The Sunday globe., 1901-07-21

confinement, A vast increase in wealth
would result, contends the Senator.
The convict would be greatly benefited,
| because the pure air, wholesome food
and interesting labor would make his
surroundings better and more cheerful
| The tainted atmosphere Of the prison
would be counteracted Short term
/ men and those whose criminal in
| stincts are not prominently developed
could labor together, and the worst
feature Of prison life, the dissemina-
| tion of criminal desires, would be elm
! mated.
ITO guard the prisoners, the idle
troops and cavalry squads could be
! pressed into service. The district In
which the conyicts labor, according to
the plan of Senator Dietrich, could be
guarded by a strong picket line or sol
diers. The latter would not come in
contact with the convicts, and could
receive valuable training in actual out
door service. In camp a detailed rec
ord Of each mans delinquencies would
be kept For pardons good prison con-
duct would be required, Senator Diet
rich is confident that instructions and
attempts to escape can be eliminated
entirely.
Skilled engineers and Government
experts are depended upon by the Sen
ator to outline the work. BY careful
selection the labor would be sutiicient-
I ly skilled to cOndust the work.
Senator Dietrich was first prompt
ed to devise the scheme on humani-
tartan grounds. twenty-five years ago
he was working as a day laborer in the
swamps of Arkansas and Mississippi.
At that time the convict camp with
all its terrors, was in vogue. The
prisoners were compelled to do the
most exhausting labor on a diet OF
| bacon, corn bread and river water,
with only a few hours devoted to sleep
and rest. Nearly all the convicts wore
| the ball and chain. The inhuman treat
ment and loss Of energy, as well as
the unsanitary conditions vividly i'm
pressed the future Senator From that
time until the present he has never
| ceased to mediate on a plan for I'M
proving prison conditions.
According to his theory, csntine-
ment within prison walls detracts from
| the strength Of mind and body. The
moral atmosphere is tainted and con-
taminating. There is no distinction
made between the most debased Grim
/ inal and the man who erred through
/ the strenuous pressure Of unfortunate
| circumstances. He maintains that out
| of the $4,000 criminals in the United
States $4,000 are detained within the
| prison walls on account Of the defects
| of the present system.
"In prison the convict is frequently
| employed in time killing drudgery, ar
/ CUES the Senator His labor benefits
neither himself nor the State. When
/ the prisoner is released, mind and bsdy
are both weakened by confinement.
/ Reproach and contempt follow as
matter of course. Under such circum-
/ stances there is no chance for the dis
/ charged prisoner who wants 10 lead
an honest life. He can not make liv-
ing in competition with his fellows.
| Vagrancy and fresh crimes are the in
evitable results.
by labor in the arid regions, the
convicts could work in the open air.
Their surroundings would be the most
healthful The labor, insists the Sen
ator. would be pleasant and less oner-
Gus than in the prison. In the contin-
]
get the past and no longer brood over
their mistakes or plot revenge. The
continual change of scene would in
| duce them to forget their condition,
and the wages paid them would be Of
assistance when the day Of discharge
came.
BY such a plan the convict would
make adequate and just reparation to
the State for his offense. For his
breach OF law he would have contrib
uted to the wealth of the country. This
public sentiment would quickly per-
ceive, and the convict would be more
liable TO get better treatment in the
way Of future employment"
And the correspondent gives us this
personal pen picture:
Senator Dietrich is a bluff, deter
mined man Of AS. His early life was
spent in the swamps of the South, the
Black Hills region and the prairies of
Western Nebraska. He has acquired
a snug fortune
ITO be continued.)