Life — October 12, 1893 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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“While there's Life there's Hope.” VOL. XXII. OCTOBER 12, 1893. No. 563. 28 West Twenty-Tuirp Street, New York, Published every Thursday, $s.ooa year in advance. Postage to foreign countries in the Postal Union, $1.04 a year,extra. Single copies, 10 cents. Ryected contributions will be destroyed unless accompanied by a stamped and directed envelope. HERE have been awful tales in some of the newspapers about the unkind behavior of Superintendent Brockway of the Elmira Reforma- tory to sundry prisoners under his care. Governor Flower and our neighbor, the New York World, have for some weeks felt pretty sure that Mr. Brock- way was a monster, and at this writing administration is under investigation by thoroughly competent hands, It seems that Mr. Brockway has walloped his bad prisoners much more than they liked. Whether his motive in doing so was to hasten their regeneration or gratify his own spite, the investi- gating committee will have to determine ; as also whether the general results of the walloping were beneficial to society. Flogging is not very popular in these days, but then it must be remembered that the aversion of some professional criminals to decent conduct is so acute that it is often hard to persuade them to eschew evil without offering them an alternative that is more repulsive still. If Mr. Brockway has really succeeded in getting some of the sin out of bad men through their hides, it will be a pity to interfere with him, since the discomfort of being “ paddled " is a mere bagatelle compared to the disadvantage and misery of being blindly and malignantly sinful. Experienced bad men are so useful these days, especially in ward politics, that there is a natural reluctance in some quarters about allowing them to be re- formed. There is a sentiment that it is wasteful to spoil a useful tough by reforming him, and that the better plan is to make him a police justice. But that is not really a sound view, and if it shall transpire that Mr. Brockway's methods have been warranted by their results, LiFE hopes to see them goon, If, on the contrary, it shall appear that the Super- intendent has been wantonly severe or cruel, he should not only be thrown out, but punished besides. IVULGING ina magazine article some of the secrets of the busi- ness of being a writer of books, Mr. W. D. Howells mentions the satisfactory sum that the writers who are “ the most famous, or the most popular, if there is a difference between fame and popular- ity,” get for every thousand of their merchantable writ- ten words. There certainly is a difference between fame and pop- ularity, which may not be very clear as between writers, but which often becomes terribly distinct when states- men are concerned. It has happened that way in the-case of Senator Stewart, whose output of language has lately gained him considerable accretions of fame, but without any corresponding exaggeration of popu- larity. Doubtless Senator Stewart has his own notions of duty, and his attempt to talk the Senate to death and the country into a new panic, accords with them. LIFE cannot find any warrant for wishing him personal harm, but it does derive solace from remembering that his sonorous gullet is not of Tobin bronze, and that presently his vocal organs must give out. If he could only be hired, like the unwelcome organ-grinder, to move his poor old machine into another street, what a felicitous downpour of pennies might be directed into his hat! HERE are a number of things besides Senator Stewart and his obstructive accomplices that are not working just now to the satisfaction of true patriots. There is a great deal too much nigger-hunting in the South, as well as far too many negro criminals to hunt. There has been much too prodigal an allowance of railroad accidents the last wo months, and more train-robbing than was absolutely needed. And there are still too many mills idle, and too many people out of work. The California workingmen are too anxious to oust the Chinese, the silver kings are too eager to sacrifice the national welfare to silver, some high tariff Republicans show themselves too ready to bargain disgracefully for a continuance of excessive “ protection.” Uncle Sam has a very large job on his hands to reconcile the conflicting in- terests of his obstreperous family, and make the members. work together for good. There is excuse enough for anyone who does not know him well to doubt whether he is equal to all the complications of his task, But we who do know him are not going to worry. His great machine will be working smoothly again presently, and we shall be there to see and to applaud, and to share the resulting prosperity. But while he is thinking of his present ills, it might not be amiss for him to take thought for the future, and limit some possible misfortunes by stopping all the other countries of the world from pouring their undesirable offspring into his territory. comicbooks.com