The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-01-12
PEOPLES Forum
NcIn for CnnYfcts, IN IN tIic.n

W sVF &RnFlGt5 Families
Editor virEinian:
SRI think ! have had ron1e on
portunitv to know something OF the
matter about which write.
Eighteen years ago began mission
work ut Nineteenth and Main street
and Tor six years continued IN this
uFld. doing very nearlv all OF the mis-
SION work OF Richmond.
was astonished to find how fro
duent!Y tt was true that convict had
mother or wife or sister who we're
as hianeless In their lives as those in
me average home OF church people,
ana sometime they were noble and
exalted in character. possibly bsvins
been purified in the furnace through
which they had passed.
Twelve years ago I went to Mr. Al
fred 3 Williams, then the editor of
the News Leader and secured his
warm sympathy towards organizing
i" movement looking to the uplift OF
the released convict whenever there
was reason to believe that the man
whose term had expired could be help.
ed.
This orEn rlzation wss created in
Hr. WflliaJs office upon the gather
~ Of fifty leading citizens OF Rich
mond in response 10 call for such
a purpose and began TO prosecute it's
work as the Elk Prisoners Aid socitey.
appointing me as its agent for several
Years
Ny duties gave me an excellent or
0ortun'ty TO become further impressed
with the worth and good qualities
that often are found IN the lives of
the convtet's family.
Let US not forget that even con-
victs themselves are not always de-
graded
For ten years I have worked as an
evan gelist and others have carried
on more systematically and success
fully this work among the ex-convicts.
However I cannot lose my interest
In the convict's home.
From time TO time during the ses-
slona OF our state legislature, I have
urged that something should be done
for the convict's family.
The state will sometimes take n
man from the comfortable support of
his family and will place him in the
penitentiary for ten years and will
create nv it's own act. without giving
II thought, n family OF paupers, or
II you prefer less offensive name
r family Of dependents.
have known n home of I'VE snna II
children. one OF them a ha by at it's
mothers breast to have the father
ana hushan taken from them and
they left without nickel to buy a
loaf Of bread. whereas before the high
tempered man had shot his neighbor
with whom he had quarreled they
had never known want of any need
full comfort. After this the woman
had to beg, starve or steal The chill
dren grew up without education and
one of them became a scarlet woman.
am not a lawyer but know enough
OF law to know that there is something
the matter with law that yields such
results
Cannot we have a law by which the
Judge, at his discretion. NAV allow to
the family from whose support he is
required TO take the head limited
amount for a limited timer II so,
there will likely be case now and
then Of imposition, but along with II
dozen cases OF merited aid from
the state that will prevent the inno-
cent from suffering and II may be from
becoming criminals themselves.
I need not say that II is expected
| that the money furnished to the wo-
man and children goes from the earn
| inHs OF the convict
GEORGE II. WILEY.