The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1888-07-18

Nos

due. We cannot make an imagination a
truth, by repeating it so often that we al
most believe it ourselves Itwould. indeed.
be we'll if the legislative power direct
the law rather to reformation, than severity.
Then. instead of our present prisons. which
find or make men guilty, which engulfs
them for one crime and returns them to So
ciety fitted for the preparation of thousands,
we would see places where the accused
might be attended by such as could give
them repentance and hope, if guilty, or
new motives to virtue if innocent; and in
stead of board Of charities and corrections,
we would have board of pardOnS, to look
into every mans case and to judge whether
he was undergoing too severe sentence
for his crime, or whether he should be in
prison at all.
But | am DEPRESSING from the item, SO |
resume. The refOrmatOry is to reform it is
claimed, yet this man is to be kept there
until the expiration Of his maximum term.
without any hope Of reforming him. Let
us suppose he does reform before the time
of his removal to the state prison arrives
reform, l mean according to the refOrma-
tOry'S standard land this is pOssibe)-must
he still go to the penitentlary for ten years?
Yes. the law. whose object SentmentalistS
claim is to reform the criminal. will yet
send a reformed man to state prison What
farce. What tyranny. The law is a ty-
rant, for it will not swerve from its course
to save reformed man from the Deniten-
tiary. because it has said at time when he
was not reformed, he must 90 there. 1t
would be well if our legislators, instead of
cOntrivlng new laws to punish vice, would
Try nObleT art Of government, and make
law the protector and not the tyrant of the
people. You would then find that men
whose souls are held as dross by the multi
tude, only wanted the hand of a refiner to
make them at least respected by their fel
lows; you would then find that men, now
sent TO prison for long terms lest society
should feel a mOmentary pang, might, if
properly treated, serve as the sinew of the
state. in time OF need, and that few minds
are SO base that perseverance cannot amend.
1t is not new style Of prison under the
deludlng name of refOrmatOry; not a multi
tude OF laws that are farce and disgrace
to the nineteenth century, that are most
needed, but a board Of pardons that would
not be entwned with red tapes not a polti
cal BODY. elected TOR time, but 4 board ap-
pointed for life.
| fear l am making this too long, Mr..
Editor. so | will sum up. Reform has moth
ing to do with the law in its present state,
except in the Imagination OF philanthropists.
AS protector OF society it is not half sue
ceSSful, for it makes more criminals than it
unmakeS, and as d warning to others it is
not always successful, for the cunning
rogue is made sharper and is more careful
in his plans, because of his knowledge of
the law, and the unsophsticated never
think of the law when they are about to
commit their illegal act. Governments have
tried number of methods for the suppress
sion of crime. but it is ever on the increase:
and as it stands to-day. the law is a sad
failure.
Such sentiments coming from convict
will not be thought much Of. perhaps. and
L assure you, my readers. that l am not
fool enough to think that anything / may
say will influence legislation, and should
the ideas that l have tried to convey in this
paper ever be acted upon by the lawmakers
of the land, l believe it will be long after l
am laid away. ''Then why does he write?"
hear you ask. The only object aside
from what have already stated, is to pass
away dull Sunday afternoon, and as this
is an appropriate theme for our little MIR
ROR. l surrender it for what it is worth be
tnat little or much. PHOENIX.
The above communication was handed
in couple of weeks ago; but was mslaid.
ED.
Editors young wife-My dear, you must
l<NyN