The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1892-11-09
Prison Reform.
EDITOR BULLETIN

EDITOR Bulletin
The management of Oahu Prison
is under the control of the Marshal
of the Kingdom, and | think that it
is efficiently administered with ex-
ceptions given below.
Capt. A. N. Trip is the Governor
of said prison (vulgarly called jailor),
and administers sentences impartial
ly to all prisoners no matter what
may be their nationality, race or
color. This community has, how
ever, Board called believe
Prison Commissioners, who are sup
posed (or alleged) to undertake the
supervision of the treatment of
prisoners of all classes. Now, a
Chinaman arrested, fined and i'm
prisoned for, say, an opium tran
saction" has little if any fault
to find with his treatment in
the Hawaiian Bastile, receiving as
he does his natural food on which
he was raised and reared. OF the
Hawaiians | may say that in these
disastrous times Oahu Prison is a
popular and well patronized hotel
for them as a dernier resort from
missionary skin wages"
| think as citizen of this coun-
try, one who has lived here fourteen
years, voter for Mobiles and Repre-
sentatives, that (so-called) foreigners
should be treated on the same gem
erous scale, and while the governor
of the said prison is willing and
eager to remit as far as lies in his
power the penalties and conse-
quences of the white mans trans
gressions against law and order),
still it is surely right and logical
that they should be placed on an
equal footing with those who are
generally held to be inadequate to
cope with them in all that conduces
to the welfare, help, comfort, and
advancement of society.
The white man, no matter his
nationality, is generally speaking) a
credit to this nation, he saves large
disbursements on account of salaries
and should receive some adequate
compensation for his Involuntary
services.
For instance, as shoemakers, drug
gists, hospital assistants, cooks, stew
ards, tailors, and gardeners, etc, all
saving large sums of money to the
government, should be in some way
remunerated for their skilled labor,
and when we take into "our too
often dull brains" the treatment of
discharged prisoners in the British
Empire, and her generous daughter,
the Great Republic, am forced to
write that partiality is palpably
shown in the treatment of those con
demned to "durance vile"-for an
indefinite period-for- crimes and
misdemeanors they may never have
committed; is partial and l think
disgraceful.
l would say this, if foreigner Of
education is unfortunately to be the
guest of Her Majesty, give him at
least his natural food, and on his
discharge give him an honorarium for
any valuable services rendered, give
him his light electric lights are now
cheap say till 9 p. m. He will i'm
prove his mind if so inclined, and
such favors prevail in the prisons OF
Europe. When he leaves your Sin
stitution of correction" for so-called
wrong doing, probably he will be
restored to society-a valuable and
good citizen.
Lastly, prisoner committed for
an indictable offence, such as muir
der, arson, or highway robbery, is
treated harder than those convicted
of the same offences. A man wher-
ever the grand old Saxon is spoken
is innocent, surely, till convicted, all
the world over.
A RECENT GUEST.
Honolulu, Nov. 7, 1892.