New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-07
MR.. LECERE REPLIES
Giving His Side Of the Controversy
with Mr.. Osborne.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir; An article appearing in your issue
dated April upon the front page under
the CAPTION Auburn Reform Called Myth
contains such Misrepresentation Of my views
on the matter that am impelled to ask Tor
this correction as well as reply to the stupid
attack made upon me in the article by
Thomas Mott Osborne.
In the first place, the article, in stating
that | am an anarchist, misrepresented my
views in a way which seems TO me to De
without any shadow OF justification, since
very distinctly told your reporter over the
telephone from Schenectady, when the inter-
view was secured Sunday evening, that was
a socialist repeated it several times so
there could have been no misunderstanding
about it.
II the error was the result of your re-
porter not knowing the difference between
socialist and an anarchist, may | respectfully
suggest that The Tribune should take steps
to instruct its writer's upon that point be-
fore libel suit makes the instruction too
costly.
Again, your article quotes Mr.. Osborne as
saving: "Legere Is an unmitigated liar, who
does not deserve any consideration Tins
is given as Mr.. Osborne's direct answer to
my statement in THE New Republic" Of
April 8, that Osborne told me personally
that he would leave no stone unturned to
have the two guards who were guilty Of the
bludgeoning Of the prisoner disciplined.
These men are still on the job at Auburn"
etc
Mr.. Osborne then follows this assailing of
my personal character (Which your paper
printed in apparent defiance of the operation
of the libel laws) with this sentence: Il was
not a witness to the attack on the boy, but
| heard the confusion and the story OF It
as It went about the prison. | was very hot
about 1t at the time and thought the guards
should be bounced"
| am willing TO ask any fair person
whether this does not, in Mr.. Osborne's own
words, uphold exactly what claim he said
namely, that he would leave no stone IN
turned to have the guards disciplined-if, of
course, one believes that being bounced"
from such a lovely place as the Auburn
prison constitutes discipline"
| | really should have had more respect for
Mr. Osbornes sense if he had called me a
liar and let it go at that People reading
his statement might have accepted, more or
less, his charge as being true, but certainly
when he calls me an unmitigated liar and
then proceeds to prove that what | said is
absolutely true, most persons consistently
wonder where he keeps his sense OF logic!
And where the reporter keeps his sense Of
humor!)
As a matter of fact, Mr.. Osborne does not
speak naturally until toward the end of his
little talk. refer to the paragraph in which
ne uses these words: "Ths is an old matter.
There is no reason for raking it up. .
Legere has no reason TO hold a grudge
against me, but he apparently does, and has
written a number of untrue things about
me-" This is the typical 0sbornian
manner-the iinging out of an emotional
counter blast as a refutation OF facts, even
when the truth of those facts be acknowl-
edged by Nr. Osborne himself in the same
/ breath.
| No, | haven't the slightest personal feel
ing against him. | would not even criticise
Mr.. Osborne were it not that feel his weak
nesses TO be distinct handicap TO the prog
ress of prison reform in New York. And |
base my feeling in the matter on facts with
in my own experience AZ Auburn, in spite
Of Mr. Osborne seeming TO think that moth
ing ever sways any one in this world but
personalities That very trait OF his Chat
every attack must needs be based on per-
sonal grudge) is quite enough 70 disqualify
him a prison reformer.
man who conducts his life By PERSONAL
ties is not the man for the big task OF
cleansing from our society the blot Of its
barbarous PRISONS thing needing, above
all, a mind with a large, free gesture.
| Whenever Osborne does anything TO indl-
cate that he has actually been able TO eman-
cipate his mind from the prison idea" and
] indicates a difference from any OF the al