New-York tribune., 1897-08-01
ATTACK BY THE MACHINE.
THE TRIBUNE'S WORK STIRS UP THE
WILLOUGHBY-ST DEMOCRATS.

| THE TRIBUNE'S WORK STIRS UP THE
WILLOUGHBY-S DEMOCRATS.
EMPLOYMENT FOR coNvIcrs ON EAST SIDE LANDS
BRINGS OUT THE BRUTAL DEMAND LET
THEM STAY IN PRrsoN'-wARDEN
| HAYES OF THE KINGS COUNTY
| PENITENTIARY DOES NOT
WANT ANY MORE
MADMEN
| The announcement by Commissioner Burtis
| through The Tribune that it is only matter
| OF a few days. or at most week or Sc, before
| the idle prisoners in the penitentiary Will be
at work the East Side lands. or wherever
the Park Commissioner can give them work that
could not otherwise be done, has brought sign
Of relief to many Brooklyn people Seven pris-
oners going insane in a week, ana nineteen
| lunatcs the record Of year only little more
| than half-spent were too much for men and
women capable OF feeling the slightest compass
| sion.
| on every hand In the homes on the street.
in the trolley and the elevated cars, in the stores
| and the workshops, Brooklyn people have been
| discussing this intensely interesting subject, and
| few have been bold enough to express anything
| except sympathy with the humane crusade
| which The Tribune has waged against turning
| the pententiary into a madhouse. The thought
| of inhcting loss Of reason or hopeless idiocy
| upon the inmates of murderer's row would
! be revolving to a civilized community, but a
| system which makes insanity the penalty for
| the minor crimes for which most Of the inmates
! Of the Kings County Penitentiary are incar-
| cerated has 80 wrought up the sensibilities OF
| the Brooklyn public that there is little doubt
| where the voters will stand II the issue be
drawn this fall on sane mad convicts.
| Nothing Of course. remains to be done except
| to wait for the return Of Park Commissioner
| Dettmer. who has gone to the country TO stay
J until Tuesday. Meantime the Charities Com
| missioners and Warden Hayes are learning just
| how many and what prisoners shall be offered
| for park work The experiment will first be
| tried with short-term prisoners. as they are less
| likely to make an effort to escape. and are not
available for the skilled work that is done to a
| small extent indoors.
| The Tribune took occasion several days ago
! to quote the two editorials which appeared
| within a week in the Democratic machine organ
| in Brooklyn The first which appeared to be
| the personal view of the editor. rallied against
| the contract convict labor amendment both be-
|
was creating lunatics. The next editorial seemed
| TO he purely organic because 1t scoffed at max
ing fuss over score of jailbirds going in
| sane.
| On Friday the machine organ editor attempted
to explain the discrepancy between its two prev-
Gus expressions Of opinion with the following
utterance, in which, by-the-way, an effort was
made to place a misleading construction on a
chance remark made by Commissioner Burtis;
| The Tribune is in error In supposing that The
Citizen" has In any way modified It's position win Win
trasts the editorial In yesterdays Ciizen intend
made about the convicts in the Kings County Pen-
tertiary, with a previous utterance In TINS paper
advocating a modification OF the existing law. so as
| to provide the idle convicts with employment.
| ''The Citizen Is still OF the opinion that all men
=, and that law which makes 1t impossible for the
authorities to give employment TO convicts Is op-
the same time. it is possible in discussing the sub
ject to waste altogether too much sympathy upon
these jabirds, and thereby cause revuison Oh
The ardor with which The Tribune has cham
| pioned the cause Of the convcts drew forth from
| Commissioner Burtis admittedly the friend OF the
prisoners the remark that there was altogether TOO
| much fuss being made about the convicts. The
| Citizen" in taking the ground as Mr.. Burts.
believes that it voiced public opinion generally
ment At the same time freemen have prior
way e TO oS ST% by . TO
nItles for the unemployed TO find work. To abridge
| the avenue OF opportunity Is notnihB SNORT oi d
| crime against society.
| II will be noticed that In this mild attempt at
an explanation there Is no word Of protest against
employing convicts on the East Side Lands. al
| though The Tribune had advocated this mode of
| relief for week and had been earnestly sec
| onded In the movement for several days by
The Brooklyn Eagle"
When the Willoughbyst bosses learned that
II was hopeless to make capital by opposing the
general proposition Of employing the prisoners.
| they took counsel to what particular phase
| of it they might oppose. and. learning from The
Tribune that the prisoners were to be utilized In
Transforming the East Side Lands from dump
into a park. they decided to oppose that specif-
| cally.
OUTSPOKEN BRUTALITY.
The following editorial appeared in the Nc
Laughlln organ yesterday:
LET THEM STAY IN PRISON
Park Commissioner De,tmer has not yet sent to
| the Charities Commissioners a reQuiston for 200
convicts to be employed upon the East Side lands.
! His best friends hope that he never Will Phian-
thropv at times Is apt to slop over The suggestion
NJ the newspaper philanhropsts to employ convicts
| unon the East Side lands is an instance OF the
kind Right opposite the East Side lands is Pros
| pect Park the peoples pleasure ground.
| pWbat could be more demorazing 10 our youth
| than the spectacle OF 900 convicts in striped suits
| working right under their noses and guarded by
| Keepers armed with shotguns?
| Trie they have convict camps In the South, but
| ,han Tho South a. the numerous lynchngs and
shooting ARRAYS attest Is still In primitive state
| Of civilization Even mere boys In the South go
Srmcd' and human te there is held cheaply As
"o",ety advances In civilization 1t aims to Isolate
and remove from the public gaze as far as possible
| anvthinn that tend to brutaZe humanity. This
| arcounts for the law passed In this State which
limits the number OF spectators at an elecrocution
] and prohibIts the newspapers from printing more
than "a few details about II. .
The employment Of convicts upon the East Side