The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-12-28

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or machinery, the cacopbauy OF mnsica
instruments during practice hours II
the chapel: as we'll as tho perIodica
screeches and ringiDgs of whistles anC
gongs. The general impression on ea'
and eye alike is OF stealthy repression
q checked unTest-a multitarlous crca
ture, uneasy, but kept down. The place
is perhaps hardly less silent than q
cloister: but the peace of the cloister Is
utterly absent An atmosphere OF am
mostly and contention pervadcs ala
constant apprehension OF sinister things
liable TO happen, breathess struggle
the Sullcuncss of hate, the whispering
of treachcry
II is the everlasting pregnancy OF wor
between slave and master, quite differ
rnt from submission TO rightful author
ity. Whatever the law may say, the
Tightfulness of prison authority rs never
admitted BY prisoners. Honest author-
ity is tranquil and secure; prison au-
thority goes armed, conscious of its I'M
righteousness, and there is unremitting
nervous stress on both sides. Both sides
seem secretly TO await signal to sud
den conflict.
At dinner. soon after my arrival, amid
the omnipresent murmurous palaver OF
conversation. there fell an unusual noise.
The unusual is always formidable IN
ail The noise was nothing ID itself,
and would have passed UNDECIDED in n
hotel dining room But over us, crowd
Cd together there, spread an instant
hush, All knew that men had broken
out in that room What was II now
The guard in the window siiffened and
poised his rife. The guards on the floor
caught their breath, but assumed con
iident air. The men sat staring IN the
direction of the noise, tense and wait
ing.
Nothing happened; somebody had
dropped a plate and broken il. perhaps.
But had some natural leader of the en-
slaved Ienpcd up apd shouted al that
iuncture, murder would have followed
the next momeni Among every hun
dred convicts there are eight or ten
whom misery and wrong have made
reckless whose morbid rebellousness
needs. 10 break forth. only the shadow
oi opportunity TO kill before being
Killed. end ,"cv accept il. But il was
not 20 be that day. aud we relaxed.
Where Ali Men Meet on the Same
Footing.
Eight hundred men, clad 10 shape
less mouotouy ul dIngy blue, labeled ON
the back wiIs their disgrace, stepping
iigh,iy or shuffing hastily TO ana fro,
heads bent and eyes downcast, per.
forming various othces. mcuial, clerical
0r Industrial. with q certain opsequious-
,
lnwardiy Tepulslon and protest-these
were men porn uuder the great flag,
americans, my countrymen, and now
LAY companions. What a change, what
"A degradation from the free American
citizen Of the streets and bouudless eS-
laDscs, Not men, now. but slaves, con
uemued 10 penal servitude. not citizens,
buI class apart and alien; telons,
criminals, no longer entitled 10 life, lib
criy anu tile pursuit Of happiness. but
existing N shame aud on sutirance,
luileL, uamc!esS, parted from friends
ana ramilies, with present physical pain
aLu neutai misery, and with q future
of doundlng and nelplessuess, of fear
sad hiding, OF useiessneSs and aimless
Icss, OF Insanity and base death!
LpOu what plea are these conditions
established. Because the slaves had
brOAe,. tnc iaw--oeen guilty of crimes.
iuJ what cDmesi Some uad doue MUIR
uoI, others committed rape. some had
hclu up train. another bad blown
oaIe, another was Il plckpocket. another
wnite-siaVer, this one Had stolen food
30 avert starvation, that was a conG
apnce man or bank cmbeZZier, here was
one shared IN some tcchnlcalIty OF new
hnance laws, yonder an ignorant moou-
sAiner from the hills. wLo had grown
corn In hi. back yard and Thought he
lad right to make whisliy out OF it.
here they were, all on the same foot
rug, To what endl SO that they
lalght be punishod aud repent and 20
lu.th better men and useful workers,
aud 50 that society might be protected
and It's iEte9nty Vluulcated.
IL sounds IKE Jest; but the men are
here, the thing is done. Ia some moods
] would say 20 myself. ''lt's too prepos-
tetoUs--it can Z bet 5 m halluc.na-
ilo;.-a bad dream. - But there Il was,
visible and paiIsbie. Mas it protection
Tor society 10 shat up man from abil-
iiN 10 support those dependent on MIN,
VINO were thus themselves driven 10
want and perhaps crlme, multiplying
tnc original criminal by three or four
cr hair dozen! Could any injury
which the eUlPrit could 30 to tine com
u.UoitT equal the iriuTv thus done by
tue community 20 HIM and his. and indi-
iestlN 20 ltse!t, by such treatment! Or
could tue technical and perhaps uncon-
-"iOu5 Violator OF an obscure and whim
rcal law he reformed by putting him
on an equality with cold blooded mur-
dcrcr, or with mau who bad grown
Dch by selling the shame of women
Was thc punishment cquablc which han
Glcd w,th equal severity "a british negro
from the cotton fields. and man
brought up IN refinement and gentle.
ueSs
But ! would go further. and ohal-
.cugc The right Of the community 20
,uilicl penal imprisonment as we know
ID AT all. some criminals belong in
hospitals, Others in insane asylums, for
others the tboughtless neglect aud sell
ishness OF society is responsible. and
they should be succorcd, not punished
and the remainder should be con.
strained. under surveillance. but not in
confinement. 10 compensate for the harm
they lid bv labor or self-denial aimed
directly at that result. But of this here
after.
The Moonshiuer With The Conta gious
Laugh.
Meanwhile. | paid attention TO my
companions themselves.
IN their intercourse with Que an
other there WAS a singular amenity OF
picasautncss. aud with some who had
been prisoner for long time. "A sort
OF childlikcuess, But il was the child
likeness of person partly dazed, OF
recovering from q severe illness oI
shock. They greeted one another with
cover smile. an uuobsi rusive move
ricut OF head or band: onlv when under
direct observation of an official would
they pass without a sign. The usua
ia Ifnx