The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1888-06-27
Where the Fault Lies.

EultOI
The pages of THE MIRROR have always
been devoted to literature, pure and simple
not 1.-The news" but entertainment and
instruction. We are content with our mis-
sion in the great world OF the press. We
see scandals. and lot of dirty stuff daily
served up by the most enterprising newSpa
pers; it should therefor be relief to take
up purely literary page that the business
(?) world so much cOntemnS, and read
nothing that makes the eye smart or the
cheek blush. What comment on the
moral condition OF the mass is this appetite
for sensational scandal, the real reason for
the editorial and repOrtOrial selections above
indicated. The moral does not call happi-
ness news There is nothing interesting in
virtue. Dirt sells best by the day. The
fault is the peoples. not of editors of news
papers, And yet. | think it is not SO much
taste for the vile as it is a certain eager
ness to be shocked at not our own. but
other peoples miseries. TO eXclaim, 'Oh.
DO tell. Is it possible?" is a luxury to
many people. Life is dull with them.
They have not learned to be deeply and de-
lghtfully interested in other peoples hap
piness If we cannot be generously inter-
ested, the next thing is to be shocked by a
mans crimes; in other words, selfishly
interested. The newspaper display of the
ills of life work upon public opinion. There
are, of course, some people who have no
perspective in their conscience. Their
moral convictions are the same on all sub
jectS. They are like reader who speaks
every word with equal emphasis. 1t is i'm
possible to be too conscientious; but it is
quite possible to develOpe this quality in a
very One-sided way. and neglect to examine
or to verify the principles on which it rests.
Experience has shown that mankind is more
disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable.
than to right themselves by abOlishing the
forms to which they are accustomed. Every
permanent state of mind is largely the eff
feet OF habit. Just as we can perform an
action so continually that it comes to be
habltual: so we can encourage conditions of
mind till they, too, come to be habit of
thinking and even feeling. When running
our glanceS over the columns of newspa-
per, we may read, here of suicide, there
Of a murder. DO we ever expect that the
day previous, nay, it may be the hour pre-
vious, the miserable perpetrator of that
murder or that suicide had as little thought
to commit the crime as we have at this mo-
ment. and, are we warned? And when we
feel the same passions that maddened the
suicide, or the murderer stirring in our bOS-
oms, are we alarmed? l think not. We
are all apt to look upon the criminal as a
wretch who has fallen into sink of crime
and degradation, near which it is impossible
for US to approach. All. yesterday. per
haps that murderer which you are reading
about walked with head erect. as proudly.
as heedleSSly, as blmdly as yourselves. un
knowing of the chasm opening at his feet,
and now he is astOunded or stunned by his
own fall. Are we inclined to believe him
and pity him? No, no. Our voices are
loud in indignant virtue. Open the prison
doors; rivet his letters. erect his galows.
and in the pride of an irreproachable repu-
tation we thank God THAT we are not as
Others" Do we ever think of the possible
ty OF being in that unfortunate mans place
some day, or Of thanking God that we are
not tempted as others? g. NJ.