Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1921-02-18
CITIZENS HEAR
CHAS. E. VASALY
GIVK8 ABLE ADDRESS ON CAP1-
TAI PUN1SHAdENT AND THE
UDHrERndINATE SENTENCE

AADAAAAAA&3NA
nDBrERndINATE SENTENCE
Chaa T.! Vasaly, superintendent of
the roformatory at st. Cloud, last eve
ming gave a talk on "Capital Punish.
ment aad the Indeterminate Sentence
before a large audience at the high
school auditorium, giving reasons and
data for opposing the first named and
faworing the latter.
His very interesting and instructive
talk, in part, is as follows:
Iudeterminate Sentence
What IL generally understood by the
inde&ermin.tte sentence is in reality an
indefinite sentence, period limited by
maximum, and sometimes by min
imun alao, and subject to varying con-
ditio.s of release ON parole. 1t is
has been called the central fact in the
modern science Of criminology. 1t
is logical outgrowth of progress, in
the treatment of offenders, in the re-
cognitiOp chat the protection of society
should be the object of Imprisonment
and that part of that protection should
be the reformation Of the offenoor.
The f1doterminate sentence Is ii mar
mony with advancing civilization and
opposed to the old traditions of ven
geano0 and retribution which have so
long permeated the criminal law.
Courts have not the equipment, the
facilities or the knowledge to adequate
ly determine in advance how long
period u necessary to cure the offend
er, and, render him safe for restoration
to society. The issues of the trial are
restricted by the laws Of evidence.
Even though full information was
brought ont-which is not the case
no iudgp, no matter how learned or
lust. can in advance say how much time
is needed for transformation, whole or
partial. any moro than the physician
can tell in advance how long a patient
must stay in hospital. The prisoners
history, ipis attitude to work, to study,
TO dieoipEne, to self control, to moral
training, toward law and order, cannot
be determined in advance.
The professional criminal abhors the
indetarnninate sentence. He wants to
pay his debt by a period of time, and
thus balance the account. That he
shall earn parole and keep it does not
interest," him.
Often when a man reaches the prison,
or rcformatory, it is discovered that he
is an Old offender, a fact not known to
the court, and which would have had
bearing on the sentence.
Tho BOARD of Parole is not infallibie:
hut its conclusions are based on greater
knowledge of the offender and Of the
various items of his history, and Of his
reactions in all directions, than the
julao can have. It is therefore less
likely to be mistaken as to the time
for relcese. .,-.,......,- ..-.....s.. =.
Tho speaker traced the history OF
penal reform in Minnesota and pointed
ont tho progress that had been made,
and yet there was still much to be
done. II was no use to hate the Of
fender. Crime is bad and dangerous
for tho community. We must care .:or
those who commit it, because we can
not allow them to do US harm.
Capital Punishment
''Tho great object Of punishment is
prevention, not revenge. Killing in
the name of the state does not prevent
murdor. Capital punishment is the old"
est and most widely spread Of all pun
ishnents. At one time in England over
200 sfenses were punishable by death,
and 40 late as 1884, a young woman
was executed who had stolen cloth to
sell for food for her starving child.
John Bright said he hoped to live to see
the gallews-tree torn down. Often the
penalty was preceded by torture in hor-
rible forms. If the punishment were a
deterrent, murder would have long
since ceased. When pickpockets were
being executed on Newgate Hill, others
of that profession piled their trade in
the crowd around the scaffold. When
eoi1ers were being executed in France,
false money was being circulated
among the spectators. have talked
with many who have taken life in
this and other states. have known
tho ifo histories of many Of them. I
have never found a single one who
would have been deferred from doing
what he did by knowledge of the pen
atty, nor would he have been were the
penalty preceded by torture. I have
talked with men awaiting execution,
and found the situation no different.
The, deliberate murderer, if he thinks
Of punishment, feels that he may evade
it by his own skill or the cleverness of
his attorney. The possibility of the
penalty does not prevent the deed. The
man WHO murders in passion doesn It
think Of the penalty at all. Over ha'
Of all murders arise from quarrels and
disputes, and very few arise from rob-
berry.
= II Minnesota needs the death penalty
to stop q crime wave. what will states
Ike Now York and Illinois do! They
have and use capital punishment.
viii they not have to follow the ex-
ample of our forefathers and add tor
ture in various forms to the penaltys
There are many awaiting execution in
these states, yet the, crime wave goes
en- All great human convulsions like
great wars are followed by restless
periods, lasting long or short time,
according to conditions. This was trae
Of tho Civil war, when bank and train
rob6esies were frequent for years after
the war. Better conditions Of living
md better environment with more old
.fal1inned religion, win do more - pre-
vent crime than severe penalties. Clean.
q cities means cleaner people.
1n1oeent persons may be executed.
Il has happened, and may happen
aKai1.
Oapital punishment destroys evidence
wA3eA nay be Of the greatest import
Not SentfmenAalisn