Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-06

Editor The Georgian:
"The idea of puntshment
should take precedence oper the
idea of reformation" IT. E. Pat
terson, Prison Commissioner for
the State Of Georgia.
TT would avail nothing bitter
terly to condemn Mr.. Patter-
son as ignorant. Nor is 1t
necessary His own statement, If
he really means what he says,
convicts him Of one of two equally
bad things:
Either he Is ignorant of his
duty as Prison Commissioner or
ne is willfully inhumane. do
not believe Mr.. Patterson Is either
ignorant or cruel; but If he is the
one or the other, as the statement
credited to him indicates, he Is
unfit for his gravely responsible
position.
Mr.. Patterson's assoclates-R.
E. Dawson and E. L. Rainey--
have shown by their actions and
their remarks that they agree
with him. Consequently, they, as
Commissioners IL they believe as
they talk, are unfit for their posi-
lions.
1t is a staggering fact that these
three men, who hold in their
cupped palms the well-being or
destruction of hundreds of unfor-
tunate human beings, should
stand forth in the light of pres
ent-day civilization, and, at least
seemingly, espouse the cause Of
dead century's barbarism.
Seem to Defend It.
The whipping post is bar
barlsm!
And these men seem to defend
it!
Patterson Dawson Rainey, who
should represent the most ad-
vanced thought of the day in the
handling of prisoners (who are
merely grown-up children gone
wrong), who have the power to
put that thought into practice, ap-
pear to choose bagbarism!
Patterson Dawson Rainey say
to their prison guards, In ef-
feet:
Go ahead and be barbarians,
but don't be too barbaric."
And while they say 1t, these
three sit in the leather uphol-
stored seats OF the mighty, we'll
dressed, we'll fed. looked up to.
But suppose they were yanked
from their seats and put In the
Changing. Suppose Patterson.
DAWSON Rainey were stripped OF :
their broadcloth and deprived OF
their cigars; clothed in stripes,
fiayed with a strap occasionally
and forced to swing shovel I'M
der the muzzle of q gun on the
public road, for years.
Suppose Patterson Dawson
Rainey were fed worm filled food,
forced to work when they were
racked with pain, with fever;
their hands and feet swollen
round and their backs .siashed
open with a metal studded strap.
Would Dawson
Rainey rest on their shovels as
the Prison Commission rode by
in an automobile and bow and
smile, and say:
You are right, gentlemen; the
idea of punishment should take
precedence over the idea of ref
ormation."
wonder II Mr.. Patterson, Mr..
Dawson or Mr.. Rainey ever read
a book that Victor Hugo wrote,
called LES Miserables."
I wonder If these three gentle
men ever heard of Warden Bob
McKenty. Of the Eastern Peni-
Tertiary OF Pennsylvania; or of
the $50 mem he recently sent
forth from the gates Of the peni-
Tertiary, clean, intelligent arti-
sans and professional men; the
very same who went into that
prison years ago murderers safe
blowers forgers: degraded, de-
generate and illiterate as any
man who ever went to Georgia
prison?
Do Mr.. Patterson, Mr. Dawson
and Mr.. Rainey think the idea Of
punishment took precedence over
the idea Of reformation in THEIR
cases?