The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1912-10-18

been ono of the greatest proplems' that
confronted mankind. For thousands Of
years men punished yiolators Of the law
merely from motives of revenge, and
gave no heed to the reformation Of the
criminal. Later on there was grated
on to this system the additional purpose
of making the public prison source
OF revenue to the state. Now men are
beginning to realize that 1t Is just and
humane TO the prisoner, and wise and
economic from the standpoint Of the
state, to give him chance to reform
and make good in the world.
in Tennessee, until recently, only two
things were much thought OF in connec-
ton with a violator of the law; first,
how to get him into prison, and, second,
how to get him out. But little atten-
ton was given to the great intermediate
question Of how to treat the prisoner
during his incarceration, SO as to make
Of him a better man and citizen after
his release.
= The people were taught to believe that
the highest form of mercy was to turn
the prisoner out, regardless of his coll
dition and disposition. Taking advan
tage of the existence of this maudlin
and misguided sentiment, mercy has
been concentrated and executive elem
ency debased and prostituted. Certain
attorneys with political pull were known
as pardon attorneys" and were paid
exorbitant fees to pilot the poor suppli-
cant along the route which led to the
throne of mercy. This practice was
even carried so far as to swindle the
helpless prisoners out of the little earn
ings saved up by them from their over
time in the prison. The records at the
penitentiary show the names of alleged
, attorneys engaged in this high calling
1t has been the great ambition of my
administration TO improve prison con-
ditions in Tennessee. / have not par
doned as many men as several OF my
predecessors, but this not because have
been lacking in mercy or sympathy, and
the men in the prisons know it, too.
The question of when man leave,
prison is a small matter, compared with
the question of what kind of han he il
when he leaves If his treatment there
has been such as to break his spirit and
embitter his life, the state win be the
loser when he is discharged. If his treat
ment has been such as to make him
better man, to steady him to his feet, to
cause new hope to spring up in his heart,
the state win have converted him from
liability into an asset.
Prisoners Condition.
With these ideas in my mind, have
done many things for the improvement
of the prisoners and the betterment of
the inmates.
Taking note that the act of 1907, pro-
viding for reformatory, separate from
the penitentiary, for youthful offenders,
had slumbered on the statute books for
four years, urged in a public inter.
view before my Inauguration that an ap-
preparation be made for the erection Of
proper buildings. The next day Cover
nor Patterson revived the Reformatory
Board, and in due time the Legislature
gave $4,000 for the, builolngs. For
once everybody seemed to agree
There is law of long standing re-
prison. This law had been dead let
ter. Under the leadership Of the new
Chaplain several hundred prisoners have
been enrolled in this school and many OF
them have made remarkable progress.
| In three months some men who did not
know tine alphabet were writing home
to their families
The law required library to. be pro-
! vided for She prisoners. The few greasy
books on hand could not be called q
library. Now we have more than five
| thousands volumes, which are eagerly
and profitably read by the prisoners.
We have provided chapkins who act.
ually care for the souls of men and
women, and who encourage the well,
comfort the sick, minister to the dying,
| and give a decent Christian funeral to
the dead. The Chairman of the Regular
Democratic Committee of Roane County
] is no longer Chaplain at Petros.
The abuse of convicts by drunken
guards has been discontinued and the
| immortality formerly extant among
prison officials is not tolerated.
Corporal punishment has been greatly
diminished. Those who have had the
opportunity to observe the prisons for
years claim that discipline is now, better
than ever before, but it is not obtained
by brutality. The official records OF the
prisons show that corporal punishment is
now but little more than half what it
was under McMillin's administration, al
though the number of prisoners is some
what greater.
The stripes have been removed from
the convicts except as means of pun
ishment for lower-grade men.
The meager earnings of the prisoners
now constitute sacred fund, free from
the embezzlement of prison officials, and
the raids of favored pardon attorneys.
Pardon RECORDS.
The following comparison of the par
done and paroles issued by McMiilin,
Patterson and myself may be of interest
to the public: