Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1869-04-29

ulO tuc Etuucutu hubt Va wv Nt>Aa% PuA'Se
lown still further into the deeps of immor-
ilty and vice the high-born ladies and illus
lrious men who looked on with complacent
good breeding, as well as the unwashed I
populace who roared and clamored as their s
lavorite butcher gave the finishing blow and
let out fellow creatures life. You know
how at last the whole energy of the Roman
mob was put into the cry, Bread and
circus games"-not the tricks and PAGES OF
trained horses, but the deadly conibats oil
armed men, fighting till the vast area OF the
Coliseum was strewed with lifeless bodies.
Bread for their nourishment and blood for
their delight for this they shouted, and this
the wealthy gave them, until with every
noble quality obliteratcd and every base and
hateful passion pampered, the mutitudcs of
the Eternal City were far worse than the
barbarians who finally rushed upon them
and trampled them and their boas,od Rome
beneath their feet.
Nation or man-lhe mills OF the gods
grind slowly, but they grind exceeding
small. 1t is Il heather saying, but II cmbo'
dies an eternal truth After wrong-doing
comes retribution-nOt tomorrow or next |
day, perhaps, but Ut last and in full.
Any community hurts itself in INJECTING de-
grading and dehumanizing punishment.
Therefore self-preservation dictates what the |
founders of our Constitution took pains to
declare, that there shall be no cruel or I'M
usual pInishments inflicted"
may be asked, "Would you then pam
per and pet the criminal, and for instance
make the prison in which he is confined n
delightful resort, Would you fit il up with
all the modern comforts, and let IL be sim
ply an elegant lounglng place where . man
who has broken the laws may take his case
Tor the brief period duiing which II tender
hearted society, to it's own great pain, is
obliged TO keep him in restraint" Nothing
Of the sort. would only have society in
this particular as in every other, exercise
selfrespect and listen to the dictates Of de-
ccncy. What then does decency demand in
a prison? These things; pure air,adeGgae
drainage, the separation of the sexes so that
men ami women cannot see or speak with
each other, proper regard for the comfort
Of prisoners in the matter of bedding and
the opportunity for sleep, 10 which even the
most hardened wretch has Il right. If ycu
will go with me lean take you TO IL prison
where all these dictates aud demands Of
humanity and dccency are completely vio-
lated. 1t is our City Hall cells. The sights
and smels there are abominabc, outrage
Gus, inlolorable. lam disguised and asham-
cd MS / remember them. although II is
months since, with a brother minister
visited them. The indeinable stencil, the
imperfect drainage, the utter lack of acco-
modaiions for sleeping, the shutting up Of
men and women in adjoining apartments
with grated door between them and
through which the yiest language constant
ly passes, the filth, the crawling, hideous
thiugs--t is u shame that you should hear
Of them, because it is crying shame that
they exist. II is like going back to the last
century to stand In that plaee; il is like
Ill. 49,
"rhe State of Prisons, III England and
worthy of the enlightened 18Th century,
utterly unworthy Of a prosperous, beautiful,
Christi IN city like Wilmington.
shall not be surprised u hear the cry
raised Of Mandy PANTY, rosc-wgtcr senti
mentality in behalf IF miserable offenders
who deserve nothing better than what they
receive. If such sentmcnialily he attrbui-
ed TO me, repudiate it. | would stand by
aud See u mans leg cut oil to save his life
bat | would ncpcr stand by and see that
crushed and maagled limb neglected until it
had become II putrid mass. So will always
stand up tor the punishment Of the guilty
but not for such indecent treatment AS makes
even bad man worse, and starts com
paratively harmless man upon caicer o
shameless iniumy and hopeless shame. We
must have this moral surgery. Let ~ Ct
To it that il is moi Immoral surgery. Lie, Il
ue done dccrntly and in or Ter, and let u.
punish our offenders in the spirit Of III,
gospel. A christian community must act ii;
Christ's principles. or il denies its Lrid
~ was in prison and We visited me, means
something. 1t means caring for body aud
for soul. Ii you 90 into the homes If The
, wretched, you try TO make them biicr anc
mole coml0r,ablu LIST, by Introducing con
forts; 2dly, by trying to Danish sin Yot
sec that there are supplies of bread and Goa
I and blankets; and then--aud not mill lhei
, YOU speak your words of christian cnun
sci and instruction, and icave your christian
book or tract. Let something of the kline
be done in The matter Of this crying evil O
nur City Hall cells. Let them be abolished
| Let some place be chained where the poo
creatures can have fresh air and cleanliness
where the sexes can he separated, whor,
habiual offenders can be kept apart from
those who hays just begun their sorrowlu
course. That very fact will tell in the direc
tion Of morality. II il does nothing to cure
i will At least do something TO prevent
! Men and women will 60 out no worgc a
| any rate, il they go out no better.
Much may be said Of the hopeless wicked
ness OF those who are ordinarily shl
: up in those cells. do not question il
+ But let me tell You something One Sunda,
Il uittinOpu u iuI1l lhDbIcf lew nllleS DOTtl
=, of Philadelphia was bathing in y mill-pOnd
From crnmp or some other cause lie sank, il
7 view of s0mc boys sitting on the bank
: Fhcy ran across the fields crying and calling
o and nj last II farmer answered them am
A haslened TO the spot. lie divcd into tn
' water and brought the body up 1t wa
iirlcss; il would never breathe again From
= The nearest barn door was brought, til
! corpse was laid upon ii decen,ly covered
the burden was lifted TO the shoulders q
y those who had gathered about. and in
solemn procession the dead man was carrie
to the house whence he had come out fey
II hours before full Of life. lie was strange
III the nelghhorhood; there were none t,
greatly mourn him, yet his mortal remain
y were properly cared for and he received
d Christian burial. What is the point of this
n 1t is here. We care for dead bodies, thoug
they be of strangers and aliens Insensbl
as they are TO shame and outrage, we proiec
L them from both. Shall we care less 10
i living bodies, in which immortal souls still
;, dwell on their probation? You tell me @
a the majesty of death tell You of th
y majesty Of life. Guilty though they he q
If various offences, the people who are com
Il nittcd to our City Hall cells, are cntitled t,
:, al least as good treatment as we accord III,
II dead.
! The persons who go to those cells are no
Z all criminals either. There are sometime
o poor people who need shelter. They ar,
1 Migrants il may be hut they have right IL
:, ask OF Christian society place worthy o
u humanity. You will not take them int,
y your houses; ! frankly acknowledge vii
n, noi take them into mine Here again sociel,
owes debt Ia itself, il not to those poo
wanderers. Ii cannot afford to treat Then
c MS oulcasts; TO deny them shelter, or at hes
l. to olier them what would be an insult to ,
r dog They ARE occasionally at least limo
= cent and deserving. They need some pac,
to lest in where they will not he made wors,
u in mind or body. 1t is not crime TO II,
+ poor. Yet the very poor ale often trcntet
v as IL ii were cine. They are put into The
j. muddy dungeon in this city, as il we hatet
them us Jeremiah's enemies did him. Ont
II night Il troop Of Italians passed through thi,
+ city ami having no money were obliged tt
take refuge in those cells. Among them WA.
, young girl Of lG years, just the age Of YOU
u Pet sister or favorile daughter The poo
d child sat down and cried bitterly as she saw
mis- rnl M .l.,,, fe 81. .l.aI