The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-10-11


sort Of thing was all wrong the Cover
nor said, and he proceeded to explain
Just how little a part dangerous senti-
mentality has played or would play In
his conception of how prisons should
be run.
This was especially interesting to
Auburn, because the city is the home
oil Thomas Mott Osborne. as well as the
site or State prison. and immense APP
pause ran through the course of Gov.
Mlllers address. His reception alto
sether was exceedingly friendly.
have been trying for two years
ne said at the outset, ito substitute
government to serve in place Of govern
nent to please government by thought
instead OF government by emotion; gov
eminent on merit rather than govern
ment by favor; representative govern
ment instead of group government gov
eminent for all the people In place Of
government for a part of the people.
rms last is the kind of government that
my adversary admits existed under his
administration.
IT is not easy to DO that" Gov. Miller
continued. 1T is not easy 10 uproot
habits. 1t is not easy to drive out favor
itism once established. 1t is not easy
to inaugurate regular business methods
instead of having things done because
somebody wants them done. An at
tempt to make that change necessarily
encounters opposition from many quar-
terS
I'VE have accomplished much In two
years but the job Is not finished.
have enlisted to finish 1t if that is what
the people want"
In his speech tonight the Governor
landed pretty hard on Mr.. Smith, though
not in the way of personalities. only in
the matter of condemnation Of thought
less, easy gong, extravagant, govern
ment.
The Prison situation.
I'VE have gone through a period in
this State" he said, I'm which there
have been a great deal of maudlin senti-
ment developed in reference to the penal
institutions. The thought has been that
the prisons SHOULD be made more attrac-
tive; that means should be provided to
entertain the prisoners, and some If they
had their way. would make the prisons
so attractive that men would commit
crimes To get into the prisons because
1t must be considered that the class OF
men who commit crimes are as a rule
those who do not have the most COM
Portable way of living outside of the
prisons.
Men commit crime by mistake, from
weakness. who are not really criminals,
but the main class of criminals is re.
cruited from those who from neglect
in early years were led into criminal
paths, and many of them can be made
as comfortable inside as outside of pris-
ons. though. of course, all like their
liberty. In the first place we are under
taking to attack it at its source.
'Mr. Smith says that / am devoid Of
human feeling and understanding. Ny
heartstrings have been tried as severely
as his ever were. but J have placed the
performance of my official duties above
personal qualification. | have under
taken to exercise the pardoning power
not to please myself, not to please those
TO whom clemency might be extended
and their friends. but to protect society
At the same time ! have undertaken and
have already inaugurated plan which
will really do more to REGAIN the human
material in the prisons than all OF the
maudln sentmentality at which these
men themselves laugh.
There was one special group inter-
ested in the prison problem that had the
right solution. or at least understood the
right point of attack. That was ths
Prison Association. That association
has time and again recommended that
sc netting be done to put the prison in
dustries upon an industrial basis as the
foundation for the reclamation of tn
human material in the prisons. That
recommendation fell on deaf ears when
government was administered to plea Sc.