The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1911-10-10

Salem is the center loi humpei
of the state institutions. The Hospi-
tai for the Insane is short mile from
the prison. Nearby is the Asylum
Farm. while little further to the
west and south are the Tuberculosis
Sanitarium. the State Industrial
school for Boys and the Home for
Dependent Children. All are large,
have considerable tillable ground sur
rounding them, and house classes OF
inmates that it is difficult to make in
dustrially valuable. Here, on the
one hand, were hundreds of acres
of rich Willamette valley land await
ing crops. and on the other hand were
hundreds of strong, naturally active
men shut up in prison until their
appointed time should expire.
TO bring these opposite poles to-
yether required engineering skill-the
ability to Judge accurately the pos
sibilities within man, to construct
character. to guage the stress OF
mind and soul,--but it has been car
ried out with surprising ease ana
success. Profiting by his visits TO the
penitentiary and his personal talks
with the men Governor West believer
he saw a way whereby he could save
the state money necessary thing 10
his system, because Of the many
Thomases to whom money, and only
money. talks authoritatively. and at
the same time save at least large
part of the convicts to society.
He went to the men with his plan
and put it to them frankly.
Look here" he would tell pris-
oner. THE State can't afford to Keep
YOU here at it's expense any longer than
necessary. You don't want to stay
here. I'll make this bargain with
YOU. I'll let you out of the prison and
nut you at work near by. You Will
give me your word not to run away.
I'll see that you are paid a certain
amount for your work, enough SO
that you will be able to get to your
home, or where you wish when you
leave the penitentiary. You work
faithfully and I'll parole you as soon
as you show you desere 1t"
This argument was strong in It's
appeal to the men because the most
wayward of them could see that to
take the governor UP on his bargain
was good thing for him. 1t meant
that the convict would get his liberty
what he wanted. 1t meant that Os-
valid West would be doing something
for the "under.dog, = which is very
probably what he wanted.
Today you can take trip over
almost any road out of Salem and
pass convicts at work without being
able to tell them from the ordinary
industrious farmland to be met
with in any countryside.
There's no prison look about
them. The hang-dog shift is lacking
from their eyes. There is a healthy
tan on their faces. The feeling OF sat
isfaction from a hard days work out
of-doors is noticeable. The cleveres'
forger, the most accomplished safe
cracker, the most daring OF porch
climbers seem to have the unhealthy
lure of their crafts driven out Of
them. There is no room for crime
thoughts when there's a days wm'i
to be done in the country sunlight
with the knowledge that they are a.
free from suspicion and surveillance
as the rich farmer, who is worklni
his own fields across the road.
They may be road building-th'
roads of Marion county are a CRATE
ful evidence of their employment II
that capacity-they may be plowini
milking, doing any Of the jobs tina
farm has to offer, perhaps the
drive back to the penientiary at nigh
with their own team or perhaps, a
is the case with many, who are worR
ing some distance from the prison
they camp out or are given quarter
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