The Irish standard., 1889-10-12

friends. they can supply themselves
with literature and writing materials.
they can even conduct their business
from within the prison; they are simply /
kept under restraint for the period pre-
scribed by the sentence. The treatment /
OF the ordinary criminal differs in these
respects:
/. On entering the jail he is put into
bath, and his hair is cut close
2. He is forced to wear the prison |
dress.
8 He Is compelled to sleep tif sleep
be possible to himl for the first month |
on plank bed without mattress, and |
FOR the second and third month of his
Imprisonment in the same manner for
two DAYS week.
He is fed OH prison fare, which for
the first month is very in sufficient for a
man in good health, and even after that
is very meagre and unpalatable
5. He is required to pick certain
amount OF oakum every day.
s. lie is compelled to take exercise in
company With other common criminals.
I. He is compelled to clean out his
cell.
| s. He is deprived of the means OF
occupying his mind by reading or
writing. The only book allowed him
during the first month is che Bible.
9 He is not permitted to correspond
with his friends.
i 10. He is not allowed to receive visits
from his friends and relatives, except
after long intervals with very close res
trictions, and even then the interview
must be in the presence of prison
| official
10 these is added hard labor when
the sentence 50 directs it. 1t cannot
be doubted that to educated men, and
to men who have lived a lite OF even
the most moderate ease and luxury,
many Of these prison rules as TO the
| treatment Of common criminals are. ex-
tremely severe, II will be seen that all
these indignities and hardships which
4 distinguish the treatment OF the COM
mon criminal from that OF the first class
misdemeant have, with rare exceptions,
been inflicted upon the Irish members
, and others convicted under the Crimes
Act. Many of these members, IN the
early days of convictions under tEls
, Act. took issue with the prison autho-
! rites On the subject Of the prison dress
] as the symbol of all the other indigni-
mites. They protested against such
! treat .nent and resisted to the point ot
compelling tie prison officials 60 carry
out the prison rules by force and per
] sonal violence. Others have not entered
into struggle with the prison staff
satisfied with the public protest made
D by Mr.. William O'Brien, M. T., Mr.
! Hooper, M. F.. Mr.. SheehY. MI, T., Mr.
3 Carew, NJ. p, Mr.. Vaudeville ant
{ others. In the individual cases subject
/. to this policy, let us consider the nature
/ OF the acts for which offenders have
/ been imprisoned and treated as common
' criminals. Thev include p member
/ of Parliament, about Is priests, Yer,
4 large number Of professional men
]. editors of newspapers, lawyers, respect
y able tradesmen. and well-to do farmers
! some 1900 men OF the classes of teDan
e farmers and laborers, and some feg
a women and children. A large proper
i tion of the convictions have been il
= connection with writings ID the press
O with speeches at public meetings, witt
It the holding of meetings, with beinl
# members Of the National League, an,
~ analogous acts. Such offenders woul'
It certainly not be treated as common
8 criminals IN any other country il
# Europe
J. In Ireland, also, 1t IS equally Lawful
il to report the proceedings of slmila
meetlnes held ia districts not proclaim
" ed, although the speeches NAV be G
It identically the same character as thos
il made at meetings in districts where til
q League IS proclaimed. It was only
s. be expected, then, that the editors an
ii owners of newspapers would make
,tlvehement protest on behalf Of the fre,
pr dom Of the press and for the right {
,e reporting proceedings. The Govern
IA ment commenced its action in th
4. direction BY prosecuting Mr., T. !
- Sullivan, M. p, then Lord Mayor {
ID Dublin, editor of the Nation; M
at Hooper, Nc. f., for South east Cor
i editor Of the Cork Herald; Mr.. v
% O'Brien, M. r.. editor of United Irelan,
O. Mr.. e. Harrington, Nj. p, editor {
a. the Kerry Sentinel, and Mr.. Walls
or editor Of the Wexford People. Sever
rs other persons, editors and owners
a. newspapers, were also prosecuted abo
.. the same time for the same offenc
at and on being convicted were sentenc
,rs to Imprisonment as common criminal
M The imprisonment Of their editors al
as owners had no effect on their public
,re tion. Mr.. L. d. Sullivan, while
ev Kl.mainham prison, proposed to et
,ra his paper ais usual, but he was Temov
II + to Tuliamore gaOl so as TO make 1t IL