The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-03-01

w.
| This man was advanced in years, he
was incapable of regarding women in
any other light than as merchandise,
he was insensible to their misery, and
laughed at tneir degradation. He was
physically repulsive; his face and
swollen body suggested a huge toad.
It would be foolish TO associate the
idea of reform with such a creature.
| felt nauseous disgust of him; he
seemed on the lowest level Of human
nature.
But contemplating him during some
months, | saw little touches of Iindli
ness and good humor in him; he did not
hate his fellows, nor wish them to hate
him. If the other prisoners ostracised
him or cursed him, he was painfully
sensible of it, and even perplexed, and
would try to win their favor. l per-
ceiyed that he had always lived IN a
world of filth and sin, and knew no
other. In that world, he had doubt
less not done the best he might, but
which of us can say he has done that?
Had ] been born AID bred as he was,
what would I be? What right had ]
TO call HIM unfit for my companionship?
! had no right to do it, nor had any
other man. AT last L shook him by
the hand and wished him well.
There were men there who had com
mitted merciless robberies, cruel MUIR
ders, heartless swindles, abominable
depravities. / have felt greater tenn
peramental aversion from many highly
respectable persons than L did from
them. Their crimes were one thing,
they were another. Not that crime
does not corrupt man-stain him Of
its color. But there is always another
side to him, a place in him which it
has not dominated. Given his condi-
tions, we cannot affirm that he is not
as good as we are-that he is unfit to
associate with us. And it behooves
us always 20 bear it in mind that TO
affirm the contrary is an objectionable
sin against him of whom we affirm it;
it works more evil in him than any
thing else we can do, and places us
who repudiate him in truly hideous
posture. Shall we be more fastidious
than God3
Sepulchre Is Shattered.
All crime is hateful; but [ came to
the conclusion that there Is only one
crime which prompts us to hate the
criminal as well as his crime itself.
For this crime is one which originates
in his heart; it permeates every fiber
Of his being, every thought Of hls mind
every impulse of his soul; and we can.
not say of 1T, this is one thing and he
is another. 1t is an unhuman crime;
and yet there is no punishment for it
among human laws; rather, it is re-
garded as a mark OF superiority. The
most respectable persons in the coun-
try are most apt to commit IT. And
it was upon the suggestion and initia-
tive OF this crime that penal imprisop-
ment was invented, and is perpetrated
TO this day.
Christ condemned it; Christianity is
based upon It's reputation; we call
ourselves Christians; and yet it is the
characteristic crime of our civilization.
The Law and the Prophets are against
it; it defes every injunction Of the
DecaloGue. for 1T takes the name of
God in vain, II steals, murders, commits
adultery, covets and bears false wit
ness; but we clasp it TO our bosoms, and
actually persuade ourselves that it is
What is itf 1t is the thought in a
man s heart that he is better, more
meritorious, than his fellow.
1t is engeudered, most often, by
successful outward neutrality-suspicious.
itv to the letter of the Comma dments
tho whitening Of the outside Of the
sepulchre. But the stencil Of the in
.
The only person unaware Of that
stencil is the man himself, There is
but one euro for it--what we call re-
generation; which makes us sensible of
that deadly odor, and drives us freely
and sincerely to detest ourselves in
dust and ashes md bitter humiliation,
to pity, succor and love our brethren,
and to wrestle with the angel of the
Lord for mercy. But we prefer 10 seek
salvation from evil in the building Of
prisons.
Now, this crime may survive even
the prisons; but it is rarer there than
In any other aggregation Of human
beings, Therefore, there is wonder
ful sweetness IN tho prison atmosphere.
1t IS sweetness. which is perceived
amid all the dreariness, stagnation and
/ outrage, and it rises above the vapors
| of physical crime, for it is spiritual
sweetness There men are locked in
their cells, but the whited sepulchre is
shattered, aud its sorry contents arc
purified by the pure light Of humilia-
ton, confession and helplessness: there
holier-than-thou paraders. Their crimes
have been proclaimed, and branded
upon their backs: pretenses arc ut au
end for them 1t was wonderful to
look into man g face and see no dis.
| gllse there. 81 am guilty-here I
ami - This experience took the SAVIOR
out Of ordinary worldly society for
me. I go here and there, and every
where there is masquerading-th
weaving Of n thin deception which docs
not deceive. We were sincere and
humble 10 prison; but that is result
which the builders OF prisons hardly
foresaw.
The Honor System.
There was ono more step toward
compromise-to take the prisoner out
of his cell and send him outdoors
without guards or precautions, nothing
but his promise that he would return
when the work to which he was as.
| signed was done.