Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1917-01-11
BROUGH URGES
RADICAL CHANGES
Continued from Page -


and shelter the unfortunate defec-
tives and delinquents among the girls
of our state. Such school could be
established on modest scale suf-
ficient to meet the pressing needs of
the present by building at once two
cottages on the site of the present Re-
form school, which is practically limi-
ted in its accommodations to boys and
converting the present building into
class rooms, gymnasium, and admin
istration rooms. The state charities
board, especially if at last two wo-
properly have general control and SUI
eprvisi2n, selecting a very undesir-
able site, where there is little OPP
portunity for gardening and market
ing industrial work, and aonther loca-
ton should be secured at once, if the
real reform of the boys who are in
mated is to be effected, for rocky and
idle brains certainly constitute "the
devils workshop" An appropriation of
$4,000 would suffice for the be-
ginning of girls industrial school in
Arkansas, if the plan suggested ap-
peals to your wisdom.
Penitentiary Conditions Disgrace.
Penitentiary conditions in Arkansas
are disgrace. Any prison system
which excuses wrong doing and units
wrong-do to discharge the ordinary
duties of citizenship stands self-con-
demned, always provided that men and
women are capable of being bettered
while in custody Of the state. While
the appraisers biennial report shows
that the state penal institutions are
worth $1,O99,602 and that crops raised
on the Cummins and Tucker farms
this year were large. both in quantity
and value, and while generous al
lowance may be made for the damage
done by floods in 1915 and 1916, which
was estimated at approximately 1920
600, yet from an economic standpoint
there seems to be little excuse for the
necessity of issuing a deficiency pro-
clamation of about $45,C00 to pay the
running expenses of rich bottom farms
and no excuse for the purchase by
the board of penitentiary commission
ers Of a tract of uncleared woodland.
1t has been charged that the treat
ment of our convicts on the state
farms is oftentimes inhumane, un-
sanitary, and degrading; that the food
provided has sometimes been I'M
wholesome; that both the clothing AMI
the bedding of the coavicts is some
times filthy and unsanitary, and that
they are oftentimes required to wear
their stripes for three weeks at a
time. without change, in spite of the
fact that there is an abundance of
stripes and stripe material at "the
wallis" that adequate hospital and
clinical facilities have not been pro-
vided: that filters have not been in
stalled on at least one of the farms to
insure palatable and pure drinking
water, that on the Cummins farm
nightgowns. soap and sheets are
scarce, and dirty ticks. "fat-backs,"
and Officers" are plentiful. Not only
should. a thorough Investigation Of
these charges he made by legisla-
tive committee. but the commission for
the investigation of our nenal and
charitable institutions, if created
should enter upon their work jealous
1 " and begin with the state convict
farms.
An Advisory Pardon Board.
Nothing is more essential to the
preservation CT the peace of the COM
nunity and the majesty of the la"
than sparing and discriminatinE
use Of the pardoning power by the
governor. free from political influ-
ence. and without re'erenqe to the
length and weight of the petitions
prepared by interested parties and
pail attorneys. In nir opinion. the
pardoning power of this state Ia;
been greatly abused: in many in
stances the requirements of the law
as to publications of petitions in the
county where the crime was commit
ted have not been observed; pardons
have been granted through political
influences before the convicted
parties ever left for the penitentiary
and the merits of the petitions for
pardon have not been carefully ex.
emined. / fully sympathize with the
heart-racking experience of all gov
ernors, who earnestly desire to TEN
per justice with mercy and in whose
bosoms the milk OF human kindness