The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-01

Of men In prison. Some stimulus much
more powerful 10 required.
The next step in compromise was to
improve the physical conditions in the
prison: to give more light and air and
exercise. better food; to mitigate or do
away with dark holes. assaults and tor
lures. There were many jealous critics
Of these leniencies: they said We were
making prisons SO attractive that
criminals. SO far from being deferred
from crime BY fear OF imprisonment,
would commit crimes in order to be
sent to prison. And they could quote
In confirmation cases OF men who had
accepted liberation at the end Of their
terms reluctantly or had actually re.
fused It. or OF men who had voluntarily
returned to prison after having been
discharged.
There have been such cases. but they
prove not the attractiveness Of prisons.
but their power to kill the manhood in a
man. What does II not suggest OF out
rage and degradation perpetrated upon
u human soul that ne should come to
prefer a cell and a master to freedom!
There may be slaveries so soft as to
invite the base and pusillanimous, but
they are more rather than less deprav-
ing than cruelties to all that makes
honorable and useful manhood. The
deepest and essential evil Of prisons Is
not hardship and torture. but imprisoH-
ment. II choice could be made between
the two every manly man would choose
the former. No disgrace is inherent in
hardship and torture. but imprisonment
brands a man as unfit to associate with
his kind. No mortal creature has or can
have the right to infiict 1t, nor any
| aggregation OF mortals.
This Is hard saying. but I will stand
by 1t. There were criminals Of all kinds
in Atlanta with whom ! was brought
into contact. One had grown rich by
organizing a system OF white slavery"
| on a large scale. He dealt In woman's
dishonor and turned it into cash and he
saw nothing wrong in it. 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 their
degradation. He was physically re-
pulsive; his face and swollen body sug.
gested huge toad. 1t would be foolish
to associate the idea OF reform with
such creature. felt a nauseous dis
gust OF him; he seemed on the lowest
level Of human nature.
| But, contemplating him during some
months, ! saw little touches of kindli-
ness and good humor in him: he did not
hate his fellows, nor wish them to hate
him. II the other prisoners ostracized
him or cursed him he was painfully
sensible OF 1t and even perplexed. and
would try to win their favor. per-
ceived that he had always lived In a
world Of filth and sin and knew no
other. In that world he had doubtless
not done the best he might, but which
Of W can say he has done that? Had l
been born and bred az he was what
would ] be? What right had ! to call
him UNIT for my companionship? /
had no right to do II, nor had any other
man. At last I shook him by the hand
and wished him well.
There were men there who had COM
mitted merclless robberies, cruel MUIR
dsrs, heartless swindles, abominahle de-
pravities. I have felt greater tempera-
menta! aversion from Esapy hisi,iy re.
spectacle persons than did from them
Their crimes were one thing, they were