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

luNurlance. NOW, Wnlcn 90 you Jnlnk
is the best style of prison-Siberia or
many of our American prisons? When
man comm its big crime in our coun-
try, the judge looks in to the frightened
face Of the culprit and says: You have
been found guilty; sentence you to
the penitentiary for ten years" He
goes to prison. He is shut in between
four walls. No sunlight. No fresh
air. No bathroom. Before he has
served his ten years he dies Of
consumption, or is so enervated that for
the rest of his life he sits with folded
hands a wheeling invalid In prefer
ence to the shut-in life OF the average
American prisoner, give me Siberia
Beside that when offenders come out Of
prison in America, what chance have
theyP Ask the poorly supported socie-
ties 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 in
generation is on their creek. Who
wants to EN- ploy in factory or store u
man or woman who, in answer TO the
question, "Where did you live last?"
should make for reply: States
prison at Auburn or MoyI menslng."
Now in Siberia they have n better
chance. They are never spoken Of as j..
criminals, but as unfortunates, and they
are allowed every opportunity Of re-
trieving their lost reputation and lost
fortunes talked with the president
Of the National society of Russia for the
education and moralization of the chill.
dren OF Siberian COW lets. The presi-
dent Of that society. appointed by the
emperor, Is lady of great accomplish
ments and much sympathy, which IL.
lumines her face, and makes fearful her
eyes and tremulous her voice The even.
ing passed at her house in st. Peters
burg was one of the memorable events
Of my lifetime. will not attempt TO
pronounce the name OF that noble
woman appointed by the emperor
as the president of the National
society of Russia for the education and
moralization of the children of con-
victS Please TO name any such national
society in our country, supported by
government, for taking care of the chill
dren of convicts. You know, II You
know anything, that there is no chance
in this country for u man who has been
imprisoned, or for his children. God
pity them and hasten the time when
we shall by some national institution
established by the congress OF the
United States, initiate the mercy Of the
Russian government toward the inno-
cent children or imprisoned offenders
He who charges cruelty to the imperial
family and the nobility of Russia bellies
men and women as gracious and be-
nignant as ever breathed oxygen.
But how about the knout, the cruel
Russian knout, that comes down on the
bare back Of agonized criminals? Why,
Russia abolished the knout before II
was abolished from our American navy.
But how about the political prisoners
hustled of 10 Siberia? According To
the testimony of the most celebrated
literary enemy Of Russia, only 44s po-
litical prisoners were sent TO Siberia in
twenty years How many political pris-
oners did we put In prison pens during
our four years Of civil war? Well,
guess at least one hundred thou.
sand Americas 100000 political pris-
oners versus Russla's 44S political
prisoners Nearly all these 443 OF
twenty years were noblemen or peo-
pie desperately opposed to the emanci-
patton Of the serfA And none Of the
political prisoners are sent to the fa-
nous Kara mines. For the most part,
you are dependent for information upon
the testimony OF prisoners who are sent
TO Siberia. They all say they were in.
nocent. Prisoners always are innocent
Ask all the prisoners OF America to-day.
Guilty or not guilty2" and nineteen
out Of twenty will plead, mot guilty"
Ask them how they like their prisons
and how they like sheriffs and how
they like the government OF the United
States, and you will find these prison.
ers admire the authority that arrested
them and punished them just about as
much as the political prisoners OF Rus
sia like Siberia
But you ask, how will this Rusaopho-
bia, with which so many have been
bitten and poisoned, be cured? By the
God OF Justice blessing such books and
pamphlets as are now coming out from
Prof do Arnaud, Of Washington; Mr..
Horace Cutter, Of San Francisco; Mr..
Morrill,, Of England, and by the opening
Of the American gates 10 the writings OF
some twenty-four Of the Russian authors
and authoresses, In some respects as
brilliant as the three or four Russian au-
thors already known-the translation OF
those twenty-four authors, which am
authorized from Russia TO offer free OF
charge TO any responsible American
publishing house that will do them just
Ice. Let these Russians tell their own
story for they are the only ones fully
compel ent TO do the work rs none but
Americans can fully tell the story OF
America, and rs none but Germans can
fully tell the story of Germany, and ,
none but Englishmen can fully
tell the story Of England, and none
but Frenchmen can fully tell the story
Of Franco Meanwhile, let the interna-
tional defamation come 10 IN end
Cease 10 speak evil Of dignities merely
because they are dignities. and Of presi-
dents merely because they are presi-
dents, and Of emperors merely because
they are emperorA And may the blessing
Of God the Father, and God the Son, and