Democratic messenger., 1892-11-26
LrAIMAGE,s sERMnNI

IrALMAGE'S SERMON
.,nI what are the facts: There are no
kinder people on earth than the Rus
slams, and to most If them cruelty is an
impoSsihiiity. hold in my hand card.
You see on it that rel circle. That is
the governments seal on a card giving
me permission 10 visit all the prisons of
st. Petersburg. as | had expressed n
wish in that direction As the messenger
handed this card 10 ne he told me that
n carriage WAS III the door for my dis
posal IN visiting the prisons. II 50 hap
pened. however. that | was crowded
with engagements and | could not make
the visitation. But do won suppose such
cheerful permission and carriage Ia
boot would have been afforded me if the
prisons Of Russia are such hells on earth
as they have been drscIihed To- be?
asked an eminent and distinguished
American. Have vou visited the pris-
ons of st. Petersburg. and how do they
differ from American prlSnus: He re-
piled, Il have Visite, them and they
are as we'll ventilated and rs we'll coudi-
toned III every respect rs tine majority
of the prisons in America" Are women
whipped III the street: No: that state
ment comes from the manufactory Of
fabrication. a mauUfacio5 that runs
day and night. 50 thai the supply may
meet the demand
But how about Siberia: NV answer
is. Siberia Is the prison Of Russia. "A
prison more than twice the size of the
United States. John Howard, who did
more for the improvement of prisoners
and the reformation Of criminals than
any man that ever lived. his name a
synonym for mercy throughout Chrisien-
dom. declared by Voice and pen that the
system of transportation of criminals
from Russia Ia Siberia WAS an admirable
plan. advocating open air punishment
rather than endungconmeut. and also
because II was taking all offenders hun
dreds Of miles away from their evil
companions. John Howard, after wit
Messing the plan of deportation of Grim
inals from Russia Ia Siberia. commended
il 10 England. If Il man commits muir
der III Russia, he Is not electrocuted rs
we electrocute him. or choked 10 death
by halter as we choke him to death
Russia is the only country on earth from
which the death penalty has been driven,
except III case Of high treason. Muir
derers and desperate villains are sent to
the hardest parts of Siberia. but no ma
Is sent 10 Siberia or doomed To any kind
of punishment i'll Russia until he has 4
fair trial. SO far as their being hustled
of III the night and not knowing why
they are cXlled or punished Is concerned,
all the criminals IN Russia have an open
trial before a jury jnst as we have in
America. except III revolutionary or riot
ous times. and You know in America at
such times the writ of habeas corpus is
suspended. There are III Russia grand
JurieS and petit luries and the right 10
challenge the jurors, and the prisoner
confronts his accuser, and, mark this. as
IN no other country. after 4 prisoner has
been condemned by juries and judges
he may appeal To the minister of the in
terror, and after that to the senate. and
after that to the emperor. who Is CON
stanily pardoning.
As | said the violent anl murderous
are sent To the hardest part of Siberia,
but the more moderate criminals to more
propiiiouS parts Of Siberia. and those
who have only little crirninality 10
parts of Siberia positively genial for
climate. for you ought 10 know. if you
do not know. that Siberia Is 81 large and
wide and long that il reaches from frig-
idity 10 torridity. from almost arctic
blast to climate as mild as e.t Of I,aly.
Run your finger along tine zap q the
world. ami you will find that the lowest
part of Siberia Is on the furiy-fifih de-
gree of latitude. and the richest part of
Italy Is on the same fortv-fifth degree of
latitude, 50 that Siberia reaches from
the furs at the north 10 the palm leaf
fans AT the south. Il has been demon
strated that ninety per cent. Of the Rus
sian criminals colomZcd into Siberia 70
into climate milder than New York-a
land son"ful with birds and embroidered
with fiora enough manifold 10 confnund
the boianiStS. Much OF the soil is a rich
loam. and harvestS wait for a plow u
llberate them. When criminal Is sent
10 Siberia. IN the vast majority Of c;l~,.s
1t gives him an opportunity TO make a
new start under the best possible cir
cumsIances. The criminal Is allowed 10
take his OF her family along. and that IS
Il mercy no other country grants. In
the quicksilver mines of Siberia the
hardest place Of expatration only one
fourth of the miners are criminals The
other thrce-fourths 20 there because they
choose It rs place 10 earn their living
After being III Siberia awhile the con
denned 20 10 earning a livelihood. and
they come To own their own farms and
orchards and vineyards. many of these
people coming to wealth. and thousands
of them under no nducement would
leave those parts of Siberia which are
paradises for salubrity and luXuriance.
Now which do you think is tn best
style of a prisou-SIbrriao or mann IL our
American prisons: When Il man com
nits IA big crime in our country tle
judge looks into the frightened face Of
the culprit and saws: You have been
fonnd guilty. sentence vou 20 the pen
itentiarv for ten years. He goes To
prison. He Is shut in between four walls.
No sunlight. No fresh air No bath
room. Before he has served his ten
years he dies of consumption. or is 50
enervated tnat for the rest of his life he
sits with folded hands-a wheeling in
valid. In preference To- the shut in life
of the average American prisoner give
me Siberia. Besides that. when offend
ers come ont of prison in America. what
chance have they: Ask the poorly sup
ported societies formed - get these peo-
pie places for work ASK me. TO whom
the newly liberated come from all the
prisons imploring what they shall do.
No one will commend them. The pallor
of incarceration Is on their cheek Who
wants 10 employ in factory or store
man or woman who III answer 10 the
question. Where did you live last
should make for reply. States prison at
Auburn or Mnvamensing Now in ST.
IBERIA they have better chance. They
are never spoken Of as criminals, hut as
unforiunates. and they are allowed every
opportunity of retrieving their lost rep
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