them on the PROCESS toward
the prevention of crime made in
this country since the last congress
i'll Budapest in 1905.
Ricki de Belley of Budapest.
former president of the congress,
responded in French, paying a glow.
ing tribute to George WasI.;ugton
and the American people in general,
and thanking the Americans for the
splendid reception they had accord
ed the foreign delegates since their
arrival on these shores.
Deplores Police Energy.
Complaint that the police often
were too hasty about putting per-
sons into Jail was voiced by Charles
Il Henderson professor of sociology
at the University of Chicago. during
his opening address as president of
the congress.
The keeping of first offenders in
jail even one night when it might
have been avoided often accomplish
es irreparable moral injury, ex-
planned Prof. Henderson with
emphasis. Il am afraid many per.
sons have been started on careers
Of crime by being subjected need
lessly to the humiliation of temper
arv incarceration in city prison.
Expressing the opinion that a
change had occurred in the attidute
of civilized communities toward the
subject of the prevention of crime,
the attorney general in his address
declared that modern legislation
sought not simply to deter by max.
ing an example Of offenders, but
by convincing the offender of the
wisdom of obeying the law and by
so doing to restore him to a useful
status in society, RI
Penal Laws Are Clarified.
The adoption by Congress III
March, 1909, of revised code of
penal laws, codified and clarified the
legislation defining and prescribing
punishment for crime against the
United States government, and mark
an important sep III the G rcclIon
Of reducing our law 10 sci, certain
~ that the legal presumption that
every citizen, knowns tie law nav
be something other than a pitfall
for the unwary,' said Mr..
Wickersham. "All over the land
you will find spirit of wholesome
in the discharge of the
luties winch rest upon society to
ieal with the offenders against its
aw without vindictiveness and with
,ut discrimination"
The attorney general urged the
systematic visitation of penal insti-
utions by organized nonofficial or
luasi-official bodies.
"All human experience shows
hat power of man over man will |
De abused If uncontrolled, he said. |
The necessary and wholesome dis
'ipline of penal institution not |
My furnishes great opportunities
or tyrannical conduct on the part |
II the prison officials but renders
particularly difficult for a prison
r with just cause for complaint to
btaln redress or even hearing of |
us complaint. There can be no
more effectual guarantee against
buse of power by prison officials
han the liability at any moment to
visit by an outside committee or
itizen authorized by law to inspect
ny part of the establishment and
0 question, alike prisoners and Off
ials.
Tonight the congress held a joint
leeting with the American Prison
association at which addresses
ere made by both American and
)reign delegates.
The congress is meeting in the
larhle home of the Bureau Of
merican Republics, Like all open
lg session today's meeting was
primal and prefunctory. All an
were made by the pre-
dent in both French and English.
he international but congress
Gets once every year but during yc
lie forty years of its existence it a
Is never before assembled in this c
'untry. The 1915 congress proba- i
v will meet i'll London. C
Numbered among the delegates to
e congress are some of the most I
tied criminologists in the world. in n
nding the following: NJ. A. Schra- y
eek, inspector general of French h
isons: Sir Evelyn Ruggles Brise, s
esident of the prison commission, o
,ndon: M. Etienne de Khrouleff. 0
elf of the prison administration of C
lssia; Adolph Prinz inspector gen. S
alof prisons. Belgium. Il