Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-01-09
A BURLINGTON EDITORS
VIEW,
BY ". M DAVIDSON.

ers of the state penitentiary at this
place, 1 have talked with him and
walked with him. and under his
guidance / have inspected the insti-
tuition over which he presides. | have
seen the results of the Work he has
been doing since he came into office
here scarcely year ago, and ! have
discussed with him the theories which
through distortion and the manipula-
ton iof careless and sensational news
paper correspondents have made him
the most talkcd-of man in Iowa to-
day. and much discussed all over the
country. | have failed to find in him
the lunatic and the anarchist and the
fool that he has been called by some
newspaper critics who have taken the
sensational reports sent broadcast as
the basis of their comments. Instead
! have found an enthusiastic. earnest,
forceful and progressive executive
who believes in his fellow men, and
whose aim in life evidently is to do
What lie can for them. no matter in
what condition he finds them.
Some time ago the state board OF
control asked Warden Sanders to
write a paper on the subject of prison
discipline and reform. The warden
responded promptly, with what he
considered practical exposition nt
his ideas Of what was needful in the
betterment of the condition of the
prisoners under state care. The paper
was received with cun,mendation by
the board who prepared to have it
printed as public document. Blu.
what was Warden Sanders amaze
lnent when extracts from it We're sent
bl oadcast revealing in him freak and
monstrosity in the way of a prison
official. The chief sensation was caus-
cd by the following quota ton from his
plEcr
THE personal appearance of pris.
oner should be emphasized by a re-
spcctable suit of clothes. tailor made,
Numbered shirts and polished shoes
on Sundays ana holidays
To Warden Sanders undoing the
correspondents, either ny oversight OF
with a desire to make their report
more sensational. left off the last four
words. for Sundays and holidays 1t
made the warden appear to be recon-
mendina that prisoners be dressed il
dude clothing and billed" shirts and
collars as q daily earb. Nothing could
lie further from his intention. ~ i
matter OF fact the men have for a
long time been allowed to dress up
on Sundays and holidays. and War
den Sanders was merely stating a, FACT
III connection with the general sc;ltetle
Of bctternrcnt of the condition of tie
inmates of tic institution already in
vogue.
The men are permitted to buy for
themselves white starch shirts. cuffs.
and collars. They are required to
black their boots on the dress up
occasion. The reference to tailor-made
suits carried no new idea with it. Tor
many years the Institution has had an
expert tailor at the hv,t3 of TIC prison
tailor shop, which has turned out ali
the CLOTH ing that the men wear. The
Workmanship has always been good
and Warden sanders only recon-
ilsndaticn is tlat the fit of the cloth
ing shall be Letter. He holds that it
costs no mere % make a decently fit
tins suit than 10 make a baggy, ugly
one, and the effect on the men. he
claims. in the matter of higher self
respect. is as desirable as it is
marked. The suits that arc now beinss
turned out by the prison tailors are
heater and more presentable. and one
can hardly tell the fist grade men
from the ordinary uniformed cadet OF
soi.her.
The stripes lave long since been
men and only worn by third grad
ers. The first grade men wear a
greyisi blue suit Of solid color with
black seams and cuffs and cap to
match. The second grade men wear
grew aud black check cloth Of the
same quality IS the iirst and the
third graders have the old style broad
black and gray stripes. Warden San
ders recommends that the check suit
now worn by the second grade men
is of sufficient degradation for the
third graders. and he would do away
with the stripes entirely III even the
worst criminals.
This is policy not original with
Warden Sanders. Warden Jones be-
fore him created the present arrange
ment of clothing, and in other states
the stripes haze been abandoned as a
distinctive mark of prison garb. 1t is
a distinct and humane advance in the
treatment of criminals that is gener-
ally commended by advanced authori-
ties on the subject of penal affairs.
That is practically all there is in the
"d1de'' clothing outcry against War
den Sanders.
II have no criticism to make of for
mer warden Jones', said Mr.. Sanders.
Il have every reason to feel kindly to-
ward him. He was most kind and
helpful when I came to this institu-
ton. and I found as legacy from
him many admira BILE ideas and i'm
provements. He had gathered togeth-
er magnificent library that is one of
the best features Of the institution.
He installed one of the finest prison
bath departments in the United States.
He is a man of integrity and high
purpose. and it is not my intention to
disparage his method of work simply
because We differ in our ideas. I
am merely carrying out what I be-
lieve to be the best plans for the well
fare OF the men in my charge. came
here with the idea that this was to be,
in sense, reformatory not a de-
foTmatory.' ] was called to take the
position without solicitation on my
part, and unexpectedly. I have taken
up this work as an opportunity to do
something for my state and propose
to do it.
The papers have called me crazy,
and a fool for what they think I am
trying to do. 1t is very easy for peo-
pie to stand outside these walls with
the centuries of archaic prison GUS
toms behind them and imagine evil Of
what is being attempted here But
the outside world can only learn the
truth by coming here and seeing the
thing as it actually is. They are free
to come and will be welcome. and I
tell you when they see what has been
accomplished in the seven months
past, am willing to stand on their
verdict and if they then call me an
anarchist or crazy. as some critics
have done recently, / will willinSIv