The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1913-08-21
MAKE OF Them
USEFUL CITIZENS
Extract from an Interview Given to the
Duluth Herald by Frank R. Mcdonald,
Superintendent Of Minneapolis Work.
house.

Frank R. Mcdonald, who spent a few
days in the city recently in conference with
the members of the newly organized joint
city and county work farm commisson, is
recognized to be one of the foremost author
tiles on the subject of penal institutions
in the country. He has built up model
workhouse and correctional institution at
Minneapolis and is generally looked upon
as a man possessing unusual ability along
those lines.
Mr.. Mcdonald believes that the work.
house is the best kind of a reformatory. He
also believes that it has possibilities, which
have yet been undeveloped.
"When we speak of possibilities of the
workhouse," said Mr.. Mcdonald in an
interview, sit might be well to first ask:
Why is there necessity for such an insti-
tuition, what relation does it bear to mu-
nicipal government, and what was the pri-
mary object of its establishment? Was it
founded to make men suffer for their offenses
against society? Was it intended you
should Just hide the inmate from the pub
lie eye, or was it thought possible by con-
slant application of the Golden Rule we
might, by searching diligently and persist
emily, discover the best there was in man,
make an effort to bring it to the surface,
and send him out into the world with the
e boxeor f,%,,roo
sJust as wise Legislators of public safety
and morals decide that contagious diseases
must be isolated in order to prevent in
lection, SO does municipal government de-
mand safety for its citizens who live
righteously and obey the laws, and remove
from public gaze that which is obnoxious.
s'But we can hardly believe that the pri-
mary object of those who conceived and
originated the principles of government of
penal institutions had in mind only punish
ment and degradation for those incarcer-
ated.
stCharity and the application of the
Golden Rule would lead us to believe that
the primary object of any penal institution,
or house of correction of any kind, would
be the reformation of the human being
who comes under its care. This is especi-
ally true of institutions known as work
houses, because what might be called hu-
man wastes of all kinds find their way to
its doors, and every phase of criminality is
represented there; cripples who are discards
in the battle of life, broken down criminals
who are unable to return to life of use
fulness, unfortunate old men without ade-
quate means of support, unable or unwill-
ing to secure remunerative employment,
those who have seen better days and have
become homeless and have lost all ambition
to cope with the affairs of life, become
through one cause or another dependents
upon the workhouse for support.
''The first principle of the management
must be the building up of an organization,
of doing the most good for the inmates.
To this end discipline of high order must
be maintained among the employees and the
inmates. The superintendent or warden
should be held absolutely responsible for
everything, and, by consent of the board,
should be made absolute master in order to
secure the best results. He should have
full and unquestioned power to hire and
discharge all employees, and political ap-
pointments should he absolutely barred. Ii
is impossible for any man to manage sue
cessfully any penal institution and attain
the best results if the positions of his sub
ordinates depend upon their political pull
either with the city, or the board of man.
agement or the superintendent, and unless
politics is divorced absolutely from penal
institutions, it is only matter of time un-
til failures overtakes the management.
Starting out upon the theory that the
average man can not be reformed by harsh
treatment, that to mistreat him is the sur
est way to engender hatred and resentment,
there should be established between the
court that sentences the prisoner to the
workhouse and the keeper of that institu-
tion, system of cooperation so that when
the man has suffered enough for his offense
against society, he may be released on pro-