The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1888-09-19
formed, he is either hypocrite or mistaken

loiuleu lie Is oltner nypOcrlle OF mistaken
or he never was much of man, and never
will be. No man can reform without first
regaining his self-respect. which no man
of discipline. 'Why?" Because first he
wears the stripes which make him feel de-
graded; next by the rigid discipline and the
ones enforcing it, he is treated and spoken
to or bawled at like he was all inferior be-
ing and is afraid to say his life is his own;
he is given to understand and constantly
reminded that he is not man but convict.
and as long as the convict is treated so, 50
long will the feeling of hatred remain and
the convict feel debased and mean. How
can this be remedied?" Pitch the old,
strict discipline outside of the walls, the
same as the enlightened preachers did hell
fire and birthstone out Of their teaching,
and the enlightened school teacher did the
CAD out of the school room, and teach us
that it is by grace we are saved and not
through fear. In both cases it proved the
best. for there are more to day turning their
attention heavenward under the preaching
of the doctrine of Christ, than there were
when the preacher told them to fear hellfire
and rhinestone. or they could not be saved.
Dress us like men and treat us as such and
then if the christian workers come they can
accomplish some good, but as it is. it is
mOckery to attempt it, and every intelligent
convict knows it. Instead of strict disci-
pine teach them self government and self
control; and if a prisoner is guilty of real
OtfenSe call him before the prison board and
have him fined the same as outside, and let
him pay his file out of the money he has
earned. or if the Offense is a crime let him
be tried and time added to his sentence as
the case may require, and do away with the
maniac manufacturing machines. Show the
convict humanity, if you want him to be
humane for he will follow the example set
before him, let it be good or bad. | defy
any one to show me a dog that has been
raised by man that can't tell by the dogs
disposition the kind OF master he had.
Reform your institutions and the reforma-
ton of the convict will be natural cOnse
quence. No officer or guard managing or
training convicts should be paid less than
S1200toS15OO year, thenthey should be men
who are worth such salary, and by my
plan the extra expense would fall on us, and
not one of us but what would rather pay a
dollar a day for his maintenance and be
treated like man than to be kept for fifty
cents and treated like convicts are treated.
II there is an office in the United States
that requires men of good judgment and
noble principles it is those who have the
management of cOnvictS, for not only
the convict but the welfare of the whole
community depends upon it. If you in
still into him feeling of respect and good
will to community while here, and give him
what he has earned when he goes out. so he
can sustain his good intentions, and then if
he does not be man. it will be because
there was never spark of manly principle
in him to reform. On the other
hand, while he is convict treat
him like he was hound pup, treat him
so he will hate the law and all its officials;
and by the treatment you give him you in
still into him feeling of hatred and re-
venge. and teach him to be exacting. insult
ing. overbearing, and spiteful to his fellow
men, deaden his energy and ambition.
kill his self-respect and manhood; then
when he is not tit for anything, you turn
him out on the public without money
enough to keep him until he gets job. What
is he going to do while he is in the right
condition to do anything that enters his
mind? AS nothing good has entered his
mind for long while it certainly will not
then, but he pursues the even tenor of his
way and does something bad. Still you blame
him. All, my good christians, pray God
that you be not Judged by the same rule
by which you judge your fellOw-man. Still
you talk and try to make people believe you
are trying to reform the convict. Oh! ye
hypOcrites, be We not deceived. God is not
Knocked, and you know under the present
system he can't reform. for the reverse of
christian has been ground into him.
Now, a word about myself, SO that you
will know that ! understand what | am
talking about. When l speak of prison l
don't mean this one any more than others.
f<,r T ", l-,,nx oh fl,o,, I
do of some Others l have only been here
about one year. but / have had about
fifteen years experience in different pris.
ons and have watched the effect of harsh
and kind treatment on the prisoners. and
have given this question very close study