The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-10-13
osBoRNE's PRISON EXPERIENCE.


on Prison Reform A member of that
commission is Mr.. Thomas M. Osborne.
He appears to be a new member, and
to have had some very curious ideas
about what prisons are for, and on the
commitment to and retention therein of
convicts. He appears to have had an
idea that there was nothing compul-
sorry or obligatory about convicts going
to and remaining in these prisons, but
that they went there apparently of
their own accord; and that they ought
to be allowed to do pretty much as
they please after they get there.
Evidently, with some such idea as
this, Mr.. Osborne made sort Of gal
lery play announcement that he was.
going to incarcerate himself in the
New York State penitentiary at Au-
burn, and there subject himself to the
same discipline and the same treatment
in every respect as that enforced upon
the prisoners. Manifestly, however,
since he was merely voluntary in
mate, his outlook upon prison life could
not possibly be the same as that of
! those who were compulsorily detained,
or even remotely resemble it; but still,
his idea was to make short soiourn
in the prison, subjecting himself for
such time as he chose to all the re-
quirements and disabilities imposed
unon the convicts. He stayed in the
prison for a week and perhaps would
have stayed longer but for the fact
that after he had been in there for
that long he broke a rule and had to
be given taste of solitary confne
ment; according to the rules and con-
ditions of his own voluntary incarcer-
alton. As soon as this discipline was
over, he was seen making sort Of
farewell address to the prisoners, and,
putting on his hat, he left the prison.
The whole thing looks a good deal
like grandstand play, in which Mr..
Osborne had pretty definitely prear-
ranged what he intended to do. He
did not remain very long, and was at
all times at liberty to depart when
ever he chose. His viewpoint of the
prison, therefore, could not possibly
be on the same plane as that Of the
convicts, nor could his experience in
any respect be the same as theirs
On coming out Of the prison he re-
ports that "the prison system is alb
solutely form of slavery" and he
considers that all the great truths
enunciated by Lincoln and others
against negro slavery are just as ap-
plica to prison slavery. All Of
which is the grossest rubbish. There
is nothing in the slightest degree com,
parable in prison "slavery" with the
negro slavery as it existed before the
war. Negro slavery was imposed upon
vast population without the commits
sion by that population of any offense
whatever Prison Slavery is i'm
posed upon convicts who have broken
the laws and are sent to prison by the
courts, agreeable to law and the com
munity interest and sentiment. The
difference is radical and the man who
is not able to see this difference is
hardly fit to be prison commissioner.
His place is in the lunatic asylum,
The appeal to Lincoln's IS attitude
against negro slavery has nothing
whatever to do with the case; nor
would Lincoln who was a common
sense, straightforward man of legal
knowledge and of craftsmanship, have
blended the two forms Of Slavery
as in any wise alike. This dealing with
criminals is one of the great fundamen
tails of every government; the re-
straint of criminals who break the law
is necessary for community protection.
The modern community, and all COM
munities at all times, have recognized
the justice and the necessity of re-
straining criminals and of taking from
them their liberties and the personal
rights which are enjoyed by law-abid
ing citizens. This is no more than JUS
tice and right, and when Mr.. Osborne
arraigns the whole community on this
point in his false measure of right, and
undertakes to bring unlike things to.
gether as like, he imposes upon the
public and condemns himself as unfit
for any public charge AS the New
York Evening Post fairly says in COM
menting upon Mr., Osborne's attitude
upon this matter, "if he can give us
good, solid, rational advice upon these
matters, he is in the position to make
such advice effective; but sentimen
tahty can only diminish its weight. -
Which is a truism that Mr. Osborne
will find it hard to overcome.
There is absolutely nothing, there
fore, to gain either by the community
or by any individual, either convict or
free, in the experiences" and the re-
port thereon of Mr., Osborne. On the |
contrary. his uttcrances thus far have
been a mere muddle of nonsense, quite |
equal, as the ST Louis Times puts it,
to that Of Hans Nix, who went to !
Sing Sing to repair a telephone, and |