THE CALIFORNIA PENAL SYSTEM. 



6 4S 



effort was made to obtain its adoption in complete form. That re- 

 markable code known as the Livingston system agrees with the 

 Spencerian principles of ethics, and has been a source of inspiration 

 for the most advanced penal legislation of recent years. Louisiana 

 adopted it only in part, but Belgium has the Livingston code in its 

 entirety. California, suffering under difficult local conditions, took a 

 course in the liberal pioneer days 

 that has for a time rendered prog- 

 ress along the lines of modern de- 

 velopment extremely difficult. 



California is a large and pop- 

 ulous State, many portions of 

 which are thinlv settled and hard 

 to reach. In early days it had 

 many Spanish and Mexican out- 

 laws, and became a refuge for 

 criminals from all parts of the 

 world. When the State was or- 

 ganized, money was extremely 

 abundant, and every one had 

 golden dreams. The idea of self- 

 supporting prisons seemed ab- 

 surd, not only because the rich 

 young State seemed capable of 

 supporting any expense, but also 

 because no manufactures were yet 



established, and the most active penologist would have found it hard 

 to find suitable employment for prisoners. 



As time went on, the very strong labor unions of California, aided 

 by many newspapers and politicians, accepted the principle that every 

 dollar a convict earned was taken from some citizen, and that the State 

 was bound to support its criminals in idleness. Numbers of good and 

 earnest men in the service of the State as prison commissioners, ward- 

 ens, and other officials studying methods elsewhere and mindful of 

 local conditions, have made untiring efforts to stir the public con- 

 science, and to gain recognition of a criminal's right to earn his own 

 living by productive labor. As long ago as 1872 Hon. E. T. Crane, 

 of Alameda County, chairman of a joint Assembly and Senate com- 

 mittee, made an excellent and progressive report on prison reforms. 

 Something has been gained since then, and, though working under 

 adverse conditions, the prisons have been excellently managed. But 

 these results are due to individuals, not to the system, nor to the well- 

 meant but often injurious enactments of legislatures meeting bien- 

 nially for only sixty days. 



Warden W. E. Hale, of San Quentin. 



