The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-03-16
Liberal Viewpoint
by DIR. HARRY ELMER BARNES

IN the midst OF the present trend toward re-
Il version to savagery and mob violence in our
handling of crime, it is especially timely and
gratifying TO have a comprehensive biography
Of the foremost notwithstanding crusader for
more humane and sensible methods of approach
ing crime and the criminal
It is no exaggeration to say that Thomas
Mott Osborne deserves to rank with John
Howard Elizabeth Fry, Jeremy Bentham, the
Pennsylvania Quakers Louis Dwight, Dorothea
Dix and Frederick H. Wines as one Of the dozen
outstanding figures in the history Of prison re-
form in modern times.
In his osborne of Sing Sing" university Of
North Carolina Press, Frank Tannenbaum has
dealt in detail with Osborne's career as
prison. reforn1er. But his excellent book only
increased the need for a biography which, would
tell the whole story Of the life Of this interesting
man. who had distinguished himself as STU
dent musician, an industrial leader, Journal
ist and reformer in politics before he became
Immediately concerned with the problems Of
prison reform.
Rudolph w Chamberlain, at once scholar
and clever journalist, has filled this gap and
has given us a brilliantly written and highly
colorful account of one of the most versatile and
interesting personalities of our age. C'There Is
No Truce: A Life of Thomas Mott Osborne"
Macmillan co.. This volume is bound to stand
out as one of the more important biographies Of
the literary season.
dorm to wealth, Osborne's interests were at
ID the outset those of a scholar and esthete,
and he would personally have preferred career
as a musician or college professor. The I'M
timely death of his father early forced him into
one of the more responsible industrial posts of
the country and insuperably involved him in the
practical responsibilities Of every day life.
After developing a reputation as a liberal
an wifi rpfo
championing the cause of tariff reform AS a
future crusader for political liberalism, he got
off to rather bad start by opposing Bryan in
1896, but he amply made up for this early indis-
Cretion by his later career as a courageous and
undertaking opponent of the influence Of Tam
many Hall and William Randolph Hearst in
state and national politics.
One of his associates was no other than
Franklin D. Roosevelt, who as young state
Senator, stood valiantly with Osborne in block
ing the election of one of Murphy's underlingS
as United States Senator.
Never adequately recognized or honored by
his own party, Osborne appointed to the
Public Service Commission by Charles Evans
Hughes.
An interesting figure in half dozen different
walks of life, Mr.. Osborne will be remembered
chiefly for his revolutionary conceptions of how
to deal with criminals He started out in busi-
neSs-like fashion by entering prison and finding
how it feels to be a convict. If our judges would
only go ana DO likewise, we would probably have
complete reconstruction of our criminal law
and prison administration within a decade
LIS earlier experience with the George Junior
Il l. Republic had convinced Osborne that no
man can be good citizen unless he is entrusted
with the responsibilities of citizenship.
Therefore, he reasoned logically that no con-
vict can be blackjacked or gooSe-stepped into
good citizenship He must have an opportunity
for self-government as a preparation for safe re-
lease. This led to the establishment of the Mu-
tual Welfare League by Mr.. Osborne at Auburn,
Sing Sing and the Portsmouth Naval prison.
With it he worked wonders, and while now
eclipsed by the shadow of temporary reversion
to hard-boied stupidity, the plan is bound to be-
come the corner stone of the scientific penology
of the future
Before mis- death, Osborne had become ''the
grand old man" of American prison reform
whose advice was eagerly sought by humani-
tarians all over the country
Perhaps the high point in the whole biog-
raphy is the excellent and graphic account of
the Sing Sing frame-up, of Osborne's devastating
vindication in the face of great Odds and of his
triumphant return to Sing Sing