The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-12-27
The Way to Treat Habitual
Criminals.
How the Daughters of Liberty
We're First Formed.
Honors Paid to a Soap Maker by the
Early Legislators.

SupCrintendept Brown OF the Dexter
Asylum manages to get away from his
manifold duties at that institution ocoa-
sionsliy and pay VISIT to the city hall.
lie is just as hearty and CHEEKY as w hen he
travelled beat in the police department
or helped to guide its affairs as deputy
chief. Mr.. Brown still takes deep in
terest in the force, and believes II to be
one of the most efficient and best disci-
plihed in the country lie is still, as he
slways has been, strong advocate OF
rigorous methods in dealing with habit
ual criminals. In his opinion there should
he some provision similar to New Hork's
common thief statute, which would allow
persistent offenders 10 be shut up for such
period as would guard the community
from their depredations for long term OF
years. First offenders, especially when
their offense has not been long planned
or deliberate, lie believes. should be
leniently dealt with, but with confirmed
criminals the treatment should be more
rigorous and vigorous. Not only should
the punishment inflicted be exemplary.
but after release they should he under the
surveillance of the police.
These views are quite in accord with
,tbose OF Chief Child, who has repeatedly
called attention to the need OF more
stringent laws for the punishment of
habitual criminals. There seems to be
every likelihood that some such statute
ill be passed at the coming session OF
the General Assembly. ns City Solicitor
Colwell will appear before II TO urge the
adoption OF the desired legislation.
Many women in the city of Providence
Rre interested In the Daug hters OF Liberty,
an organization which has branches in
ali cf q Fnft t.A INT nd f1h
is doing worthy work in promoting
patriotism and devotion TO the National
interest and welfare. How many OF them
know how the name came first TO be used
and the causes which led to its adoption?
Very few, IL Is afe TO say. The story il
very interesting and proves beyond ques-
tion that the women of Providence are
equal in patriotism to the men and can
make sacrifices for good cause quite as
noble in their way as those OF the men
who undergo the fatigues OF the march
AID the dangers OF the battle field.
In 1865 the sentiment or the people Of
Providence was very strong against the
English government on account of its
attempt 10 lay oppressive taxes upon the
colonies. Everywhere the men were organ
izing under the name OF Sons OF Liberty
for the purpose of putting stop TO the
importation of all goods from Great
Britain. Ii was their aim TO produce
everyi hing required at home and thus
give England the cold shoulder in COM
merce.
But while the men were thus banding
together it remained for the fair women
of Providence to inaugurate similar
movement and for similar purposes
among their sex. Eighteen young
women, representatives of the leading
families OF the town, took the initiative
in this movement. They gathered AZ the
house OF Mr.. Ephraim Bowen at sunrise
on Msrch 4, l766,, and fronkthen until
night devoted themselves 70 spinning
flax. This was to be used in the home
manufacture OF cloth and was to help in
the general plan 70 get along without
purchasing anything from England or
her dependencies.
But il was not alone in carrying out
this self-imposed task that these fair
patriots showed their metle and their
meaning. AT all gatherings of women
in those days tea formed the leading
part of the material entertainment just as
ii does at similar functions today. No
meeting OF two or more women was COM
plete unless q cup OF tea, brewed with all
the care that danes OF colonial days were
wont to bestow upon 1t, was partaken of.
But at this first meeting of the Dau gbters
of Liberty there was no tea drinking.
ed OF the deprivation of her favorite bev-
erage. This may seem an Insignificant
sacrifice but let the ladies who 10 regard
II just make the experiment OF dispensing
with tea themselves for only day or two
and they will find that after all the sac
rihce made by the Daughters OF Liberty
was not 30 petty as at first glance ii
would appear. And what grand success
those Is pioneers made or their under
taxing. The spirit which animated them
IL "A -
town and from the highest TO the hum
blest every woman in Providence was
ready not only to join the standard of
the Daughters OF Liberty and do her
share of the WORK, but o abjure tea drink
ing as well. And SO il fell out that at the
second meeting OF the organization the
attendance was so large that there was
not private residence In the town of
sufficient capacity TO hold all the patriotic
women who attended and the court house
was used instead.
CASTLE soap ia a rather prosaic article
to re sure, but It's commonness now
doesn't by any mC ms detract from its
Importance when viewed in the light of
history. History and soap make a rather
ludicrous combination, but there isn't
any doubt thar soap, and CASTLE soap
at that, engaged the attention OF the fore
fathers, and that, too, at time when
they were just preparing to administer
the first thorough twisting to the toll OF
the British lion.
In 1116 there was very strong preju-
dice against foreigners in this colony,
particularly those who came from
Spain or Portugal and very few OF them
were admitted to citizenship. But one
day there arrived here one James Lucena,
native OF Portugal and n soap maker
TO boot. Now 1t Is evident the legis-
lators OF those days placed a high value
on soap because they were good and
godly men who recognized that clealiness
Is next to godliness; and Ii IL also pretty
certain that they entertained the most
profound respect for the man who could
make soap, especially after the CASTELAR,
method, for by formal vote they natural
lied Lucena, thus conferring upon him
ell the privileges of citizenship. But
they did more than that--they made him