The Washington herald., 1913-11-30
BY FRANCES SNAPPER.

One cannot say how It impresses men
who note some OF our laws widely apart
State from State. one savoring almost o.
the dark ages. another beautifully point
ing ahead. But there are a few women
at least. there Is one-who think that
East should cooperate with West, North
with South, and all should work together
to wipe out the laws that disgrace the
States that stand for them and tc copy
the others that are a credit to the trainers
and to those who carry them out.
In Delaware. the whipping post for Of
fenses that sometimes do not pass beyond
the trivial. as offenses go.
In Kansas, college extension courses
for all its prisoners who care to take
them.
And why should not hands meet across
the States and bring about better legis-
lation for all7' For Delaware's old whip
ping post and the miserable echoes that
reach beyond its own borders to the far
thermost State of all,-and quite likely
over the seas--would reflect discredit upon
darkest Africa; while the venture that
is being made in the Kansas penitentiary
at Lansing helps give luster to the name
and fame Of the whole country.
The mere existence Of the whipping
post, anywhere throughout the length
and breadth OF the land. is enough, with
out turning TO the details. And, in pass
ing. one is hoping that the time may not
be SO far distant when there shall be a
quorum present in the House of Repre-
sentatives to act upon the recent resolu-
ton asking that that demoralizing form
of punishment be wiped away forever.
But as to the penitentiary at Lansing
Nd ffa rOIla0a dafaEIa
interesting. and all our States would do
well to observe and perhaps to copy
them.
The penitentiary has the usual educa-
tional facilities, the night school, where
the common branches Of learning are
taught: the library of miscellaneous
books and the trades at which prisoners
may be put upon entering the institution.
But the forty courses offered by the
State Agricultural Colleges are the ssms
as offered TO every citizen of the State;
though the prisoners have the added
advantage of a smaller fee than others
pay-One dollar is all, which does not
cover the postage on the necessary cor
respondence
The courses are along the lines OF ag-
riculture, engineering and home econom-
Tics, and cover carpentry and building.
stock breeding. cooking, sewing and the
like. At certain intervals one Of the ex-
tension professors visits the institution,
talks with those who are following any
branch, helps them decide what course
to pursue and awakens the disinterested
to the advantage OF leaving the peniten-
tiary better equipped, vocationally, than
when they entered II.
Some OF Delaware's interested citizens
are claiming that the whipping post
helps drive the worst offenders away
apd that their State is the more vigorous,
the more exemplary and the cleaner by
reason Of the wholesome dread inspired
by that relic of barbarism. Perhaps so,
II that were all; but u is not all, and
they cannot afford to be too critical Of
Russia's policy OF driving out the Jews
and still carry along that hideous re-
minder OF darker days.
They might better learn from Kan
sas the more hopeful method OF trying
to put a prisoner upon his own firm
feet again, a method far better for the
prisoner, for the State, and for the world
looking on.
Some States take the lead In child
labor laws, others crawl along so slowly