Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1892-11-21

average American prisoner, give me 81
IBERIA. Besides that, when offenders come
out of prison in America, what chance
have they? Ask the poorly supported So
cieties formed to get these people places
for work. Ask me, to whom the newly
liberated come from all the prisons i'm
ploring what they shall do No one will
commend them. The pallor of incarc ra-
tion is on their cheek. Who wants to EN-.
ploy in factory or store a man or woman
who, in answer to the question, "Where
did you live lastP" should make for reply,
Estates prison at Auburn or Moyamen-
sing?" Now in Siberia they have better
chance. They are never spoken of as Grim
inalS, but rs unfortunates, and they are al
lowed every opportunity of retrieving their
lost reputation and lost fortunes
talked with the president of the Ma
tional Society of Russia for the Education
and Moralizaton of the Children of Sibe-
rian Convicts, The president of that soci-
ETY., appointed by the emperor, is lady OF
great accomplishments and much SYM
pathy, which illumines her face and makes
fearful her eyes and tremulous her voice.
The evening l passed at her house in St.
Petersburg was one of the memorable
events Of my lifetime. | will not attempt
to pronounce the name of that noble wom-
an appointed by the emperor as the presi-
dent of the National Society Of Russia for
the Education and Moralization of the Chill
dren of Convicts. Please to name any such
national society in our country, supported
by government, for taking care of the chill
dren of convicts.
THE CARS CLEMENCY.
The merciful character of the present en-
peror was well illustrated in the following
occurrence: The man who supervised the
assassination of the father of the present
emperor, standing in the snow that awful
day when the dynamite shattered to pieces
the legs of Alexander the Second-I say
the man who supervised all this fed from
St. Petersburg and quit Russia. But after
awhilsthe mGn Eepentsd ofaTs crimes ssnd
wroIe. TO the emperor asking for forgive
ness for the murder or his father, and
promising to be good citizen, and asking
if he might come back to Russia. The en-
pcror pardoned the murderer of his father,
and the forgiven assassin is now living in
Russia unless recently deceased.
When / talked to the empress concerning
the sympathy felt in America for the suf-
fcrings Of the drought struck regions of
Russia, she evinced an absorbing interest
ncr and speech such as we men can hardly
realize, because it seems that God has re-
served for woman as her great adornm ent
the coronet, the tear jeweled coronet of ten
dcrness and commiseration. If you say
that it was man, divine man that came
to save the world, say yes; but it was a
woman that gave the man. Witness all the
Madonnas-Etalian, German, English and
in, l,n min ~
lcries Of Chrstendom. Son of Mary, have
mercy on US!
But how about the knout, the cruel
Russian knout, that comes down on the
bare back Of agonizcd criminalsP Why,
Russia abolished the knout before it was
abolished from our American navy. But
how about the political prisoners hustled
off TO Siberia? According to the testimony
of the most celebrated literary enemy of
Russia, only four hundred and forty three
political prisoners were sent to Siberia in
twenty years. How many political prison
crs did we put in prison pens during our
fopr years of civil war? Well, will guess
at least one hundred thousand Americas
one hundred thousand political prisoners
versus Russia's four hundred and forty
three political prisoners. Nearly all these
four hnndr6d ana forty -tnree OF twenty
years were noblemen or people desperately
opposed to the emancipation Of the serfs.
And none of the political prisoners is sent
to the famous Kara mines.
For the most part you are dependent for
information upon the testimony of pris
oners who are sent to Siberia. They all
say they were innocent Prisoners always
are innocent. Ask all the prisoners of
America today, Guilty or not guiltyP"
and nineteen out of twenty will plead
Not guilty" Ask them how they like
their prison. and how they like sheriffs,
and how they like the government of the
United States, and you will find these pris-
oners admire the authority that arrested
them and punished them just about as
much as the political prisoners of Russia
like Siberia.