The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1892-11-23

!
are the facts? During the last century
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
$50 OOO 900 population, yhile Russia has
added duril$ t3aL Zine only oichalf
the number of square miles and about
eighteen million of population-En-
glands advance Of domain by $50, 900, 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 $50, ,O0o,O The
United States and England had better
keep still about extravagant and extor-
tionate enlargement Of domain.
Cnlumny the fifth-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
as 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 an
impossibility. ! hold in my hand a
card. You see on it that red circle.
That is the governments seal on a card
giving me permission to visit all the
prisons of St Petersburg, as | had ex-
pressed wish in that direction. As
the messenger handed this card to
me, he told me that carriage was
at 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 a carriage TO
boot would have been afforded me II
the prisons of Russia are such hells on
earth as they have been described to
be7 / asked an eminent and distin-
guished American, "Have you visited
the prisons of St Petersburg, and how
do they differ from American prisons?"
He replied: 81 have visited them and
they are as web 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
statenent comes from the mandatory
OF fabrication, = manufactory that runs
day and night, so that the supply may
meet the demand.
But how about Siberia? Ny answer
is, Siberia is the prison OF Russia,
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
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 II 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 IL TO England II man COM
mits murder In Russia he "a not electro
cuted as we electrocute him, or ohoked
TO death by halter as we choke him TO
death Russia Ia the only country on
earth from which the death penalty
has been driven, except In case Of high
treason. Murderers and desperate vii
lians are sent to the hardest parts oi
Siberia, but no man Ia sent to Siberia
or doomed TO any kind Of punishment
In Russia until he has had fair trial
So far as their being hustled of in the
night and not knowing why they are
exiled or punished is concerned, all the
criminals in Russia have an open trial
before jury just as we have in Amer
lea, except in revolutionary or riotous
times, and you know In America at
such times the writ OF habeas corpus Is
suspended. There are in Russia grand
juries and petit juries and the right to
challenge the jurors, and the prisoner
confronts his accuser, and mark this, as
In no other country, after prisoner has
been condemned by juries and judges
he may appeal to the minister Of the
interior, and after that TO the senate,
and after that TO the emperor, who Is
constantly pardoning. As / said, the
violent and murderous are sent TO the
hardest part Of Siberia, but the more
moderate criminals 10 the more pro-
pitious parts Of Siberia, and those who
have only little criminality, 70 parts
Of Siberia positively genial for climate,
for you ought TO know, II you do not
know, that Siberia is 30 large and wide
and long that II reaches from frigidity
10 torridity, from almost arctic blasts
10 climate rs mild as that of Italy. Run
your finger along he map Of the world,
and you will find that the lowest part
Of Siberia Is on the forty fifth degree OF
latitude, and the richest part OF
Italy is on the same forty fifth
degree OF latitude So that Siberia
reaches from the furs at the North 10
the palm leaf fans at the south. II has
been demonstrated that 20 per cent Of
the Russian criminals colonized into 81
beris 60 into climate milder than
New York-a land Songful with birds
and embroidered with fora enough
manifold TO oonfound the botanists.
Much Of the soil Is rich loan and har-