The united American : a magazine of good citizenchip., October 01, 1923, Page 6, Image 6

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THE UNITED AMERICAN
OCTOBER, 1923
tacks may be relied upon under such circumstances tion in the Oregon prison while Mr. Smith was war­
to make life for the departmental chiefs anything den. No prisoner during his administration suffered
but pleasant. But the elected chief executive who in incarceration for indefinite periods in the notorious
the face of such attacks, leaves his staunch friends prison “bull-pen” on the spiteful word of a convict, or
and party lieutenants in the lurch, eliminating him­ suffered any other brutal treatment at the hands of
self from all blame (although they have performed the guards at the request of vindictive enemies on
their tasks with his knowledge and approval) and if the outside. When society has been wronged by any­
need be, to save himself, sacrifices such friends to one of its numbers, it invokes its laws and through its
pacify unjust critics, will never make his administra­ courts of justice prescribes periods of forfeited liberty
tion firm or his party strong, nor will he ever attain for major offences, but society has taken mighty little
that priceless acknowledgement (often conceded even interest in what treatment is accorded its erring
by antagonists) of staunch political leadership, the members after they have been delivered into the hands
kind that is characterized by dependability and un­ of a prison warden who for the entire sentence period
is to be the autocratic power whose whim is the only
swerved LOYALTY.
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law these hapless beings may know and from whose
The state of Oregon has most recently furnished a decisions there can be no appeal. Men never were
specific case in point. The governor on the strength sentenced in this day and age in America to be
of “inside” advice of political friends, conceived the wrecked physically or driven to madness and death
idea to put a quietus on current inflated newspaper in prison through the inhuman treatment of drunken
“stories” and criticisms of unfriendly partisans who savage wardens and guards. Yet, if the cold, gray
had combined to attack his administration, by sacrific­ prison walls could but speak, what horrible things
ing one of his most efficient appointees and one of they would tell, even in Oregon, from a time not so
the staunchest and most loyal friends in the admin­ far back into the misty past. The people of Oregon
istration. Moved evidently by his fear of general po­ had in Mr. Smith a warden who was humane, even
litical disfavor as a result of the activities of his an­ in his treatment of a prisoner. It should be remem­
tagonists and “would be” friends, he decided early this bered that most of the inmates of our prison are
month to discharge the prison warden, Mr. Johnson young men, mere boys in their twenties, whose errors
Smith, whose appointment to the wardenship was the are due in innumerable cases to a wrong start in life,
governor’s first official act after his inauguration last beginning with a broken home when irresponsible
parents parted ways, leaving their youthful progeny
January.
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to shift for themselves.. Executions of condemned
The prison gystem in Oregon, in vogue for many prisoners were carried out while Mr. Smith was war­
years, is of such a scope as to furnish political antago­ den without any attendant signs of levity and sport­
nists the ready weapon with which to attack any iveness or subsequent festivities, bordering on orgies,
administration that may happen to hold the state for favored guests, as an aftermath of these grew-
ceptre of authority. A “trusty” system will never some exhibitions. No curiosity seekers, no matter
function without a certain number of escapes. When their stations of influence, were permitted by Mr.
prisoners are allowed to work outside a prison wall Smith to attend a state execution, when it became his i
no amount of vigilance on the part of the guards can duty to carry out the mandate of our laws and the
prevent prisoners, willing to take a .chance, from judgment of our courts. These are merely some of
breaking away. Yet it is surprising how few are able the things that may 'be justly said of a man who has
to make a clean “getaway.” If every attempted escape, been greatly wronged and subjected to gross mis­
ending in recapture or voluntary return, had not been representations and malevolent criticisms for the pur­
played up as actual escapes, the Smith administration pose of weakening the present state administration.
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of the state prison could not have been held up to
ridicule, as the daily press of the state so diligently
Good citizenship calls for justice and it is in the
has sought to make it, The Smith prison administra­ interest of both that The United American is present­
tion, so far as escapes go, has not surpassed prev­ ing the concrete facts to its large number of readers
ious administrations since the trusty system was in­ who, regardless of their party affiliations, are inter­
troduced in this state more than fifteen years ago, ested in securing justice and anxious to know the
and the prison records will reveal that fact to any truth. A vindictive citizen is not a good citizen. No
fairminded citizen who is anxious to know the real good citizen in Oregon should feel indifferent to the
truth of the matter. Under the Smith administration care and treatment accorded the four hundred or I
there has been no graft or padded payrolls connected more men and women (the present average of pris-l
with the prison nor have there been any drunken oners) confined in the state’s penal institution. The I
orgies, either within the prison proper or in the days of barbarism are over. The square deal must I
warden’s residence at the entrance to the prison gate also be given those whom society has banished to I
and none of those attached or in charge of the prison imprisonment for periods of time commensurate with I
under Mr. Smith have furnished their homes with the crimes they have committed.
Society’s concern should not alone be to see one who I
furniture made in the prison furniture shop or in any
other way unlawfully become enriched from the has done wrong punished but to see to that the ■
prison conditions must be such as to redeem the men I
prison commissary.
The detestable stoolpigeon system among the pris­ and the women who have failed to keep the laws so I
oners, a relic of medieval ages, was an absent institu- that they may be better men and women when they]
s