The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1872-01-11
PRISON DISCIPLINE.
a letter from one ~ tho kOb1est Men
I'm AanaAs. ..i.. 90. e. a.. q
....... OAK HILL, Dc. 90, ISL. 80.

......, OAK HILL, Dc 90. ISL. ..
A few days since was at the State Prison
located in your county, and, although / am
now oft OF it, that has not been out OF my
mind for m hour except. when. 4 slept 1
found there 800 men, mostly in the prime of
life, as good looking, if not as wei dressed, %
the average of men at large in the State.
They are under strict, thoagh humane, dis
cipline, orderly, industrious and dumb as
mntes. They work day alter day, week
after week, month after month and year
after yenr, during the day time, and at night
are shut up in a cell four by seven feet, and
seven feet high, and no word is TO be spoken,
as rule. IL. ,... L... :....-..i. ....,..-
Now, Mr.. Editor, "a you and put these
men there. let us talk the matter over a little
and see if We are working by the golden rale
in every respect. ....!.at, .-....-..+i
Being Christmas, all idea OF vindictive,
retributive punishment, Of course, must be
discarded. We must do good to all, even to
those who wrong and despitefully use US.
Our Master WIS very explicit in these matters,
and when a person was brought TO him for
punishment, who lad committed capital
offence, lie said 81 do not condemn thee, 60
and sin no more" ... ...,s- .... -.Ia!.u-s
1t is plain then, as Christians, that what
We have to do with these men, shut up in
your county, must be simply for their own
god and our protection. .a.s ,e'.s'r.
Ifoundthat most of the men we're sert there
because they had violated some one of the
rules relative to the acquisition Of property.
1t was not that they had too much property, or
that they had taken property to which they
had no neral right, but simply they had
violated our rules in taking il. You know
We never send man to the prison cell
simply becanss he hiss property in his pos
session that rightfully belongs to another. II
we did, our business streets would be a silent
as Pompeii, and there would be occasion for.
Senatorial elections at least semi.annual3y.
1t Is only when orr dignity il offended BY
tn violation of our arbitrary rules, that We
send person TO the Peniientiary. Thee
poor fellows might have taken tie same
amount, and hundred and.a Thousand fold
more, to which they had no more right, yet,
if they had not insulted our dignity by disre-
carding our rules in doing it, We would have
welcomed them to our families, and. had
they taken very largely, We would hare
exalted them TO the highest office in our gift.
If we need no prison cells to protect our.
selves ard families from persons Who taxa |
what docs not belong to them, yearly, more
than these 500 men have taken during their
whole lives. We may as we'll pass over this
par, of the question without wasting more
words. '-'' r'.
Since, then, these men are just as good,
As the rest Of u, Who are outside,
now ought We to treat them? As Christians.
We can &C: only in one way, do unto them
!, We would be done BY" II our offended
Lightly will not permit US to turn them:
oosc till such time as we can shut up an
Who are equally guilty, let US make them IS
as possible. Instead ofa sitting
ell by feet, give them a cheerful room.
rhey work faithfully for Us, and all we give
hem i, their board and clothing, and We
an afford them better rooms. 49,. ! =
Again, those who have trades, and are in
should be paid = just renunera-
ion for their labor. All who have no trades /
hould learn one, and learn it all They
hosld not be compelled to work only At one
ranch, but should he treated like any other
pprentice. -. Il
Good behavior should he rewarded
svery person who should prove industrious
nd obedient should have deducied from his
entence, for the first year. Al least three !
,onths; for the second year. four months;
Or the third year, Eve months; for tlIe fourth
ear six months, and after that his discharge
houid be Discretionary with the Warden and
directors - - I,
This much We certainly ought-to do: 1t Il
very doubtful If We can satisfy our Master
" shutting these. our brothers, up in this
AZ for years during the best part Of thsir
ves, but if We can it will be only BY treiting
lem with great care, as his brothers, and
NJ moral equals. . s Il:
Now, Mr.. Editor, will trouble you no
Irther. 1 wanted to make few suggestions
e the people, and especially for the LeSis-
ture, to think Of l know very we'll that s
lille We profess to be q Christian people,