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 emigrants in the uninhabited wilderness？ Immigration； no doubt； is the making of a colony； just as bread is the staff of life。 But if you were to cram a stomach with wheat by a force…pump you would bring on such a fit of indigestion that unless your victim threw up the indigestible mass of unground； uncooked； unmasticated grain he would never want another meal。 So it is with the new colonies and the surplus labour of other countries。
Emigration is in itself not a panacea。 Is Education？ In one sense it may be； for Education； the developing in a man of all his latent capacities for improvement； may cure anything and everything。 But the Education of which men speak when they use the term； is mere schooling。 No one but a fool would say a word against school teaching。 By all means let us have our children educated。 But when we have passed them through the Board School Mill we have enough experience to see that they do not emerge the renovated and regenerated beings whose advent was expected by those who passed the Education Act。 The 〃scuttlers〃 who knife inoffensive persons in Lancashire； the fighting gangs of the West of London； belong to the generation that has enjoyed the advantage of Compulsory Education。 Education； book…learning and schooling will not solve the difficulty。 It helps； no doubt。 But in some ways it aggravates it。 The common school to which the children of thieves and harlots and drunkards are driven； to sit side by side with our little ones； is often by no means a temple of all the virtues。 It is sometimes a university of all the vices。 The bad infect the good； and your boy and girl come back reeking with the contamination of bad associates； and familiar with the coarsest obscenity of the slum。 Another great evil is the extent to which our Education tends to overstock the labour market with material for quill…drivers and shopmen； and gives our youth a distaste for sturdy labour。 Many of the most hopeless cases in our Shelters are men of considerable education。 Our schools help to enable a starving man to tell his story in more grammatical language than that which his father could have employed； but they do not feed him； or teach him where to go to get fed。 So far from doing this they increase the tendency to drift into those channels where food is least secure； because employment is most uncertain； and the market most overstocked。
〃Try Trades Unionism；〃 say some； and their advice is being widely followed。 There are many and great advantages in Trades Unionism。 The fable of the bundle of sticks is good for all time。 The more the working people can be banded together in voluntary organisations； created and administered by themselves for the protection of their own interests； the betterat any rate for this worldand not only for their own interests； but for those of every other section of the community。 But can we rely upon this agency as a means of solving the problems which confront us？ Trades Unionism has had the field to itself for a generation。 It is twenty years since it was set free from all the legal disabilities under which it laboured。 But it has not covered the land。 It has not organised all skilled labour。 Unskilled labour is almost untouched。 At the Congress at Liverpool only one and a half million workmen were represented。 Women are almost entirely outside the pale。 Trade Unions not only represent a fraction of the labouring classes； but they are； by their constitution； unable to deal with those who do not belong to their body。 What ground can there be； then； for hoping that Trades Unionism will by itself solve the difficulty？ The most experienced Trades Unionists will be the first to admit that any scheme which could deal adequately with the out…of…works and others who hang on to their skirts and form the recruiting ground of blacklegs and embarrass them in ever way； would be； of all others that which would be most beneficial to Trades Unionism。 The same may be said about Co…operation。 Personally； I am a strong believer in Co…operation； but it must be Co…operation