The Washington herald., 1914-04-17
By ALExANDERS BLUME.

What shall society do with the criminal? The
revelations of the shocking conditions existing IN
prisons and pententiaries have brought this world
old question before the public with renewed intensity
Society sets up code of laws and morals. As a
means of protection against future depredations
punishment the offender is subjected to the vari-
Gus penalties decreed by law, chief Of which is in
generation in prison cell for term of years Grim
inals are imprisoned either safeguard to So
ciety or to reform them How well does imprison-
ment serve that end? ..J
To students of crimnology, and to social work
ers it is accepted fact that the great majority of
grosser crimes are committed in the heat of passion,
unpremeditatedly Immediately after the outburst.
the offender is bitterly pentent This is true of prac-
tcally all awbreakers except the habitual and hard
ened The guilty one is sentenced to prison. to in
still the fear of law in his heart and to reform him
in the end. This however, is rarely accomplished;
more often does he become defiant and depraved.
The man is placed in a cold dank cell, beyond the
pale of companionship comfort. His garb ind-
Gates that he is outcast a man to be Stunned by
all honest folk. His self-respect is torn from him;
he is degraded The first step toward the crumbling
and final dissolution of the entire fabric of morality
is the loss of his selfrespect Outside, the day is
bright and bamy; his cell is dark and filthy, laden
with disease germs.
He strains against the bars eagerly seeking the
rays of the life-gving sunlight; how he longs
for the beautiful world mad anger surges up
within him, a furious, unreasoning rage against all
mankind that has treated him so unjustly. and in
his mpoent fury he beats against the walls with his
bare hands.
Day after day his blood is poisoned with hate; he
turns against fellow-man he lnsts for revenge. The
man may be first offender, but he is often placed
IL.
constant companionshp the remaining barriers of his
moral being torn down completely.
We are told he is placed in a cell to be reformed
But when have fear and deadly hate reformed man?
All the good influences his life may have contained
are stricken from him. home, wife, family, love
How many men have been turned back from paths
of evil and ruin by the love of a wife; how many
have been saved by the realization OF their bounden
duties toward the little Yet though prison cell
removes him utterly from these powerful agencies
for good told it will reform him
An eternal stain is left upon him, he is branded
with the mark of sin for the rest OF his days. his
very soul is Scared Fear, alone has restrained
man from committing crime; and what is to deter
him from again doing wrong in his blind wrath
when the beast within him. fostered by years of hate
has been unleashed?
What shall do TO remedy these conditions:
How. shall remodel our criminal institutions?
Science and common sense show conclusively that
bad light, impure air, insanitary living quarters and
evil associations are the most important factors in
the production of moral degenerates and lawbreak-
ers. Yet this is exactly what the penitenary holds
for its tenants.
How differently the prison farm would affect its
occupants? The would be out in the open,
breathing in pure air. thinking healthy. honest
thouohts In the darkness ~ he MINI
dwells on evil things morbid fancies roam through
the brain Out in the light of day. there is no
for thoughts OF darkness. The prison paIlor disap
pears and healthy color sufuscs the checks Sunken
hollows fill out and dull eyes brighten.
Evening brings welcome sumber, not restless
nights, filled with hideous nightmares. Farm and
road work would benefit the community and help
make men out of vicious brutes, the same time
serving moral barrier the inwardly decent but
unfortunate Now, he Iabors at some trying
tasks receiving return for his toll his bitterness
but enhanced at what he deems tyrannical plumber
ing of his labor power When his life and occupa-
ton would be healthy, his thoughts would become
healthy Light and evil are deadly enemies
The grandest work of all is the uplifting of
wretched and the prevention of crime but until
the time is reached where it will be thing unknown
punitive measures and penal institutions are an inn
perailVe necessity but the dungeon Is relic OF
barbarous ages; it is not for enlightened men to
help drag down still further into the dirt his I'M
fortunate fellows.
In the Shiny darkness of the fever jungles, oath-
some and venomous reptiles crawl through the cling
ing mud. Out in the bright meadows beautiful flow
their heads spreading balmy fragrance and
birds dart swiftly about filling the air with their
merry chatter.
In the darkness of prison walls evil is afoot,
stealthiy creeping along seeking for hold where
it may mplant its tendriIls. Open the iron gates,
and the hearts and souls of the unfortunates to the
rerivfyng influences of mother nature; destroy the
grim and gloomy prison house; not sentiment, but
humanity and common sense demands this
"Subsidy and Tariff" Better