The Washington herald., 1915-08-23
The Sentimentalists.
BY JOHN ID. BARRY,

The Sentimentalists.
| BY JOHN d. BARRY.
Just now there is some opposition TO- prison
reform. 1t uses words that are considered
Strong" They include disgusting imbecility,
"slobber," mawkish sentimentality." If such
| terms were not used in the language many power
full writers would have nothing to say. The words
take the place of ideas.
The prison-reform movement has so often been
accused of "sentimentality" that it may be worth
while to consider what it really has been doing.
1t has advocated changing punitive methods to
curative methods making prisons places, not
| where men shall be further crippled and forced
into more hostile attitude toward society," but
| where they shall become encouraged to become
good citizens and given a chance to return to de-
cent living.
This work may be sentimental. 1t unquestion-
ably appeals, not to hate, but to sympathy. What
to many people will seem even more important,
however, is that it brings practical results.
/ About nine months ago man called prison
| reformer of my acquaintance on the telephone.
. Il want to get one of those prisoners of yours
he said His tone suggested that he was going to
| try an amusing experiment 81 have job for
him as night Waterman in the mountains"
i The job was not very attractive 1t meant
| Loneliness, which most ex-prisoners abhor and
dread. 1t TAKEN however
The other day that employer met the prison
reformer. Say, do you remember that fellow you
sent to me about nine months ago? Well, he's
all right He's made good" He was no longer
amused.
l suppose there are prisoners that deserve to
be called, as writer here has called them,
"hyenas." With equal justice the term might be
applied to many people outside prison. But words
OF this kind, expressing bitter feeling seldom tell
the whole truth. As matter of fact most of us
have in us something of the hyena Besides, if we
really understood the nature OF the hyena, we
might find that there was good in him, too and
that he had place in the great world that has
been so confidently appropriated by man. Much
OF the energy nowdevoted to crime can be diverted
to the service of society. IT, to make the effort is
sentmentality let us be sentimental.
l recently met who came out of prison
a few weeks ago. When / had first seen him
few days after his release he was a pitiful object
IT his mother had seen him or any one that took
a personal interest in him, there might have been
a fearful temptation to sobber Though still
fairly young, he looked as if all courage and intia-
tive had been taken out of him. He spoke in
hoarse whisper and with trembling lip. He had
been trying to get job and he had been every
where repulsed. Today, however, he was diff
ferent man, younger and better looking, more con-
hdcnt The explanation was that one of the sob-
Dcrers' one OF the disgusting and mawkish senti-
mentalists, had found him work.
Less cheerful is the situation of another pris-
oner, now looking for a chance While working
in prison he fell from wall and as result of
the accident he lost leg. He is wondering how
he is to keep from starving But society doesn't
care. Just now society is saying to him. Steal
It's your only chance If you steal. YOU won't
have to starve for while. But you'll become
slave and you'll wear stripes" He is in a dilemma
this fellow. But we mustn't slobber over him.
About a hundred years ago, when the reform
was started to protect the insane from brutal
treatment and to help their condition by humane
methodS there was an outcry of protest, not
like what VIC are hearing today in regard to the
treatment OF prisoners. 1t was considered danger
Gus, for example. to release maniacs from their
chains In Paris permission to try the new treat
ment had to be asked OF the public authorities by
the great French scientist Pinel HI was himself
called lunatic. 1t took many years for Pnel
and his followers to carry his reform through
France. Even now there arc MANY people who
believe prisoners should be treated like wild ami
mails. They don't realize that the treatment itself
as used to be the in dealing with the insane
may be an aggravation OF the disease.
They arc very expensive luxures, both prison.
ers and ex-prisoners. They cost society a vast
amount of money each year, not to speak of
trouble. Most OF the money is paid by the State.
You and | are taxed for it, directly or indirectly
perhaps in both ways. 1t makes a heavy item in
the cost of living. Some of the money is paid by
the slobberers. But less money is paid than
would be paid if the slobberers were not at work.
For those prisoners and cx-prsoners, so long as
they stay earth. must be taken care of. Very
few OF them will take themselves out of the way
by committing suicide. The life instinct is as
strong in them in those of us whose offenses
haven't landed us in prison. Now one way of TAX
ing of them is by treating them with terrible
severity and breaking them that they shall
always be dependents. Another way is by encour-
aging them to take care Of themselves. This way
relieves society OF a great part of its burden. 1t
money.
Hour of Peril to Nation.