in darkest england and the way out-第22章

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　worst　of　it　is　that　all　authorities　agree　that　if　you　only　do　that　you　will　probably　increase　the　evil　with　which　you　are　attempting　to　deal；　and　that　you　had　much　better　let　the　whole　thing　alone。

There　is　at　present　no　attempt　at　Concerted　Action。　　Each　one　deals　with　the　case　immediately　before　him；　and　the　result　is　what　might　be　expected；　there　is　a　great　expenditure；　but　the　gains　are；　alas！　very　small。　　The　fact；　however；　that　so　much　is　subscribed　for　the　temporary　relief　and　the　mere　alleviation　of　distress　justifies　my　confidence　that　if　a　Practical　Scheme　of　dealing　with　this　misery　in　a　permanent；　comprehensive　fashion　be　discovered；　there　will　be　no　lack　of　the　sinews　of　war。　　It　is　well；　no　doubt；　sometimes　to　administer　an　anaesthetic；　but　the　Cure　of　the　Patient　is　worth　ever　so　much　more；　and　the　latter　is　the　object　which　we　must　constantly　set　before　us　in　approaching　this　problem。

The　third　method　by　which　Society　professes　to　attempt　the　reclamation　of　the　lost　is　by　the　rough；　rude　surgery　of　the　Gaol。　　Upon　this　a　whole　treatise　might　be　written；　but　when　it　was　finished　it　would　be　nothing　more　than　a　demonstration　that　our　Prison　system　has　practically　missed　aiming　at　that　which　should　be　the　first　essential　of　every　system　of　punishment。　　It　is　not　Reformatory；　it　is　not　worked　as　if　it　were　intended　to　be　Reformatory。　　It　is　punitive；　and　only　punitive。　　The　whole　administration　needs　to　be　reformed　from　top　to　bottom　in　accordance　with　this　fundamental　principle；　viz。；　that　while　every　prisoner　should　be　subjected　to　that　measure　of　punishment　which　shall　mark　a　due　sense　of　his　crime　both　to　himself　and　society；　the　main　object　should　be　to　rouse　in　his　mind　the　desire　to　lead　an　honest　life；　and　to　effect　that　change　in　his　disposition　and　character　which　will　send　him　forth　to　put　that　desire　into　practice。　　At　present；　every　Prison　is　more　or　less　a　Training　School　for　Crime；　an　introduction　to　the　society　of　criminals；　the　petrifaction　of　any　lingering　human　feeling　and　a　very　Bastille　of　Despair。　　The　prison　brand　is　stamped　upon　those　who　go　in；　and　that　so　deeply；　that　it　seems　as　if　it　clung　to　them　for　life。　　To　enter　Prison　once；　means　in　many　cases　an　almost　certain　return　there　at　an　early　date。　　All　this　has　to　be　changed；　and　will　be；　when　once　the　work　of　Prison　Reform　is　taken　in　hand　by　men　who　understand　the　subject；　who　believe　in　the　reformation　of　human　nature　in　every　form　which　its　depravity　can　assume；　and　who　are　in　full　sympathy　with　the　class　for　whose　benefit　they　labour；　and　when　those　charged　directly　with　the　care　of　criminals　seek　to　work　out　their　regeneration　in　the　same　spirit。

The　question　of　Prison　Reform　is　all　the　more　important　because　it　is　only　by　the　agency　of　the　Gaol　that　Society　attempts　to　deal　with　its　hopeless　cases。　　If　a　woman；　driven　mad　with　shame；　flings　herself　into　the　river；　and　is　fished　out　alive；　we　clap　her　into　Prison　on　a　charge　of　attempted　suicide。　　If　a　man；　despairing　of　work　and　gaunt　with　hunger；　helps　himself　to　food；　it　is　to　the　same　reformatory　agency　that　he　is　forthwith　subjected。　　The　rough　and　ready　surgery　with　which　we　deal　with　our　social　patients　recalls　the　simple　method　of　the　early　physicians。　　The　tradition　still　lingers　among　old　people　of　doctors　who　prescribed　bleeding　for　every　ailment；　and　of　keepers　of　asylums　whose　one　idea　of　ministering　to　a　mind　diseased　was　to　put　the　body　into　a　strait　waistcoat。　　Modern　science　laughs　to　scorn　these　simple　〃remedies〃　of　an　unscientific　age；　and　declares　that　they　were；　in　most　cases；　the　most　efficacious　means　of　aggravating　the　disease　they　professed　to　cure。　　But　in　social　maladies　we　are　still　in　the　age　of　the　blood…letter　and　the　strait　waistcoat。　　The　Gaol　is　our　specific　for　Despair。　　When　all　else　fails　Society　will　always　undertake　to　feed；　clothe；　warm；　and　house　a　man；　if　only　he　will　commit　a　crime。　It　will　do　it　also　in　such　a　fashion　as　to　render　it　no　temporary　help；　but　a　permanent　necessity。

Society　says　to　the　individual：　　〃To　qualify　for　free　board　and　lodging　you　must　commit　a　crime。　　But　if　you　do　you　must　pay　the　price。　You　must　allow　me　to　ruin　your　character；　and　doom　you　for　the　rest　of　your　life　to　destitution；　modified　by　the　occasional　successes　of　criminality。　　You　shall　become　the　Child　of　the　State；　on　condition　that　we　doom　you　to　a　temporal　perdition；　out　of　which　you　will　never　be　permitted　to　escape；　and　in　which　you　will　always　be　a　charge　upon　our　resources　and　a　constant　source　of　anxiety　and　inconvenience　to　the　authorities。　　I　will　feed　you；　certainly；　but　in　return　you　must　permit　me　to　damn　you。〃　　That　surely　ought　not　to　be　the　last　word　of　Civilised　Society。

〃Certainly　not；〃　say　others。　　〃Emigration　is　the　true　specific。　The　waste　lands　of　the　world　are　crying　aloud　for　the　application　of　surplus　labour。　　Emigration　is　the　panacea。〃　　Now　I　have　no　objection　to　emigration。　　Only　a　criminal　lunatic　could　seriously　object　to　the　transference　of　hungry　Jack　from　an　overcrowded　shantywhere　he　cannot　even　obtain　enough　bad　potatoes　to　dull　the　ache　behind　his　waistcoat；　and　is　tempted　to　let　his　child　die　for　the　sake　of　the　insurance　moneyto　a　land　flowing　with　milk　and　honey；　where　he　can　eat　meat　three　times　a　day　and　where　a　man's　children　are　his　wealth。　But　you　might　as　well　lay　a　new…born　child　naked　in　the　middle　of　a　new…sown　field　in　March；　and　expect　it　to　live　and　thrive；　as　expect　emigration　to　produce　successful　results　on　the　lines　which　some　lay　down。　　The　child；　no　doubt；　has　within　it　latent　capacities　which；　when　years　and　training　have　done　their　work；　will　enable　him　to　reap　a　harvest　from　a　fertile　soil；　and　the　new　sown　field　will　be　covered　with　golden　grain　in　August。　　But　these　facts　will　not　enable　the　infant　to　still　its　hunger　with　the　clods　of　the　earth　in　the　cold　spring　time。　　It　is　just　like　that　with　emigration。　　It　is　simply　criminal　to　take　a　multitude　of　untrained　men　and　women　and　land　them　penniless　and　helpless　on　the　fringe　of　some　new　continent。　　The　result　of　such　proceedings　we　see　in　the　American　cities；　in　the　degradation　of　their　slums；　and　in　the　hopeless　demoralisation　of　thousands　who；　in　their　own　country；　were　living　decent；　industrious　lives。

A　few　months　since；　in　Paramatta；　in　New　South　Wales；　a　young　man　who　had　emigrated　with　a　vague　hope　of　mending　his　fortunes；　found　himself　homeless；　friendless；　and　penniless。　　He　was　a　clerk。　　They　wanted　no　more　clerks　in　Paramatta。　　Trade　was　dull；　employment　was　scarce；　even　for　trained　hands。　　He　went　about　from　day　to　day　seeking　work　and　finding　none。　　At　last　he　came　to　the　end　of　all　his　resources。　He　went　all　day　without　food；　at　night　he　slept　as　best　he　could。　　Morning　came；　and　he　was　hopeless。　　All　next　day　passed　without　a　meal。　Night　came。　　He　could　not　sleep。　　He　wandered　about　restlessly。　At　last；　about　midnight；　an　idea　seized　him。　　Grasping　a　brick；　he　deliberately　walked　up　to　a　jeweller's　window；　and　smashed　a　hole　through　the　glass。　　He　made　no　attempt　to　steal　anything：　　He　merely　smashed　the　pane　and　then　sat　down　on　the　pavement　beneath　the　window；　waiting　for　the　arrival　of　the　policeman。　　He　waited　some　hours；　but　at　last　the　constable　arrived。　　He　gave　himself　up；　and　was　marched　off　to　the　lock…up。　　〃I　shall　at　least　have　something　to　eat　now；〃　was　the　reflection。　　He　was　right。　　He　was　sentenced　to　one　year's　imprisonment；　and　he　is　in　gaol　at　this　hour。　　This　very　morning　he　received　his　rations；　and　at　this　very　moment　he　is　dodged；　and　clothed　and　cared　for　at　the　cost　of　the　rates　and　taxes。　　He　has　become　the　child　of　the　State；　and；　therefore；　one　of　the　socially　damned。　Thus　emigration　itself；　instead　of　being　an　invariable　specific；　sometimes　brings　us　back　again　to　the　gaol　door。

Emigration；　by　all　means。　　But　whom　are　you　to　emigrate？　　These　girls　who　do　not　know　how　to　bake？　　These　lads　who　never　handled　a　spade？　And　where　are　you　to　emigrate　them？　　Are　you　going　to　make　the　Colonies　the　dumping　ground　of　your　human　refuse？　　On　that　the　colonists　will　have　something　decisive　to　say；　where　there　are　colonists；　and　where　there　are　not；　how　are　you　to　feed；　clothe；　and　employ　your　emigr