The daily gazette., 1879-05-12
For the Gazette.
The whipping Post.
PHILADELPHIA, Nav 18th,

PHILADELPHIA May 18th, 1s79.a
Dear Editor: Having few moments
idle time the thought came to me that
you might give room in ths GAZETTE
for some random observations .of an ex-
lied "Blue Hens Chicken" The "barn
yard in which l am now trying to ''pick
my corn" is known to the student of ge-
ography as Philadelphia. W
The t'times' are about What every
body and his mother-in-law are thinking
and talking of now. From my position
at the door front about six o'clock in the
evening l notice the number of passing
working men and women is increasing,
and either their faces aro, or l imagine
so, wearing more pleasant appearance.
Another good sign is that the people who
wished to economize doubled up; that
is, went into rooms, and are now moving
out again; and it is said that we have
now about five thousand more occupied
houses than at this time last year.
We have good reports from all parts
of the State; and the successful ship
ments of coal to Italy by the Reading
Railroad Company opens another mar
ket for our coal which will start opera
tions in the mines and put bread and
butter in the mouths of the starving dig
gers of the ''dusty diamonds" 'u'
Would that l could speak as encour-
agingly of the moral and political pro-
gress of my adopted State and city. But
cannot. As to the moral condition l
will speak of the city alone. You know
through the "eXtras' Of your papers that
this week alone we have had two hOrri-
BILE murders of women by precious
pair of brutes in human shape-the vic
TINS, by a singular coincidence, were
named Irwin and Irwin; but it is not Of
these | propose to write, but of the mi
nor or petty crimes, the perpetration oi
which are filling our .jails, House of Cor.
rection and House of Refuge, all larg,
Institutions kept up at an enormous ex
pense TO the poor tax payers; and jus
here comes in the "rub;' that is, bring
ing the people around to Delaware's way
of thinking and treatment Of these mis-
creants. Where our papers used to b,
full of the horrible 90 accounts of YOU
''stocks and whipping post" and crying
them down, you find them advocatin.
their institution here to-day for thos,
natures whose feelings can only be reach
ed through their hides. The whippin,
post is to be the political issue in tn
next Kentucky State election; and viii
be in this State before long. As an ex
= ample of how little these beings care TO
the over humane and more tlran comfor
: table prisons, made so by the constan
} din Of masculine women and long haire,
men who have bored the prominent citi
zens for their signatures favoring (?) an,
, the Legislature in passing bills of prisol
. reform. | will give the following: Re
5 peatedly have | heard prisoners say fron
I the dock after sentence has been pro
+ nounced, "Thank you, Judge" and W
e have frequent instances of vandalism
i such as throwing bricks through larg
plate glass windows on our main thol
IS oughfarcs and the awaiting of the de
II signing scamp for the policeman to tax
+ him up, that he may get good board an
> lodging through the inclement season
IS the year, as they have by long eXper
le ence come to learn the run of sentence
n they gauge their crime accordingly, an
ic to the time Of the year, generally maj
4 aging to get out about the middle
+ Spring, so that they can tramp it throug
the country during the warm weather, I
III the terror OF the farmers wife.
ld II is the best instance | know of az
~ ding insult to injury to have your gooC
ct stolen and property damaged and the
in be taxed to support the offender.
" 1t must be "Lay on, MacDuff, an
" damned be he who first cries hol
CO enough.''
Sc must not encroach on your spac
in and will. as have been already too loi
h" wlnded. have to wait another week
OF give your readers an account of our p
Ie iitical condition; and as Wilmington
10 have the county court house, sol
advice. whereby the political rocks up,
which our ship of State has been wrec
ed, may be avoided. Yours.
A BIJE HEN'S CUIrEFy