Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1912-09-21

lAOiid. dOftl ltuuL Otls III
part:
In Arizona We have steel and
been in the habit of showing visitors
with a flourish of the hand. We
have felt warm glow of state
pride in it. 1t is one of our most
modern institutions. 1t is the break
proof prison and it cost hundred
thousand dollars.
People come to see that fortress
to-day because of it's ability to keep
prisoners in A hundred years from
now they will come to marvel and
shudder as We do when we see dark
cells beneath the donjon keeps and
the horrible machines of torture OF
the Inquisition. They will wonder
at the inhuman way men treated
their brothers in this barbarous
age. They will also smile at our
conceit. For we pose as an enlight-
ened people, and yet we are still
shutting away human souls to rot.
We take weak men, condemn their
bodies to degeneracy, break their
spirit with iron bars, and, when their
souls are black and cankered, we
turn them out again upon the world.
1t is hard to say whether it is more
terrible or more absurd.
Penologists have been struggling
with this prison problem for many
generations, and they have done
great deal toward tightening the bur
den. Inhuman treatment within pri-
son walls has been alleviated; idle
hands are now Employed physical
defects that lead to criminality, are
in some instances, corrected; and
the less hardened criminals are Civ
en- another chance. 1t has done good,
but necessarily only in a limited way.
The problem of the criminal himself
has practically not been touched.
We have made direct appeal to the
better nature in men, and we have
shown that to be the easiest thing
in the world if you go at it rightly
The tombstone We have found to be
honor.
| shall begin with a case out OF
my own experience. In an inacces
sible part Of Arizona the State own
ed team of horses which needed
to be brought over hundred miles
The person who knew the country
best happened to be a prisoner who
had served only a few months out
of a seven and half years sentence,
imposed for killing a man. | sent
for him; explained to him the situa-
ton and asked him if he would like
to go after these horses. He could
hardly believe his ears, but l assur-
ed him that meant what l said.
Il want you to understand | told
him, that | am putting you on your
honor to bring back that team. You
will not be guarded. You will have
citizens clothes, railroad tickets
and money. There will be nothing
to prevent your leaving the state
but your honor. But | am not a.
fraid you will disappoint me. /
know | can trust you"
| had touched his manhood. He
returned with the team in due time
and he is in the penitentiary now,
tut he is very different man from
the one who went for those horses
Just think what must have been 60
ing On in that mans mind and nelrt
when he was on that long drive.
The greatest need was to get as
possible out of the poisonous and
immoral atmosphere of the prison.
We found that there were cells occu-
pied by as many as four men. There
they were condemned to a life of
mental inertia; to unsanitary and
nauseating surroundings, coarse food,
and deadly monotony. This was go
ing on for five, ten, twenty years
life. All normality was denied them.
Abnormality was thrust upon them.
Just consider that picture. These men
had undoubtedly committed crimes
against society. What about sOcietys
crime against them?
We took a number of these men
out; put them on their honor not to
attempt to escape, and sent them on
various useful missions In one in
stance We gave them permission to
form a baseball team and visit a
neighboring town for a match. Fiji
teen of these honor men one day
came, without guard, to Phoenix
from Tempe, played closely con
tested game with local team and
when it was over, returned the nine