The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1888-09-12
ence by making toys in their homes of ex-

himself as man OF sympathy and for
sympathy, and winds up by saying that the
baseSt passions predominant in our bOsOms.
1t was this slander0us and uDfOnnded ac-
cuSatiOn that exhausted my fOrbearance
and prompted the writing OF this article. [
do not know by what standard he judges,
but if it is by the usual standard of self,
his standard being wrong his deductions
must of necessity be wrong. The undOubted
| fact is that cOnvictS as a class are generous
and liberal to a fault. What man among
us would not give two thirds of any deli
cacy he may have to his neighbOrs? | have
been the recipient of too many generous
acts from MY companions during my many
years here to let this accusation 90 forth
undenied. | think he himself shows a
spirit of extreme seltishness when he says
in last weeks paper: ITO see any one
using the columns of our paper in defense
of the contract system, ETC., etc.. makes
my blood boil" He seems to think The
MIRROR should be devoted exclusively to
the side of the question on which he poses
as champion. Surely he has had the lions
share of these columns in which to air his
views on the prisOn-labOr question and
other things OF not such general interest.
He fOrgets that this is prisoners paper
and not a one man paper and he the man.
| take it that this paper was not started for
the purpose of downing" the contract sys-
tenn, as it was down" in this state before
the paper was thought of, but for the dis
cussiun of matters of general interest to
prisoners.
He has much to say in regard to our
being taught trades. all of which may seem
practicable to amy one who has never learned
trade. but to any one who has, why, his
views in regard to such matters are absurd.
Last week he proposed three trades to be
learned here (having the best interest of the
prisoner in view, of cOurSe): toy, brush and
harness making. Three of just about as
worthless trades as could be selected with
the view of fitting the discharged convict to
earn his living. l served an apprenticeship
of three years at the best paying one of the
three. l received board and clothes while
learning and was never able to earn more
than scanty living after began working
at regular wages. All three trades are over
done and no better than common labor. and
often not so good as means of earning
| money.
A short time ago he filled up nearly one
half of this paper with facts and figures
from the report of the Commissioner of La
Dor, without adding the Commissioners
wise and just conclusions, but instead he
jumbleS them up with his own personal
grievances. sentimentalsm and willful mis-
construction for the purpose. suppose, OF
cOlOring them to his own liking. He seems
to have little dislike for Observer at whom
he is always swapping. but whose argu-
ments he never answers. He makes puny
attempt at sarcasm in personal slur under
the head of ''Taffy that Won't Chew" by
accusing Observer of handing in for publi-
cation laudatOry notice of himself Here
he willfully miSrepreSentS, as any one may
see by reading the letter in Vol. l. No. so,
under the head of observer Sustained by
an Outsider" This letter is addressed to
Editor Mirror" and not Observer, and he
has no right to assume that Observer ever
saw the letter before it appeared in print.
l think this attack on Observer was
prompted by little OF that spirit. which
he says we all possess jealousy. Observer.
by ignoring this charge. has shown himself
to be the gentleman of good sense that l..
NJ. would have MS believe he is not.
AS l.. NJ. thanks Observer for calling
him crank he must belong, by choice. to
one of the class of extremists to which
Observer referred. l can't make out which
it is as l have no acquaintance with l.. Nj.
Or is it possible that he classes himself with
those who have brought about the change
here? He is labOrng under a great delu-
sion if he does. There is nothing in OBJ
servers article that | can see that makes
dIy ouCH dCCuootloH anu IL tlClC 10 ~ 10
wholly false. for the law abOlishing con-
tract labor was passed many months before
l.. M. hove in sight in these columns
Speaking of the contract system he says:
THAT we have now got it down = Let's
jump on it and see if we can't come out on
top" What! would he have ''we" jump
onto corpse? Why. my beligerent one,
the poor old octopus has been dead al
most two years now-it is only its old carcass
that you have been battling against. Work.
men have been engaged for the past ten
days carting away its remains. Come,
wake up, and do battle with some live OBJ
iect ..Wen have got nothing to do with mt