The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-07-26
REFORM
WINS IN OREGON
Gov Vests Experiment in Square
Deal' Shows Many Men Lead
Better Lives.


ol OHNA oGEE Ne
SALEM, Ore. July 26.--As you en-
ter the prison proper OF the Oregon
penttentfary you come through barred
gates into a big square room. Three
worn pillars support the ceiling. At
one end is small platform and on
II two chairs.
This, bare, bleak room, with It's
chairs was. until recently, the prison
chapel; the bare platform was pulpit
and stage. and the iron pillars served
a useful as well as ornamental pur'
pose.
Not many years ago doctor and
guard lolled In these two arm chairs
while another guard dashed to death
an idiot boy, who was bound to the
post nearest the pulpit. The boy was
whipped through a long afternoon. he
was given an anesthetic so that he
could not cry out, and the dull sound
of the whip falling on bleeding flesh
echoed through the cell corridors out
into the muddy yard. where. huddled
conyicts. under heavy guards, did
meaningless tasks. and cursed their
Maker under their breaths, while the
whip stripped on its flesh.
Today there II a model theater with
stage and ample settings, with big
moving picture machine, comfortable
seats. grand piano and orchestra pit.
where the prison band and orchestra
perform
And there isn't whip in the prison.
nor a striped suit OF clothes, nor q
dark cell, nor a bread and water diet,
nor an armed guard over q third OF
the prisoners!
There was n time when a preacher,
hired by the state, mouthed platitudes
about merciful God and q kind
heavenly Father from the blood
splashed little platform; behind him
was the cat7o'-nine tails. before him
were cowed desperadoes. around him
were brutal guards, aching for the
chance to catch a prisoner letting out
a whisper OF the hell that was in him.
The change has come In six months.
most Of It In two months. II has come
because Gov. West had to do some
thing radical He decided TO try the
square deal policy He put the
prisoners on their honor and turned
them loose without guard. Only
three weak-minded ones. out Of a hun
dred and fifty, ran away.
On the day visited the peniten-
tiary there were AZ convicts working
outside the prison walls, under no
1 guard whatever, some OF them 10
miles from the penitentiary. Those
slept outside the prison.
They were building roads, working
at the tuberculosis farm. at the
asylum, about the prison. There was
no guard on the job, any one Of the
lat could have escaped with ease. for
these men wear no irons, wear nc
stripes, are just common working
men doing the states business and
getting paid for it, Getting paid fol
II In cash. In outdoor work without
restraint, with better food and better
sleeping quarters.
And they are not running away!
Some OF these men report TO the
warden every night. some Of them re-
port once week, but they ell report
on time.
At the time the governor sent out
these men into the fields with a
guard he did away with the prison
whip the dark cell, the bread and
water diet, the Oregon boot, the arm.
ed guard. II you won't work you
merely go to your cell and stay there
by yourself. get three meals day
and come I'm time to understand that
it's a sucker play" II you do work
you get part Of the profits. the sort
of work you want. outdoor life. better
food, and chance to be paroled with
q permanent Job at good wages.
Now any man who was outside
prison would not bubble much about
which Job he would take. Well, Ore
gon has found that men inside the
prison are just as wise and long-head-
ed and eager for the best chance az
the men outside, and II anything a
little more so.
Nobody who isn't weak In the head
will try to run away" says Murderer
Blodgett
| The only reason men ever ran
away from prison was because they
/ didn't get a square deal and didn't
have any hope of one" says Gov
West.
One of the men speaking about the
| trades schools the penitentiary has
started said;
II guess this is going to be bet.
ter place to send q boy than the uni
versity In about two years more"
| About nine-tenths of the men in
the penitentiary got there because
they didn't think, couldn't help Il. or
didn't have a square DEAL" In the idea
of another "con," who Is soon going
to go out to 800 month Job. in.
stead OF breaking out and keeping up
his reputation as a bad man.
c'Does II Payy' Is the question that
Stan Correspondent Sleeth will
answer In The Times tomorrow In his
second article on Gov. Vests prison
reform.)
CRUSHED UNDER HORSE.
{. C. 6urdick, MotorcyeIist 10 Vie.