The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1920-09-17

/ preferred to walk out around the
grounds. The blacks appeared to be
more taken up with these services
than the whites. Their side of the
hall was fairly well filled. A. Y. NJ. C.
A. secretary was concluding an ad-
dress as we entered, and in his clos
! ing remarks made some statement
which made it imperative upon the
superintendent to say something.
He said it, in direct, earnest man
ner. There was no maudlin sentiment
tally in his remarks. He talked right
from the shoulder, and as he talked
was given the most intent attention.
He took no text, his address was a
mixture of sympathy for those who
were weak, who had fallen, of hope
fulness for those who had higher as
pirations, of the business Of the laws
that made it necessary for them to be
in the institution, and on the whole
a yelled plea for their cooperation in
helping to make the world, their
world, better place for them and
their fellowmen Incidentally he re
ferred to the fact that this great and
wonderful experiment now being car
ried out at this institution could only
be maintained and extended through
their cooperation. Listening to him,
watching him, noticing his great in
terest in this work that he was do
ing, began to realize how it had been
possible for him to so impress upon
these men that he could dispense
with the guards who had formerly
been deemed a necessary part of the
prison personnel.
l think that nearly every black on
the grounds was present at this gos-
pei service, and / suppose that the
reason for this lay more in the sing
ing and music than of the address of
the visiting secretary who made the
principal talk" They have muster
ed very good choir, nearly all ne
groes, and l noted that when they
sang hymns, especially those of that
righteousness that appeals to the
ordinary darkey, that the dark. side
of the congregation joined Justify in
the singing, especially of the chorus
es. 1t was wierdly fascinating to sit
and watch them, for the time seeming
ly Obvious of everything else, men
and women, cadencing II May Be
Best For Me-"
After the gospel services two of the
prison mines were calld off to play a
game of baseball in the grounds ad-
joining the assembly hall, and / want
to assure you that they played good
ball. Others went to the domitory
and returned to the grandstand with
musical instruments and supplied
music during the game.
| One man who had completed five
year sentence six months previous
was among tn evisitors that Sunday.
He had come back to tell the others
| how well he was doing in Jackson
vile, how honest work was not a
burden, and that there were chances
on the outside for all who wanted to
begin life Alright at the expiration of
their terms. This man felt that his
sense of responsibility to the insti-
tuition did not end with his liberation.
| That in itself was an inspiration.
/ had never before heard of a released
prisoner returning voluntarily to the
place where he had served five years.
This man surely had not been turned
adrift with the thought in his mind
that he was a pariah. That is the Sc
cret of this whole grand scheme this
unobtrusive, earnest man, Bitch, is
carrying out. He realizes that the
best interests of society require that
certain men who have committed GER
tain offenses should be placed in re-
4 straint. should be segregated. but he
has wonderful faith in mankind and
love for his fellow man that makes
it possible for him to see that there
is some good in every one. and that
it is for the best interests, not of the
| individual alone but of society at large.
to foster and develop that goodness,
even in the most lowly; to implant in
their minds higher ideals, and to have
them better when they leave the
prison than when they entered it, and
he knows that you cannot develop the
best in men with practices that are
brutal and unfair.
Bitch has raised the torch That
| it may give the greatest light others