National Republican., 1880-08-11


and the confidential friend of James Buchanan
died on Monday last. In 1s5s-'59 Forney was
very bitter on Bgler, blaming him for the cold
shoulder which Buchanan turned to him For-
ney).
A KANSAS CITY reporter records tho fact
that the defeated candidate took his way to
the train, wrapped in gloom and new store
clothes. The gloom was an elegant ct, but
the store clothes were too short in tho legs and
very baggy around the shoulders"
Miss JULIA SMITH OF Glastonbury, Conn,
who at eighty married Lawyer Parker, has
already come to grief. She refused to pay
taxes for many years because she was denied
tho right TO vote but her husband having the
right had no reason to resist the collector, and
went aud paid tho tax like little man. As
Julia married in order to get an ally to aid
in her fight, she ma turally regards matrimony
rs snare. Parker tells her to keep calm and
wait for the children to grow up, aud they
will fight on her side, but she thinks that by
no means satisfactory conclusion.
THE New York Graphic in discussing the
dsgaceful exhibition of sympathy with the
| y,
aud the previous uaudlin exhibition in conuec
tion with Chastine Cox, says: 1T is high time
that we should stop and think about the effect
Of honoring murderers." The Graphic does
not speak too soon For fifty years there has
been n rapid growth Of sentimentality upon
the subject of the "amelioration" of the condi.
tion of prisoners. 1t began properly enough
| in the attempt to improve the sanitary coudi-
| tion Of the jails in Eugland. These had been so
badly managed that "prison fever" did not stop
at killing of prisoners condemned or await
ing trial, but attacked judges, juries and law
yers who we're compelled to try prisoners
brought from noisome iails and exhaling the
germs Of typhoid in the court.rooms. The hor-
rors of these dens of disease, in which many
innocent men, committed to await trial, lost
their lives, were painted ia such stirring words
by phianthropsts that reform was begun
which did not cease uutil it had provided
quarters for prisoners which for health and
comfort are far preferable to the homes
OF the poor, and even Of the middle classes OF
England and America. We venture to say
that the average death rate in the peniten.
tiaries of Pennsylvania and New York is less
than in the healthiest town in their borders
To three fourths of those condemned tho ma.
terial comforts Of n residence within the walls
of our frstclass prisons as compared to their
daily lives in their own homes constitute q
hire and salary. This should not be. As the
Graphic points out: "The criminal classes are
materialists." Whatever concerns their pres
ent com fort is Of prime importance. Nine.
tenths of their crimes are perpetrated to OBJ
tain some momentary sensual qualification,
Prison life should be made hard, toisome, un.
attractive, but, of course, NOT unhealthy. 1t
should be punishment That idea should
never be absent moment This does not neces
sarly exclude reformation of the moral being
In fact, it seems to us to be a necessary part o.
the economy Of reformation as taught by theo
logans aud by experience. Where death is til,
penalty no chance should be allowed for dis
play. One clergyman preferred by the crimi
nal should be allowed opportunity to advise
him and instruct him to prepare for death
After death the idea Of punishment shoulC
still have force The law should provide for Al
immediate burial in grounds set apart for exc
cuted criminals. He should lie in an un
marked grave aud among tho equally unknown
and disgraced of his kind. Or perhaps i
would be better to let the physicians dissect
ing knife destroy the body. Unless we meal
to exat crime in the eyes Of the crimina
classes speedy end must be put to the senti
meut which surrounds the Coxs and Bulbo
With wreathes and notices aud women's tears