New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-07-04
WALLS DO NOT A PRISON MAKE.
THE BAD POLICY OF TAMMANY IN MAKING
JAILS so UNPLEASANT THAT PEOPLE
nI.11 .-cr THEM

WILL NOT STAY IN THEM.
When Tammany resumed Its interrupted control
OF the city year and a half ago there was a ru-
NOR that one Of its plans for the Advancement
OF the community TO subsidize grand opera
al the rate Of 10000 year. The plan. IL II
amounted TO plan. fell through but Tammsny
has found a better way 10 carry out It's purpose
This is 10 Introduce the element OF comic opera
+ Into its methods Of government. This pleases
everybody instead Of merely the wealthy few who
are able n spend evenings az the Metropolitan
and IT saves such further complications Of the
tax problem as would arise from the spending OF
10000 De Rcszkes and Melbas and Pancons
! end other such truck
The comic opera method OF carrying on gov
eminent not only costs nothing Itself but II acu
ally saves money that would otherwise be spent IN
other ways. 1t costs good deal 10 try a man for
murder. II Is much cheaper TO LET him escape
/ You cannot sentence a man 10 death In the cleo
! trio chair and costs. He will not pay the COSTS
| and NOBODY blanes him The taxpayers must pay
| for his trial and his death and his keep while ne
| Is alive But let him open the door OF his cell and
| walk out into that freedom which Is so appro-
! PIRATE on the Fourth OF July and all THAI money
| is saved 10 the taxpayers. no md OF trouble ana
! anxiety are saved 10 the District-Attorney VINO
! has much 10 worry about as any man neeos'
| and things that he ought worry about, too the
police get more rest and are therefore In peter
! condition for drawing their salaries. and even the
murderer himself likes it better. So let the comic
! opera go
Who that was once boy does rot remember
| how boys play jail? series Of cells Is marked
| out on the ground with a sharp stick The police
man brings the prisoner to one Of these, turns an
| imaginary kew and says. Unlock" Then ne
| thrusts the prisoner In. He employs the ar
Crawn key again. says. Lock up" and thereafter
IT IS dishonorable for the prisoner 10 escape III
he policeman again says. Unlock" and takes
him out for trial Then he may escape from the
pollceman's grip II he can. That Is a fair trial OF
strength. But the rules Of the game do not let
him come through that wall OF air.
They keeping that OF jail UP In West
Forty-scventh-st. When murderer is put into
II he is supposed 10 stay there II he prefers 10
walk out as the Tocc twins did on Sunday morn
ing. why, surely his own detention and trial Tor
murder concern him more than they concern any
body else. so the first member OF the force who
misses him calls the rest Of the watch together
ard they thank God that they are rid OF
knave
Now seriously. the trouble is that Tammany
does not make IT'S tails attractive Prominent cit-
zens WHOSE word Is unmpeachable who nave
been In them say that most OF the JAMS IN thls
county old musty. uncomfortable and wanting
In modern improvements, and they would rather
not stay in them. Even in the building Of the new
Tombs. which TO be very Waldorf Astoria
among jas they are using stone from the old
Tombs. Not the beautiful Egyptian portico which
was an ornament to the city and gave feeling OF
dignity 10 everybody who privileged to stay
behind Il. but the common stone Of the old walls.
redolent OF all the discomfort ana Encouragement
which suffered there for decades.
what is wanted is fail that IL will be n pleas
ure 10 stay IN. like the one In Paterson. which, II
| IS understood. from the stories OF travellers who
have visited different lands. is protected only by
| mosquito bars. There, these same travellers say,
certain Of the prisoners allowed TO play cards,
and one day. while they were playing. they got too
noisy. Then the tailer came and said: "See here.
! II you fellows don't keep quiet II put you all
| out" And quiet was restored at once. There was
/ once a prisoner there-one Of t.. most iebased
| class Of men who boast OF their crimes-who
| openly boosted that he had cheated the county
| by overstaying his time by TWO days. He had got
/ six meals and two nights lodging TO which he
was not entitled. before anybody thought TO put
! him out There another man in that jail who
allowed TO go out attend the funeral Of a
relative. II" drank too much at the funeral and
stayed away for two hours longer than he had
permission to DO. When he back the TALLER
said: Il cant let you In; you have overstayed
your time. and now YOU must stay out" The
prisoner naturally grumbled. He said that i was
a special occasion; that he did not realize how
late it was end that II should not happen again.
In the end. the taller remembering that the Con-
stitution forbade cruel and unusual punishments.
let him in
Tammany should make tho jail happy place.
Tammuny has done muc1 to advance humanity
by trying many experiments in government which
the world having seen them. never need try
again. But has 1t tried governing by kind
ness? Much may be done by kindness.