The herald., 1896-06-12
A PITIFUL CONTRAST

Through the medium of one Of its
bright writer's the San Francisco Ex-
aminer has been exposing the barbarouS
treatment accorded women confined in
the city Jail of the northern metropolis.
About year since The Herald per-
formed a similar service in Los Angeles
and the result of the exposures then
made and the campaign for reforma-
ton conducted by this journal led to
radical improvement in the care of fe
male prisoners, separate quarters being
assigned them. and the conditions of
their incarceration being made to ac-
cord somewhat with modern ideas of
decency and humanity. 1t is to be hoped
that the Monarch will be equally sue
cessful in it's efforts for betterment of
the treatment and prison environments
of the unfortunate women.
In the following editorial the Exam
iner draws powerful contrast between
tine methods, in dealing with these
women, of the rich and extravagantly
maintained city of San Francisco, and
of the unassuming organization known
as the Salvation Army, and it is a con-
trast that reflects everlasting disgrace
Oll TIE illuIlCipdllty anu dpuAiuhhe ~ SNi@
on the army. The Examiner says:
Alice Rix first presented to the read
ers of the Examiner a picture of the
treatment which the city extends to the
female outcasts who are hailed to the
city prison, and then followed 1t with
a description of the manner in which
the Salvation Army entertains the same
class of unfortunates. The contrast be-
tween the two methods will be seen to
be painfully sharp when their essentials
are arrayed side by side. thus:
In the city prison the women were
thrown into one dark and sitting CELL
called the 'bird-cage,' without being re-
quired or even permitted to cleanse their
persons and clothes, for bedsteads. mat
tresses, pillows, sheets and blankets
they were given each filthy, disease
laden, vermin-infested comforter, and
grimy wooden benches or the ooZe-cov-
cred concrete floor on which to lie; no
change of clothing for sleep. no palata-
BILE food except that which they could
bribe an attendant to procure; their at
tendants being male prisoners called
TRUSTEES.
AT the Salvation Armys shelter on
Seventh street such of these women as
apply are charged 5 or 10 cents Tor
lodging and for each meal, and they are
never turned away If they have not the
money; kind and decent woman re-
ceives them, requires them to bathe, and
bathes them herself if they are unwil-
ling; gives them a clean night dress and
after something good to eat tucks them
into comfortable bed consisting of iron
bedstead, mattress, pillow and clean,
sweet sheets and blankets. The wom-
ems clothes are washed, and nothing but
helpful kindness and gentleness appears
in the treatment which they receive. 1t
costs the Salvation Army SIS a month to
conduct this establishment
The women at the city prison are
housed in building that cost over S.
100000 and that contains scores of ele-
CANT offices. The outcasts are the wards
of $4,000 souls, owning property worth
a half a billion dollars, expending Sc
100000 year for the conduct of it's pub
lie business, and supporting fifty three
benevolent societies, $50 churches, twen-
ty-f1Ve church societies and twenty
seven temperance societies.
The Salvation Army is composed of
persons mostly from the humber walks
of life, generally extremely poor, deny
ing themselves every luxury, every self
indulgence. rarely enjoying the ordinary
comforts of life, managing their Won
derful charities with exquisite skill and
depending for the support of their in
StitutionS on what they can beg
THAT is how the two pictures look
when placed side by side The wise may
get what comfort they can from con-
temptation of the spectacle. 1t is true
that the most repulsive horrors of the
city's case are being somewhat ameli-
Grated by the supervisors but a COM
plete reformation is demanded and the
Salvation Army has shown how it can
be accomplished