Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-08-22
W VIEWS OF C0Nv,cTs.

In recent years there has been a
marked tendency toward consideration
for the criminal himself in dealing
with crime. Indeterminate sentence
and parole laws in a number Of the
states are in point, also the nodiica-
ton of penitentiaries into reformator-
les. all with a view to the redemption
Of the offender back to ways of right
leousness and usefulness to society.
Has the movement one too far or
too rapidly? There have been those all
along to say. but they have beer in the
minority. Most of us have believed 1t
| all to be in line of human advance
ment. Time will tell which view Is
right. Meanwhile it is interesting to
note such testimony as this: c. c.
Mott. assistant p~resuctor on New
York. believes that the main object In
dealing with criminals should be the
safeguarding of the community, with
the reformation of the criminal as an
incidental possibility, to be essayed
| only with the other object constantly
in view. He cites an increase from
400 cases of suspended sentence by the
court of general sessions in New
in 1904, to 1,16o in 1903, which was out
o fall proportion to the total number
Of indictments. Assuming that the
maximum term could have been six
wears. he calculates that in 1909 there
would still have been 4.361 convicted
New York. There are only five pro-
baton officers (some of them women
in charge of this mass The result Is
q great increase OF Grim, Mr.. Mott con-
tends. and as a farcical character 10
much of the probation system. HIS
conclusion is hat the abandonment OIL
the principle of punishment as a de-
~terrent and an over-indulgence Of kind
ness to offenders are ~prejudicial TO the
interests of society.
Mr.. Knots argument lacks point In
Iowa. Some sentences have been sus-
pended. but few of these by the parole
board. The case of Ffnberg Is n IN
point. Ftnberg was sentenced n
should have been sent 70 the penifen-
tiary. He was granted great and I'M
precedented favor by n governor, per-
| mitted to remain outside the peniten-
| ttary and the operation Of his sentence
as well as the order of h cour sus-
- y-o- o11aoa6 IN
order to gain political support. But
| this instance was SO fagrant that the
state hew up in arms at its recital.
Mr. Knott has the acquired point OF
view Of the public prosecutor n the
| policeman long on ~ force. He wants
to soak them" Perhaps most OF
them deserve Soaking" but the opera
lt!on of the penal laws are not 10 be-
come mechanical Indeed the hope OF
reform of those guilty Of crime and
sentenced to be punished for its COM
mission, lies in Avoiding such mechan-
lical operation Of laws and our and
in Intelligent application Of legal pun
ishment to the crime. Its motive ana
the character OF him who has committed
II Punishment nowadays Is losing
somewhat of its vengeful aspect ana
is being administered with a view to
| the future Of the punished as yell as TO
the protection Of society. The trouble
behind it, but in the fact hat the
pull works against both. This pull"
ia quite likely to be effective In the
prosecutors office as upon governors
and parole boards as observation Will
quickly teach.
Given a condemned convict, inside
the penitentiary, Mr.. Knots criticism
fails utterly. He harks back TO the
theory Of dark cells. ~unsanitary con-
ditions and cruelty. The new pencil
ogist who demands a decent change of
clothes for Sunday that he men may
mark the day with relief if not with
religious fervor, who introduces kind
ness as a return for obedience and
substitutes an interest in a human life
for medieval cruelty and carelessness
and who breaks the monotony which
makes toward insanity and d~egenera-
ton by legitimate amusernents, has
come to stay because he is part Of a
new and more uman order. Mr..
Knott and the others are o. the way
out
THE WEDDING PRESENT.