Rocky Ford enterprise., 1901-12-27


In an address before the. Social
Science Department OF the WoInan's
Club In Denver recently Mrs. Maudo
Bailinston Booth made an earnest plea
in the interest OF her work among tho
prisoners OF the United States, p
+ Mrs. Booth began by telling some
thing OF the causes which led to tho
formation OF the Volunteers OF Amer
lea, al, the head OF which stand she
and her husband. She emphasized tho
fact Tint the organization Is distinct
from the, salvation Army. She said
thar IL Is purely American In all Its
characteristics, having for Its watch
words For God and Country" Then
she told OF the Volunteer Prisoners
League. which she has now established
IN thirteen prisons 0f the United States.
She painted In touching words tho pie
ture OF the men In the prisons and tho
absolute. hopcicssncss and pity OF their
livo-. How when the prison door
elnngs behind them they arc entirely
cut OF from life. Its love, Its rush anu
Its sunshine. and that when they come
forth again they come with n brand.
as IL Were. upon their forchcads. No
on. Will trust them enough To give
them employment, no on. VIII help
them to a shelter. and therefore II IL
that they become what Il known a.
habitunl criminals.
There may bc many within tho
prison who have transgrcssed the law.
sh. declared. There are many. nro
there not. who have trans.rcss.d tho
law who arc still In the woridi 4 critn-
inni Ii one who pcrpctra;cr crime. and
th.r. arc many such who do not stand
behind the bars OF prison. For tho
people who say Ono. a thief. always =
thief ! have no patience. know. and
] have suffered and felt AMI prayed
with my boys. and know IL is not so.'
! could no, come closer To them except
. ! commit some ofrcns. and h. sentenced
To prison. aud know that what nr.
known ns hnbiiunl criminals. men OF
whom war,i-ns have said. DO for them
what you will and they Will b- her.
again In ,hrc- months are ihr,- ana
four year. after their release leading
honest. upright. industrious lives lf
one OF our Chrl~tinn ministers should
come Into his pulpit some morning.
op-n his Bible. read n verse nnd then
b-:in. My dear people. you arr selfish.
I, IL too had and nm sorry for II. but
th-r.. IL no hope nni am sorry for II.
hut there IL no hop- for you: onc- sci.
nsL. always SELFISH and to another
portion OF his flock -ly. You nrc hypo-
critics. n sinful lot. Hut haS. no wor,i
of cheer for you. oner n hypo-ri'r. nj.
way. n hypccri,e-if a minister should
do this some day you would NIL b-
amazed. yet he would bc no murc iilo..
Icai than those ot you who say. Once
\ criminal. always a r,ininai' After
all. arc not the little cOnr-s just rs Of
fcnsiv- IN tho sight Of God:
There arr many righteous people.
righteous people whose Integrity II ="
intense that they eau feel no atom OF
| sympathy for ihnsr who have been
weak or unfortunate. yet even these
people cannot help but at icas, pity
the struggling wives and ih" helpless
children Of the men who arr In prison"
Airs. Booth then told something OF
her two HOPE halls. which arr. sh"
says. homes for men who come from
prison. WHERE they are srrc~nci Just ns
surely from curious and morbidly In.
auisitisc people n though they wcrv
| living In their mothers hninr. No re-
por'cr. have ever cr"s~si the thr,>-h.
hold: no on" except tho-r who havo
served at icas, one year in the pcni,cn-
| tiary.