The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-04-16
Rev. Charles Parsons Of Des Moines
Spoke Before Y. NJ. c. A. Yester-
day Afternoon on This
Topic.
HITS POOR CONDITIONS
SUGGESTS That County Jails Could be
Abolished for More Sanitary
Structures and Points to
Local Prison.

Rev. Charles Parsons OF Des
Moines. superintendent or the iowa
division of the Society for the frlena-
less. gave an address at the \. M
G. A.. Sunday afternoon on "Prlsons
and Prisoners" which held the un-
divided attention Of the audlence!
/ from start to finish.
The speaker said in part that the
prison was one of the most repre-
sentative institutions in the state as
all classes and conditions OF men mao
! representation there. Usually the
man behind the bars represented
failure, to say the least he had fallea
to escape the penalty for his mis-
deeds. The prisoners failures were
closely connected with number OF
other failures. The home into whlch
he was born failed to give him such
| n start in life as to fortlfy MIN
against the temptations of the world:
The church in which he ATTENDED
Sunday school as young boy laha
| large percentage OF these men
have been in Sunday school Tor a
time in childhooD, failed TO noio
him, he drifted away from the sun
day school and it's teachings. Inc
public school failed to hold him IN
school, though he was there FOR a
time. Five hundred girls or school
age who were working in factory
were asked which they would prefer
to go to school or work in a FACTORY.
Four hundred and twelve of the 5oo
expressed themselves as preferlng
the factory to going to school. "A
good question for our school people
to consider is, why have the pubic
schools failed to hold many OF the
BOYS or interest these girls. The
community has also failed to give
these hayward sons correct stand,
ards of honesty, uprightness ana
morality. Behind prison walls we
hide society's mistakes.
The man himself failed because OF
weakness. The prisoner is usually
financially weak. Not simply with
out money, but lacks the ability tc
make the right use of money. He
"a industrially weak, not well trained
| along industrial lines. He is also
morally weak Usually his conscience
is not as active as it should be.
Hits Conditions Here.
The splendid advancement in
! Dr1SOn m eLQOuS anu CohullAohS Va 'hiN
last decade was noted, but we still
have our .demoralizing county jail
system and here and there an old
unsanitary, demoralizing dungeon
such as is tolerated in keokuk.
Some day the people Of Lee county
will abolish these dark holes called
county jails and establish something
more decent.
Some day the people of Iowa will
put an end to the idleness of our
county jails by establishing a few
district custodial farms where county
Jail prisoners will be occupied with
helpful, uplifting toll.
The speaker gave many illustra
tons of men paroled to the Society
for the Friendless in Iowa, who have
become good useful citizens.
Mr.. Parsons also addressed the
Sunday schools at the Baptist and
Presbyterian churches, and spoke at
the Congregational church in the
morning He occupied the pulpit at
the United Presbyterian church at
night.
i A number of men sent to prison
from Keokuk, have been placed
under Mr. Parsons supervision while
on parole.
superintendent Parsons goes from
here to Fort Madison to spend d
day in the prison