The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-09-29
DENOUNCED
JAIL SYSTEM.
Men and Women in Dover
Jail in Filthy Condition.


Dover, widow OF the late ex- Congress.
man N. B. Smithers, in an able paper
read by her before the State W. C. TU.
convention yesterday afternoon.
She stated that just before coming to
the convention, she had visited the
Dover Jail and there found forty nien
besides women and children, dirty and
filthy. She asked prisoner why they
stood up and did not sit down, and he
said they had nothing to sit on. She
looked into the cell and there was only a
bed, which goat wouldn't sleep in, not
chair or anything to sit on. She asked
another prisoner why he walked up and
down 60, and he replied that he had to
do something or he would get crazy.
Her paper in full was as follows:
Nearly score OF years ago, took up
my timid pen to write against the Della
ware Jail system.
My work as superintendent brought
me into close contact with its workings,
and was amazed and Mortified at the
moral fifth and degradation that existed
under such system. l then determined
that the public, SO far as l was able,
which quietly permitted such gross out
rage to live in their midst, should not do
30 ignorantly.
therefore resolved That my papers
snouiu not, In tine ordinary sense, be
jan reports, but jail denouncers; and l
nave done my best to make them SO.
Seventeen years ago ! appeared for the
hrst time before W. Y. L. U. State con-
vention and told my story, and eae h year
since on similar occasions.
have told 1t over again until you all
must be as familiar with 1t as am.
have taken you by the hand and led you
inside one OF these Jalls,any one OF them;
and as the iron door swings open, and
we enter into the dim light and sicken-
ing atmosphere OF this pest hole, l have
pointed out to you, men and women,
boys and girls, white and black-all
huddled together indiscriminatelv.
have taken you inside the cells, and
saw you shudder as you have looked
upon them. | have paused with you to
listen to some hardened criminal telling
the story of crime to some tender YOUTH
who listened to his words as to q
romance. have shown you how these
jai,s are managed, and what great re-
forms should come to them; and have
tOlu NOu ilDW We HuNc pledutu WIFI Uy-
gone Legislatures to help us to better
conditions. l have shown you how
prison reform operates in other States,
until | knew you were convinced that
our system was not only pest upon our
civilization but a sin against humanity.
All this | have shown you, and more,
until there is left nothing more to tell.
We all know full well that the old doc
trine of retributve Justice is fallacy
and fraud. The centuries have
proven it and man is now alive to the
fact.
We have found out that everything
we do for the criminal is something done
for society-eyery bit of reformation Won
give to the criminal, YOU give lust that
much more protection to society. Every
offender that YOU lock up in enforced
idleness, YOU sink deeper into the dark.
ness of depravity. How can men and
women from such environment as Del
aware iail 90 out to do better? What in
heavens name il there to begin a new
lie mon?
The DISCHARGED rnrisoner he ia Init
moral leper. at the very sight of whom
avery one cries "unclean. mclean y
Re it your idea that these "iail birdsn
sit ouietlv down in their soIjcitude and
renrctinG mon their errors. resolve with
contrib hearts to commjt n, mora of
thana Do Won IMAGINE that these men
arc miserable restless and chatting undar
tho;r confinemant9 II Won 10 Won
;,naa;,e vainlv
~ IN leaves from "prison Diarv "
Michael Davitt saws, 81 nave met very
faw individuals in nrison. who save evi.
dcnce in annparance ar talk Of being
trniv e m;seraple ro matter what Tia
ionatb nf tLair santencn amount If extra
,np;ahu ", ' o. cnntros; hotwoen ,hair
ppr m",3 and their cnnvict Iife ID won
XIV i'l' ram "m .t ove,tates themp No Tha
criminal lie the wild beast comes ont
~ tho Mac. where he was csgad tamn,rs
or; i,,' p w"rse "I Than whsn Ia want in.
"'.y' ; IU m,ara hrntal noora h;,,n m'
,o dismased ,nward H bis isiows ' ue NAV
u'1p ro $3.50 vU" and nmnn;nn ,haroof,a "S
p pu 'I h mi \. " dammare,s tn sno,e,
o''o 'I I H,, he moS cana5 ''''ess
'' M, oe i1 49, liz m"s ;a;t IS .a, :, a.,
nt oiu o.;,'tn ~ =, ,oua .nd
iuen'l'aa ,ns dn ~ ' ti wa, JaD !.
IN .le very uawn u ah Why, s Mne,, ft g. was
noniiu heoeis NC n', iro wy IL fo,Inw.
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