The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1920-01-09
THE STATE PRISON FARM HONOR
SYSTEM
Florida Leads the Way to a Higher
Civilization

To the People of Floria
want you to know that this.is the
Ihappiest Christmas Eve I have ever
known. Be patient, please. and + will
tell you why, and will tell you some
thing else that is much more ifapor-
liant. / am happier than ever before,
because / have just been given 4 par.a
fdon by the most considerate and Just
board of pardons in the United States
happier, because I will have Christ
mas dinner tomorrow with my dear
iold mother, from whom prison has
kept me for over eight years, eight
long years, and | am happier, because
during the past eighteen months II
have been under one of the best men
in the world, Superintendent J. s
Bitch, who has by his living example
of love and righteousness, made me a
better man, and fitted me for the place
am to take with my fellow man, and
am happier because all my fellow
inmates are happier and better men,
land through the advice and training
lof this splendid man, and for love of
him are going from this institution
with determination to live good and
useful lives, and be credit to the
IcommHnity in which they live, instead
of going out with a get even spirit as
they did under the old management
Yes, and am happier because so
many of the deserving and reformed
inmates are going out with me tomor-
row, and happier because those / am
leaving behind can and soon will be
returned to their friends and loved
ones, because they show by their con.
duct that they have done with sin and
intend to live as superintendent
Bitch teaches-"in the way God in.
TENDED we should i've
want the people OF Florida to know
that the prison farm has changed
from hell hole to a home for unfor.
Inmates, where we are treated like hui
man beings-taught to love each other
and to fear God. want to have all
the people of the state to know that
| 1t takes only a visit to this farm to
convince them that they are wrong If
they think the convicts should be
treated with scorn and hatred and
abuse and ruled by force of arms.
| You see that his unending kindness
| and love is softening the hardest
hearts and making real men of US.
You can see that the honor system
is holding US more effectually than
guards and guns ever did, and you
will readily see that good, honest
work is done by all-willingiy and
freely-more work, and better work
than was gotten under the old system
I want the people of Florida to know
these facts, and that Superintendent
Bitch is saving the state thousands
, nd thousands Of dollars over the Cid
I! management. Then I want you to
know that you should not assail the
honor system as some of you think
that we are having too good a time
/. for convicts.
If you think that being shut in from
our loved ones, and having to do hard
work day after day, year after year
without recompense or compensation
when perhaps our darlings are suffer
ing for the very necessaries of life,
and being deprived of freedom that
every creature in Gods great universe
holds dear is not suffering enough
not punishment enough for our crimes,
then come here and see to this also
You are absolutely wrong. if you think
land feel that your state prison should
be place OF torture instead of a re-
lformatory. You know that you would
rather we go back to freedom and be
Igood and useful men instead of more
hardened and determined criminals,
$50 in justice to yourselves, as well as
to us help to perpetuate this, the
model prison of the world.
Please do not shake your heads and
lsay "it will not do simply because
| the convicts have always been abused
and cursed morally and physically.
but stop and think and if necessary
before you can be convinced visit the
farm and you will see that Christ's
way will win where all others fail,
and Senator Blitch's way is Christ's
way.
| Visit the state farm any way, even
liz it is not necessary for us to show
you" that the honor system is right,
for you win find the latch string Al.
ways hanging on the outside, and you