New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-07-07

| nrogress and reform The question
OF how TO dispose. e the criminal II burn
Ing one. Il Is recognized that simple re-.
straint and punishment will not do II 1t
also leaves the prisoner a worse man AFTER
the expiration Of HE sentence than ne YVES
I before. . There evidently exists sin.
cere desire among the thinking class ct
people To see crime reduced 10 a minimum
! The mission 81 Progress will not
/ he I'm vain II Il can impress here ard there
a sane and healthy philosophy OF life ana
conduct upon some prisoner, or cast some
clear ray Of light occasionally upon THIS
dark phase Of human existence. showing
to people at large the actual erects le-
, suiting from divers penal laws and meas
ures.
! Holzhey's article, entitled Two Methods
Of Reform" IN the December, 1902, num-
Der Of Progress" reveals not only a prac-
teal keen insight into human nature ana
into penal methods, hut It rings true NOR
ally, and possesses high literary qualities
The article, in part is as follows:
The wisdom OF dorg right and the folly
Of doing wrong are two selt-svident truths
TO those who are sufficiently versed IN the
dynamics and involved mechanism OF nu-
man existence. With these, misconduct mas
not so much Of sinful as OF an anlecuV
foolish aspect, which mode OF view Is inc
best kind of a safeguard against nlisbe-
havior While many have no fear OF being
thought OF as bad. few. II any. desire TO
appear as fools in their own sisS6 or IN
men, because Of their. mental limitations
can never be brought 10 a realization that
wrongdoing is folly from purely practleal;
mundane reasons. Yet II Is seciai,etrista
SONS idea that right is right and that wrong
is wrong, because on the whole the former
pays and the latter does not. For mos.
who hold the opposite view 10 any extent
tecome cheats and crooks by sheer neces-
elty Of their mental bent. II is this class
OF men that does the corrupt work IN poll
tics. lives by, fraud ana crime ana large"
nils the penal institutions.
Now, In attempting 70 reform THIS cas-
of men In prison, II Is essental 70 max
them realize clearly that se!t-lnterest IL
furtrered by right doins, ana vice versa.
II this Impression can be made suntciently
deep, so as 10 become one OF the msehanicsi
habits of thought, except there be nope
lessly weak mind IN, shs r na. two methods
NAV be pursued. In the nrst place. tne
prisoner could be trained to perceive what
might be called the natural Jaw OF ue t fe
rstro.active seduences. both upon his out
ward material and social status. as wei
as upon the inner condition or the nina
upon which all human vel being and nap
ninass densnd But as all this requires a
comparatively high grace nina, capaoIs o.
abstract reasoning and possessing cnn,'u-
cradle knowledge OF psyehic anu pnysiO,os
dan.ndence OF the social units under the
existIng conditions OF life, II quite naturally
follows that but few prisoners (or, Tor lnat
matter. even free mem can travel veIy
Far ON this road. IN rev INSTANCES
where the writer has seen this process OF
ethical enlightenment In actual operation
unon prisoners, the results In better con-
dnct and higher ideals we're so marked az
70 he freely noticed even by those VINO
knsw nothing OF the cause OK the cnange.
Rut those were exceptional minds. VINO
na.aaS onIy a little guidance Into the right
ah.nns,s Of thought and study 10 WORK
ont their own salvation.
nut although the great mass or prisoners
cannot he reached by this route, because
~ in sufficient mental endowment ana cult,
ure there is a simple mechanlcal metnou
which' by innate necessity, must tend tow
ard creating In all those railing under its
operation an ethically healthy condluon OF
mind II Is the simple expeoient OF WIN
hnid,ng or bestowing benefits upon prison.
srs in exact proportion as they merit and
dsSerye them by their own conduct ana
ssyoyts Let this process be applied
wtth the Justice and inf1extble certainty
- natural law and IL cannot heip put
create IN those falling under its operation
Tor months and years an impreshon.
smountinG almost to instinct, thar 20 90
r,sht is Wise and to do wrong Is toonsn'
The success OF such a system wouIu,
~ course. hinge entirely upon the measurs
~ practical wisdom and sagecity posssssso
by those appointed to carry II through
In his article In the July, 1905 NUMBER OF
progress" entitled Where Conscience 10
at Rest" with the subtitle OF "A study IN