Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-11-27

Tn nearly every paper one picked up
was am item about some postal em-
olove who had been arrested or WAS
being tried for rohbing the mails.
Some of the cuses observed involved
The loss of several thousand dollars
Nobodys Letters safe
Of know from sad personal expert
encc that many of the many persons
We're right who said that nobody
mail was safe in the postofficc depart
mcnt was always careful 70 deposit
my letters in the postotfice myself
made great mistake; most of my
letters. and there were scores of them,
never reached their destination
sent hack many extended reports, all
confidential to certain Americans i'm
terosted i'm knowing the truth about
the Philippines and of all-those sent
can find chat only two ever reached
this country,
II wrote many letters TO parties I'm
the islands and they seem to have
shared about the Same fate. Some of
the government officials must have
read some very interesting things
Iabout themselves But was warned
people there an told me that the
mails could not be trusted However
had TO have some bitter experiences
before / believed When the postof-
flee is not safe, think of the effect
upon business and industry, upon
every element Of human aifairs-even
upon life itself
Penal Colony an Experiment
Then take look at the lwahi-
penal colony This was great hui
manitarlan experiment in penology
ON the distant island of Palawan
Mr. Forbes, when in office. establish
ed q colony for honor prisoners. Mer
i'm the national prison at Manila who
had served third of their sentences
and had good records were taken t'
this colony Here there We're no
guards no soldiers, NO officers save
the superintendent n splendid south
ern gentleman from South Carolina
who was also an officer in the Philip
pine constahulary, and three or toul
clerks. The government was I'M the
hands of the colonists themselves
They made their own rules and hao
their own court before which theN
tried All offenders, and themselves
enforced punishment Here was
much freedom and abundant oppor
tmiU. Prisoners were allowed ID
take tracts of land for cultivation
build and live in their own homes
even take their families there. They
ceased To be prisoners and became
colonists During the several years
Of It's existence J believe there had
not been single escape.
Wholesale Jail Deliveries
but the arrival Of this new regime
changed things abruptly These colon
lists heard everything was going to be
free now, and showed symptoms of
unrest. The governor general prompt
~ pardoned 100. those 100 having
friends of political influence In Ma
nia The rest quite work and stop
pod all development The superin-
tondent lost all control and in dis
tress resigned The governor general
begged him to Withdraw the resIgua-
lion. promising no more would be
pardoned. so tho superintendent call
ed the coonists together, about / 200
Of them, and told them no more
would be pardoned that all must go
back To work They sullcnly started
to carry ont his orders, when a new
batch OF fifty pardons arrived from
the hands of the governor general.
IN despair the superintendent resign
ed for good
Prisoners Turn Bandits,
"What happened to the colony can
be left to the imagination. The most
tragic feature occurred when "a group
of colonis;s escaped turned bandits
and descended upon 4 lone American
school teacher who out there In the
wilderness was teaching the wild MAJ
tive children real selfsacrificing
hero. If there ever Was one-fell upon
him and literally cut him into frRR-
ments. With news Of this fresh upon
his desk. the governor general blithc-
ly sent his customary telegram to
Washington All ie peaceful quiet
and Well
Criminals Are Welcomed.
Mans Fillpinos who had fled the
islands to escape punishment for
crimes and some chronic trouble
makers who had long been carving
on sedtious work from the safety OF
such places as Hongkong and shang-