The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1872-06-08
G. z. Comn's letters


4 AN k1OAAs 10y Isl A1s-
The land sf IL Dssch as zen adsottaa
described ~ TO be familiar to most Ameri-
cana. II il, however, fam liar and interesting.
II seems strange to pass 20 sudisnly out Of
Germany ard % find ones self amongst
people so thoroughly dissimiliar in appear
ance, language and manners. A small ma
ton Of betuesa Arse and four mill ions Of
peopla, thar peessavs their national indepen-
dsuce and peculiarities in the midst, OF pow
erfal neiahbors. The country i level, re-
minding one Of the Kaakakes eeuntry 10 OUT
own State. II II somss hat lower than the
rivers which run thorugh u, and the sea
upon which II borders but strikinRly mot -
- va had expected. For many miles bffore
reaching this city, the ,railroad passes
through the most magnifcmt pastnrc-lands,
covered at shis Aeason Of the year with
luxurisut cfop Of grass separated into fields
by hedges. and bitches fllsd With water, and
dotted AL over With the most beautiful fat
cattle and sheep which have just been turned
out Of their winter gu arters 10 feed upon the
laxuriant. grass. The milk COWS, which
gave every appearance of being choice spoci-
mems, are in many instances carefully GOV
cred with cloth ia, protect them from the
cold vipds which prevail. The farm houses
are IN alike-Ymal. square, brick buildings
q one story. i
- This Is busy commercial city of 260, 0G0
inhabitAnts-very closely built-houses Pc
ealiar and unlike any other. wo have seen
eansis passing through many Of the leading
streets, in most cases with streets on either
j side and rows 0! trees along their banks.
II isl wealthy city and country, and full of
benevolance and liberality. No city in the
world, Of its size has 70 many benevolent
institutions. No beggar 10 permitted on the
streets, and ample provision 10 made for all
the poor, both asregards their physical and
educational needs. Amongst other subjects
which has for many years occupied the at
tention Of their phlanthropie men, the cause
Of crimes and how 10 deal With criminals has
received much attention. One Of their Lead
ing citizens, now 81 years OF age, {W 5 Snr-
inser.) has devoted nearly fifty years Of
labor. without pay or pecuniary reward, to
The subject, and at his present good old-agc
b checred BY seeing so much fruit of his la
bors, AMI himself honest and respected, not
only in liis Dan country, bnt amongst the
phisuthaopic throughout Europe. The Gov.
ernn,en " has wisely availed itself Of the
counsel and service Of such men, and places
the management Of It's prisons and rcior ma ;
tories in. ths-~hands Of those who haze had
many years Of practical experience. They
have several reformatories Cor juvenile Of
fenders-an agricultural institution on the
family system. and several mechanical in.
stitutions AID places " hero they are learned
trades. In the prisons they look more to
the reformation of the prisoners than to the
cost of their maintainance or the results Of
their labor in . pscaniary point OF view.
Their leading mon are strong advocates of
the separate or cellalcr. system in the prisons
] and they are Al! being transformed gradually
into that class. At present about Halt of the
Government prison ere Of that kind j, and
they are used for the most hopeful class OF
offenders who are not rep: exceeding two
years in solitary CONTINENT. We visited
one Of those locotei in The city. The building
Is neat and substantial like. some OF
the English prisons the first cost Of The
house being greater than for the congrega.e
\ system. but the subsequent system less. In
this prison were 200 men and 40 women, the
I latter in . separate wing under the care Of q
directress and female officers, but the hole ID
under the management of the prison direc-
tor. Tho construction Of the building ,was
uncxcepsiosabic-it was well lighted, well
4 W Initiated. kept thoroughly clean, and the
/ physical wants Of the prisoners we're well
1 attended 70. Ample food, exercise, Be-, we're
4 provided for. No corporeal punishments
are allowed or required. Each prisone,
works alone but has daily visit and con-
4 versstion with officers, Chaplain and visit.
ing coMmittee If benevolent association
4 organized for that purpose. He thus sees
four or Eve persons daily, and the system is
relieved from, the harshness Of entire Sc.
tclusion. When any outside visitor is admit
tod. or The prisoner ID for any cause brought
before others, his face is vailed. No prisoner
ever secs the face Of a fellow prisoner. Thu.
4 they ere relieved from the effects OF evil as
4 societies and from subsequent recognition
4 zach one receives seven -tenths Of the p: O.
eeeds OF his or her own personal labor or
4 their discharge, or for the purchase of sucl
extra articles as they may need while In The
4 prison. Laws are also formed for them By
the Prison Association il necessary, an
4 AAovv kir,
\ with soEse funds At their disposal. The,
have thorough educational and religious in
instruction while IN the prison. The resul
is aid to be the eformation Of 20 or so pc
) can't. of the prisoners.
II is sipguiar prison; a nd as we passe,
4 around and looked into the neat cells an,
saw only veiled faces the effect vas very
curious. OF course such an institution must
be . continual expense to the Governm
but when this WAS spoken Of, the officers a
( oaoe replied tha+ this was OF far less con
i sequence than failure to reform the me-
a would be. = *rf+ =
Il need not say We were much interested
and found much to admire, without ben,
much prepared to adopt what we saw. ]
may be proper to odd that we saw no evidenc
Of want Of thorough discipline and order il
the institution; on the & ntrary. il seemed 4
} hs under the best Of management.
~ - $50 A- C.F.C
BKussELs, May 18th, 1879.
II may surprise many Of your readers, a
il did me, to learn that in the two Kingdom
of Holland and ftelaium SO much a.tentio
: has been paid TO prisons and that SO cxcelIel
D a system OF ma iiagenept prevails. We ha,
| Sisited to-day wsa4 is called the mode prise
OF the world. II is on the Callalar or sep,
!. rate system, the authorities here, as in Ho
land, hsug unan imonsly in favor Of that syl