The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1888-04-04

thus fix upon ourselves the law of industry,
and whether three. five. or ten years is
the term of our sentence. the habit will have
become so thoroughly fixed upon us that
idleness and the haunts of crime will know
us no more and this twO-thirds OF our
number that is under % years of age. will
90 from prison with nice little sum OF
money that is not OF the cOme-easy gO-eaSy
kind. but earned by hard. faithful work.
and as carefully kept count of as the miser
would his horde. Think you. that man
will take that money and spend it in de-
bauchery? No! Before his Imprisonment
expires he will have laid out hundred
honorable, safe ways of investment. and
you can soon count him among your honest.
law abiding citizens, and may, perhaps.
rise to a position of honor.
A large percentage of cOnvctS are young
men of brains; in fact, they started out to
make their living by their wits, and their
failure is not due to the want Of capital.
but because it has been turned into wrong
channel. Let them go from prison with a
neSt-egg of capital. that years OF theil
faithful hard labor has earned. and a fixed
habit of industry. and these men are re-
formed. and they have paid for it them
selves. You will not be taxed to build
ecuIing attorneys. judges. etc.. TO protect
the peace and dignity of your state against
these men again. Crimnality will not run
in their families. and thus you will be
saved many dollars in the future. Open
your eyes to the fact that a county in this
state has just paid out $12. .OO0-the expense
of the prosecution in a criminal case. OF
whom two of the accused were eX-cOhvicts.
from this or adjoining states, which cOnfis
Gated their earnings while prisoners, and
thought by so doing it would get even with
them. and then turned them out helpless.
penniless. worthless vagabOnds. Here you
can use the old proverb. Penny wise and
pound foolish"
How long yet will it take for the law
makers to learn that the law only hardens
a man, and to adopt some means to re-
form him. as matter of economy. if not
humanity? The machinery to hound down
and prosecute criminals costs the state
hundreds of thousands of dollars. but what
it pays out to reform its cOnvicts, and to
assist them to be worthy citizens. amounts
to probably less than thousand dollars a
year. Long practice has proven that the
present system increases crime, SO try
something new. We cry out for help. We
don't want to go on in crime. Teach us
something useful. as well as to earn and
save and we will reward you by becoming
useful. law abiding citizens.
Who is the phlanthropic statesman that
will give us this law. and endear his name
to many future generations? Let Other
pens and other minds more gifted than
mine take up this subject, and keep on till
the convict is paid for his labor. The law
makers should not dispise the suggestions
of the law breakers, for we know the weak
points of what we break better than the
maker does.
Exceptions to what have said Is granted
to those cOnvicts that have wives remain
ing constant to them. during their impris-
Onment; also to those who are working
hard and striving to learn something that
will be useful to them when they leave
here. But this number is SO small that
have written of the common practice and
not the exceptions. Neither do refer to
the prison management, who are no more
responsible for the grievances have men
toned than they are for our being here. In
fact. any measures that may be taken for
the uplifting and bettering the convicts
condition, we have reason to believe, will
find hearty support from the management
of this prison. Attest our MIRROR, that
is destined to accomplish more good for the
prisoner than the past generation has
accomplished. Who will take up this
work? l.. Nj.
IL