The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-12-07

! and quarter the United, States have
taken possession of everything between
| the thirteen colonies and the Pacific
ocean, and England, during the same
length of time, has taken possession of
nearly three million square miles, and
| by the extent of her domain has added
$50, 00O, 900 population, while Russia has
added during that time only one-haf
the number of square miles and about
eighteen million of population-En-
glands advance of domain by $50, 600, 900
against Russia's advance of domain by
eighteen million. What a paltry Rus
sian advance OF domain by eighteen
million as compared with the English
advance of domain by 250,000, 600. The
United States and England had better
keep still about eXtravagant and extor-
| tionate enlargement of domain.
Calumny the tifth-Siberia is den OF
horrors, and to-day people are driven
like dumb cattle; no trial is afforded
the suspected ones; they are put into
quicksilver mines, where they are
whipped and starved and some day find
themselves going around without any
head. Some of them do not get SO far
rs Siberia. Women, after being tied to
stakes in the streets, are disrobed and
whipped to death in the presence OF
bowling mobs Offenders hear their
own flesh siss under the hot irons.
But what are the facts? There are no
kinder people on earth than the Rus
SLAMS, and TO most of them cruelty is al
impossibility. | hold in my hand a
card. You see on it that red circle.
That is the governments seal on card
giving me permission to visit all the
prisons OF St Petersburg, as had ex-
pressed q wish in that direction. AS
the messenger handed thi. card 20
me. he told me that carriage was
Mt the door for my disposal In
visiting the prisons 1t so happened
however, that l was crowded with
engagements and / could not make
the visitation. But do you suppose such
cheerful permission and carriage 70
boot would have been afforded me II
the prisons of Russia are such bells en-
earth as they have been described 20
be? l asked an eminent and distih-
guished American, Have you visited
tho prisons of St Petersburg, and how
do they differ from American prisons?"
He replied: 81 have visited them and
they are as well ventilated and as well
conditioned in every respect as the ma
jority Of the prisons in America. Are
women whipped in the street? No; that
statement comes from the mandatory
of fabrication, o mandatory that runs
day aud night, SO that the supply may
meet thu demand.
But how about Siberia? Ny 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 Christ
tendon, declared by voice and pen that
, the system of transportation of Grim
inals from Russia to Siberia was an ad
, mirable plan, advocating open air pun
ishment rather than enlargement
and also because it was taking all Of
tenders hundreds of miles away from
} their evil companions John Howard
after witnessing the plan OF deportation
{ of criminals from Russia to Siberia, com
mended it TO England. II a man com
= mits murder in Russia he is not electro
, cuted as we electrocute him, or eholet
= TO death by u halter as we choke him t.
| death Russia is the only country OF
$ earth from which the death penalty
has been driven, except in case of higl
, treason. Murderers and desperate vii
: lians are sent to the hardest parts O
: Siberia, but no man is sent to Siberi;
| or doomed TO any kind Of punishment
, in Russia until he has had fair trial
, So far as their being hustled off in tn,
: night and not knowing why they are
, exiled or punished is concerned, all tn,
= criminals in Russia have an open tria
4 before jury just as we have in Amer
lea, except in revolutionary or riotou,
: times, and you know in America a
= such times the writ OF habeas corpus i
4 suspended. There are in Russia CRANE
9 juries and petit juries and the right Il
1 challenge the jurors, and the prisone
| confronts his accuser. and mark this, Il
in no other country, after prisoner ha
t been condemned by juries and judge
? he may appeal to the minister Of tn
!. interior, ana after that to the senate
= and after that to the emperor, who
e constantly psrdoning. As l said, tn
nd . 70
0 hardest part of Siberia, but the NOR
u moderate criminals to the more pro
= pitious parts OF Siberia, and those VIII
e have only little criminality, to part
:, of Siberia positively genial for climate
t for you ought to know, If you do no
4 know, that Siberia is so large and wild
II and long that it reaches from frigidit
8 to torridity, from almost arctic blast
n to climate as mild as that of Italy. Ru
$ your finger along he map of the world
s and you will find that the lowest par
5 of Siberia is on the forty-ffth degree Q
e latitude, and the richest part c
V Italy is on the same forty-fift
d degree of latitude. So that Siberi
n reaches from the furs at tie North t
d the palm leaf fans at the south. 1t ha
o been demonstrated that 30 per cent {
h the Russian criminals colonized into s
l. IBERIA go into climate milder tina
;. New York-a land songful with bird
: aud embroidered with fora enoug
.t manifold to confCund the botanist.
@ Much of the soil is rich loa m and hal
@ vests wait for pillow to liberate then
e When q criminal Is sent to Siberia