The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-07-12
IN, SECOND AVENUE.

I'M SECOND AVENUE.
! sANrN<eeb<esbNeb>NeI<
to the borders Of Europe. In every village
hay. in almost every house and cottage
there Is at night one single window uium-
mated BY lamp or candle from dusk 10
daybreak. and In that window, alongside
or tho lamp or candle. there are plate
and jug. Whenever the evening meal
begins. no matter how humble II be. one OF
the family places some Of the food on the
plate. and the jug h nlled either With
spirits or with tea.
These delcacies are for the fugitive
exiles and convictA when they stsalthily
creep into a VILLAGE at night and see that
light they know thai On the same table
- the lamp or candle are food and drink.
They have only to push the window and
It opens. % that they may take the plate
and Jug and refresh exhausted nature. The
people OF the house do not wish to re
them. II Is better for them not 70 do -.
But when they see the plate and jug empty
that they have. n the words Of the scrip
ture, cast bread upon the waters which
win return to them." perhaps in another
form. after many days"
Prassia's Exiles.
Few people are awars that until about
nifty years ago~-in fact. almost up to the
days OF Bismarck-Slberia was used an .
place Of exile by the kings and government
Of Prussia In those days relations Of the
most intimate character existed between tho
courts Of 81. Petersburg and Berlin. and.
taking advantage Of thu. the Prussian au-
thorities were accustomed every now and
again to turn over to Russian onicisls At
the frontier patches OF Prusnlan Offenders.
political and criminal. for transportation
to Siberia Il the expense Of the Berlin
treasury. During the reign Of Frederick
William III. alone. a. many - II 900 Prus-
sian citizens were In this manner deported
to Russia In Asia. and the practice was
continued even during the earlier part OF
thesreign OF Frederick william ~. II has
now ceased altogether. and Prussia, like
the other states Of the German empire.
shows its good sense by keeping its GRIM
inai classes at home, realisint that II any
work Of redemption and rehabilitation II
to be attempted. II can he carried on 10 far
greater advantage and with moro pros
poets Of ultimate success q home than
abroad.
Italy. In the hope Of discovering some
usa for her costly white elephant Of . col
ony on the African coast Of the Red sea,
attempted some years ago to convert Il
into penal settlement, and shipped nearly
mortality among them. however. has becn
% acpalling--lesa than 30 remain alive
the authorities have never ventured 20 re-
peat the experiment or to adopt the system
Of penal TRANSPORTATION for good.
Tho only European countries that stiil
retain deportation ~ means Of punish
ment for political and criminal oflanders
are France. Spain. Portugal and Turkey.
England having abolished TRANSFORMATION
n nDniahY0Anf In 100e ~
OK its Indian convicts. who are 1hiuped
from the mainland 10 the An6aman islands.
In the Bay Of Bengal On the whole, por-
tugal treats her transported convicts most
kindly. They are mostly depcrted to the
east and west coasts OF Africa, and 10 Coz.
In India. No attempt IL made % subject
them 70 forced labor. They enjoy almost
complete liberty. providing they DO not quit
the limits OF the town or settlement to
which they are asulgned while their social
status II 50 little affected by the fact Of
their having been transported from Portu-
gal ~ criminals that at McxamniQue, for
instance. the governor general Of the COL
ony may occasionally b. found playing
billiards In the principal hotel Of the place
with convicted forger or entertaining q
transported poisoner at his table. IN fact.
Portuguese convicts IN the colony have the
most delightful time. and men and women
prove more entertaining and intsrestine
guests and companions than those Of their
countrymen who have managed 70 remain
within the limits Of the Law.
Blot On France.
Frances penal colonies, like those Of
Spain. ara . blot on her civilization ana
source OF regret and Of shame % her more
enlightened citizens. France Transports
her habitual criminals To New Caledonia,
In the Pacific, and TO French Guiana. the
latter colony being the more utilized for
this purposo since the energetic protest OF
the British government IN behalf Of its
Australasian dependencies, which naaur-
ally objected to having all Frances most
dangerous criminals dumped upon the
islands within easy easy reach OF their
shores The climate OF New Caledonia In
unsuited to the settlement OF white races.
and the soil n not such ~ TO induce the
convicts TO work fof themselves. while
French Guiana In one OF the most pestifer-
Gus spots on tn face Of the globe, the NOR
tally among the convicts detained there
being something terrible. Moreover. the
discipline. the supervision. and the man
agemenf Of the convicte are ~ execvAble
in French Guiana as In New Caledonia
and 20 far az can be seen the only objecf
which the French government aftains by
deporting its habitual criminals across the
sea u that they die on about ten times ~
fast In the colonies ~ would be the cas-
IL they had remained insefned IN penissn-
:iaries at home.
The horrors Of the Spanish penal settle
menss and convict prisons ~ Ceuta and as
Fernando Pc, on the coast of Africa. have
been too frequently described Of hate In
connection with the su6erinss undergone
by Cuban patriots 70 need more than pase-
ing reference here. They sre without ex-
cep.sou the most horrible snfcrnoa 81 the
kind that remain IN existence. and are a
disgrace to any eivilssed and Christian
country. In fact, they are infinitely more
terrible than anything In connection with
Russia's Siberian exile system. either
present or past, ADD have no counterpart
save In the faseering dungeons Of the bar
barous sultan Of Morocco
Geographically speaking. Turkey be-
ianes 70 Europe. although neither rs ruler