The Monmouth herald., July 01, 1910, Image 5

f
Prison Reform.
We publish the following by request,
it being the oration delivered by Miss
Lulu Peterson at the Commencement
Exercises of the 8th grade of the Mon
mouth Public School.
It hardly seems possible that
men and women, made in the
image of their Creator, endowed
with minds to govern their ac
tions, and consciences to guide
them to do right, should become
so depraved, that imprisonment
becomes necessary for the safety
of the public welfare, and as a
means to their moral improve
ment It is supposed that mankind in
times before history was written
was so undeveloped morally, so
dwarfed in mind, that barba
rism, cannibalism and cruelties,
such as ignorant and vicious
humanity can practice was com
mon to them; but after all these
ages; ages of gradual enlighten
ment, ages that have all along
been of an upward tendancy in
man's possession of the earth;
to know that every country has
its criminals, that every state of
our most progressive nation- has
penitentiaries, and that every
county of every state has its jails
where men and women are kept
secure for crimes they have com
mitted against their fellows; to
know this is to admit that with
all our boasted civilization, moral
growth, and quickened conscience
mankind has much yet to accom
plish for itself.
The anarchist preaches the de
struction of all law; the overzeal
ous preach a cessation of human
endeavor entirely and a throwing
of one's self, headlong as it were,
into the arms of the Almighty.
The pessimists say we are all
bad and every thing is wrong;
while the optimists are rather in
clined to the belief that we and
every thing else are good and all
is right, but in the face of it all
we have our prisons, our reform
schools, and our so-called sani
tariums. As a result we must acknowl
edge that there is much yet to be
done to retard the growth of
criminal intent, to smother im
moral thought and to stop the
onward march of crime.
When men or women commit
crimes, it is no wonder we con
clude something must be done
with them; not so much perhaps
as a punishment to the criminal
as for our safety. And no doubt
the most natural thing is to con
fine thjem where they will not be
free to murder or steal. Many
theories have been advanced from
time to time and tried out as to
proper prison discipline and the
treatment of convicts in general.
Some have proven entirely in
adequate for the purpose, some
were extremely cruel and unjust
and did not bespeak either human
kindness or sound judgment.
For the extremely vicious and
brutal man or woman, extreme
measures seem to be necessary,
such as the silent dungeon, the
starving method, or the straight
jacket, while the lash is some
times used even yet Perhaps
best of all in the line of reform
of prison methods is the inde
terminate sentence, for as man is
influenced in many ways and no
two exactly alike, it is unjust to
foresay what will bring the de
sired results, that is, the actual
reform of the man or woman im
prisoned. -
We do not believe in the Mosaic
law, as "an eye for an eye" and
a crime for a crime. Neither do
we take the other extreme, as
proper; the casting of pearls be
fore swine, for pearls there are a
few yet,' and swine there are
many.
God, himself is just and His
laws are immutable, but one of
His laws broken will inevitably
bring reproach and pain to the
breaker.
We believe and know that the
present system of prison disci
pline is intended along the line of
justice, and we also know that
our wisest men have advised and
arranged for the system of im
prisonment as we now have it;
but what stands out prominently
before the whole world is the fact
that imprisonment at present
does not reform the prisoner,
while it has the desired effect on
the few it only checks the many
until the prison doors swing open
and they breathe liberty again
when they immediately begin
preying upon their fellow men,
and so continue until the gloomy,
and to us, awful walls of the
penitentiary enclose them once
more. Is this reformation? no!
is this justice :, perhaps so m a
sense to the public, and to the
criminal, but to God who gave us
life and the privilege of being
happy and wise? no! a thousand
times no!
Our subject is prison reform
and as yet we have recited only
a tew things regarding prisons
or prisoners, but true prison re
form begins in the home, long
long, before the child knows or
can know any thing regarding
crimes or punishment of crimes
by imprisoment
Character is made in the home
not in the school, not in the
Church, not in the prison. And
it is this same character or want
of it that fills the nation with
happy, contented and prosperous
men and women or fills the assy
lums and prisons with miserable,
vicious and wrecked humanity.
Fortunate is that girl or that
boy who has a kind, loving and
sympathetic mother and along
with these graces is and must
always be good, hard sense
enough to chide, when chiding is
necessary, to reprove, when re
proof is for the betterment of the
child, and a realization that God
has given her these childaen to
train and guide as well as to love
and fondle, but never to spoil or
drive bad by neglect or abuse,
and with a father who is a com
panion to his boy or boys, takes
an interest in their play as well
as in their work, combine sobriety
with industry and has the cour
age and good sense to realize that
the mother is not to be alone to
guide her children but needs his
help and sympathy at all times.
With such a mother and such
a father few girls will neglect
their studies to walk the streets
or daudle their time away dream
ing of lovers and gayety to the
destruction of all that is good
and worth living for, and few
boys will become worthless hang
ers on at public places where only
idleness and viciousness is learned
by loitering, but will as surely,
with few exceptions, become men
among men to be loved, honored
and obeyed.
What then! to attempt to con
trole the stream with out first
controlling the spring that causes
the stream is worse than useless;
and to attempt to reform the
hardened, depraved, debased
criminal is work for God alone,
and too difficult for man.
But if "from the depth of the
heart the mouth speaketh" then
as truly we may say from the
deDth of the home character
comes or goes; and as long as it
goes prisons will be filled and
reforms planned, but if the home
is right the criminal will never
come forth.
We should love our country,
we should love our state; but we
love our home most of all.
May our boys and girls be
taught truths at home that will
destroy every prison in the land.
TO AU
(KURC)(5UPPERS
$0CIEltf)!
Y . IMPORTED JiMlfEte
WAPIOKS
with purchases of
map 6
ro s,ui ir
GEO. A: MUSCOTT, The Grocer
Successor to T. A. Riggs
Monmouth, Oregon
If you Get It at Muscott's It is Good.
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We will also give a 10 percent
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. Yours for Business.
Phone 331
CHASE BROS.
Furniture Company
MONMOUTH - - OREGON
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We have it or we'll get it. Ask us.
Normal Lodge, No. 204
Meets every Monday night at
7:30 o'clock.
0. A. Wolverton, N. G.
P. Thatcheron, Sec.
pebbins
w. o. w.
Monmouth Camp No. 49
Meets every Wednesday night.
Visiting Neighbors cordially
welcomed.
J. W. Scott, C. C.
O. A. Wolverton, Clerk