Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1892-11-25

After being in Siberia awhile the con-
demned 90 to earning a livelihood ami they
come to own their own farms and orchards
and vineyards, many Of these people coming
to wealth. and thousands Of them under no
inducement would leave those parts OF
Siberia which ara paradises for saluorlty
and luxuriance. Now which do you think
is the best style Of prison-Siberiao OF many
of our American prisons2 When man
commits a big crime in our country. the
Judge looks into the frighted face OF the cul-
prit and says, 'You have been found guilty;
/ sentence YOU to the pennitentiarY 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
eneryated that for the rest of his life he sits
with folded hands-a wheez.ng invalid.
In preference to the shut in life OF the
average American prisoner. give me 81
IBERIA. Besides that when offenders come
out of prison in America. what chance nave
tley9 Ask the poorly supported societies
formed to get these people PLACES for work.
Ask me. TO whom the newly liberated come
from all the prisons imploring what they
shall do. No one will commen them. 1ne
pallor of incarceration Is on their cheek.
Who wants to employ in factory or store
man or woman Who in answer to the ques-
tiop: "Where did you live last" should
make for reply: Estates prison at Auburn
or Moyamensing:" Now in Siberia they
have better chance. They are never spoken
of as criminals, but as ultortunates ana
they are allowed every opportunity OF re-
trieving tneir lost reputation aud lost Tor
tunes.
/ talked with the President OF the Ma
tional Society Of Russia for the Eluclton
and Moralizltion OF the Children o. Siberian
Convicts. The president Of that society,
appointed by the emperor is a lady OF great
accomplishments and much sympathy.
which ilunines her face and makes fearful
bereves and tremulous her voice. The
evening passed at her house in st. Peters
burg was one of the memorable events OF
my lifetime. | will not attempt to pro-
nounce the name of that noble woml IN ap..
pointed by the emperor as the President OF
the National Socisty OF Russia for the T. lu-
cation and Moraliziti of the Children OF
Convicts. Please to name any such national
society in our country, supported by govern
ment for taking care OF the children Of
convicts.
You know. il you know anything, that
there is no chance 10 this country for man
who has been imprisoned, or for his chill
dren. God pity them and hasten the tune
when we shall by some national INSTITUTION
established by the congress OF the Unite1
States, initiate the mercy OF the Russian
government toward the innocent children oil
imprisoned off .n1ers He who charges
cruelty on the imperial family AMI the no.
bility OF Russ bellies men ami women as
gracious and benignant as ever breat1e1
oxygen.
Ths mercful character OF the present en-
peror was we'll illustrate in the following
rrhO cftnarViSal the
assassination Of the father o. the present
emperor, standing in the snow that aw.
day when the dynamite shattered 70 pieces
the legs OF Alexander the Second-l say ne
man who supervised all this fel from s..
Petersburg aud gait Russia. But after
awhile the man repented Of his crime, and
wrote to the emperor asking for forgiveness
for the murder of his father, AMI pro nlSins
to be good citizen. anil asking It he might
come back to Russia. TIE emperor pardoned
the murderer Of his father, aud the forgiven
ASSASSIN is now living in R1ssia, unless re-
Gently deceased.
When | talked 10 the empress concerning
the sympathy felt in America for the sui
ferings Of the drought-Struck regions o. kls-
STA. she evince1 an absorbing interest AMI
compassion and an emotion OF manner an1
speech such as we men can hardly realza,
because it seems that Col has reserved for
woman as her great adornment the coronet,
the tear iewellei coronet OF tenderness AMI
commiseration. If You say that it was
man, a divine man that came 70 save the
world, say yes: but it was woman that
gave the man. Witness all the Ml1onnas-
Italian. German, English and Russiau-tlat
bloom in the picture galleries OF Chrlsten-
dom. Son of Mary, have mercy on US
But how about the knout, the cruel Rus
hU
back Of agonizsl criminals Why. Russia
abolished the knout before it was abo ished
from our American navy. But how about
the political prisoners hustled off - Siberia:
According to the testimony Of the most cel-
ebrated literary enemy Of Russia, only four
hundred and forty-three political prisoners
were sent to Siberia in twenty years. How
many political prisoners did We put in prison
pens during our four years OF civil war!
Well | will guess at least one hundred thou
sand Americas one hundred thousan pc.
litical prisoners versus Russia -four hundred
and forty-three political prisoners. Nearly
all these four hundred and forty-three OF
twenty years were nobiemen or people des-
perately Oppose to the emancipation OF the
serfs Aud none Of the political prisoners Is
sent 10 the famous Kara mines.
For the most part you are dependent for
information UPON the testimony OF prison
ers who are sent TO Siberia. They all say
they were innocent. Prisoners always are
innocent Ask all tho prisoners Of America
to-day "Guilty or not guilty. and nine.
teen out Of twenty will plead mot 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 prisoners admire the au-
thority that arrested them and punished
them Just about as much as the political
prisoners OF Russia like Siberia.
But YOU ask how will this R1ssophobia,
with which 20 many have been bitten and
poisoned he cured By the God OF justice
blessing SUCH books AMI pamphlets as are
now coming out from Professor de Arnau1,
OF Washington; Mr.. Horace Cutter, OF San
Francisco; Mr.. Morrill,, Of England, and by
the opening Of our American gates TO the
writings Of some twenty-four OF the Russian
authors and authoresseS, in some respects as
brilliant as the three or four Russian authors
already known the translation OF those
twenty-four authors which am authorizei
fro Russia 10 offer free OF charge to any
responsible American publishing house that
will do them justice
Let these Russians tell their own story,
for they are the only Vnes fully competent
TO do the work, as none but Americans can
fully tell the story Of America and as nons
but G srmans can fully tell the story OF Ger
many. and none but Englishmen can fully
tell the story Of Engand. and none hut
Frenchmen can fully tell the story Of
France. Meanwhile let the international
defamation come to an end. Cease 70 speak
evil of dignities merely because they are
dignities, and OF presidents merely because
they are presidents aud of emperors merely
because they are emperors.
And may the blessing of God the Father,
and God the Son ami God the Holy Ghost
be upon all the members Of the imperial
household of Russia, from the illustrious
head of that family down to the princess.
seven years of age, who came skipping into
my presence in the palaces Of Peterhot last
summer Glory 10 God in the highest, an
on earth peace. good will to men!