The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1880-01-31

Ctuslties IN Pasishme.t.
The x.ssse. Of dov. wilts. cont
out o. supplement 70 tho VlSDloA.
Ton last week, u characterized
throughout By . soGpeehenstveness
Of judgmeat, end . cstholiciey o.
spirit that should commend II to the
favorable consideration Of every cttt'
zen Of Louisians, regardless OF party
sfIlljstions. We beg leave to call the
specisl attention Of our LEGISLATOR
to that clause on the message on
"esuelstss Of punishmsnt." We are
induced 70 do this from the tact that
/. y . widespread and ahsstly evil.
revolving to our poblsst instincts ~
civilized men. and 70 our highest
sense Of moral philosophy and phi
lanthrophy. Almost every nswsps'
per publishes tho most horrible &C.
tails OF the treatment Of men tn con-
ilnement for crime. Something over
Z year ego every benevolent mind
was shocked BY the accounts given
OF tho treatment Of men IN tho Tent'
tentiary Of Texas. Only Last week
= similar report was published In re-
card 20 their treatment In Kentucky.
while tho soul.hsrrowing report OF
tho Grand Jury Of Memphis. pub
lishsd In oil tho Memphis papers in
January, 1879. Of tho treatment OF
convicts on Presidents Island, just
below that city, must DO fresh IN the
|memosy OF every one. The details
| 40 TOO shocking for repetition. We
can only ssy that their methods OF
punishment were mover contempla.
ted by tho lsw, and were moro bar
bssous than ever were prsctlced up.
on Russian convicts In the mines Of
Siberia.
Men vere % mutilated that labor
was physically impossible. and their
| inability 70 labor subjected them to
additional torture Ut tho hands Of
brutal overseers. Women were strip.
ped, their persons shamefully expos
cd, and cruelty whipped. some Of
ther 1t was reported, actually dying
under the lash. Gov. Wlltz 10 the
first Governor Of any State who has
of1olslly denounced these shameful,
| barbarous and uncivilized practices.
and In doing %. hss won the sympa-
thy and good will Of every friend to
humanity In the land. Tho fact Of
! bic having done %. reveals the true
character Of tho man, and marks
him not only - ~ able politician
and statesman. but . man OF refined
feslings, and vivid sympathies With
the unfortunate. The ultimate OBJ.
iect Of the punishment Of criminals
u reformation, not vengeance, and
our legislature should keep this isct
steadilyin view. Il b the certainty
| OF punishment which deters man
klnA from the comminoi0n OF crime.
not il severity. The history OF the
neat ahovs conclusiyely that crime
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