The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1889-05-09

might expect relief Although we are a
constituency having no representative of
our own election in the halls of legislation,
still, we manage through the medium of
THE MIRROR. to make known our
wants in fOrcible and respectful. if not
an eloquent manner. In urging our claims
for recognition of our needs. we have
always been careful to fortify ourselves in
the positions we have assumed, by author
ity whose responsibility could not be gain
saved, and it is gratifying to note the fact.
that in our efforts to better our condition,
we have received the hearty support of
those LIBERAL minded people who believe
that we are not yet beyond the pale of re-
demptiOn. We expected much Of the leg
islature. and the messages of the present
Governor. and his immediate predecessor
encouraged us in our expectations. and
while it is true that we failed TO obtain all
that which we sought. still, the advance
made in the new law, over that by which
we have been so long governed. is not only
food for present encouragement, but is also
indicative that we need only prove our
selves deserving of that which has already
been bestowed. to look confidently for still
further concessions in future.
The synopsis of the new law, as pub
lished in The MIRROR. is too lengthy to
comment upon in it's details, but there are
some of its provisions which deserve special
attention. The first section of the bill
provides that the government and control
of the prison shall be vested in board of
five managers. who shall make all necessary
rules and regulations for the direction and
government of both officers and inmates;
the managers shall appoint the warden
physician. chaplains and principal teachers;
each political party shall have represen-
tation in the board of management in pro-
portion to its numerical strength. The
foregoing is a vast improvement Oh the old
order OF things in that increasing the num-
Der OF the board to five members. it makes
it possible for all sections of the state to be
represented; the intent of the clause, vest
ing in the board the appointment of warden
is, doubtless, to remove as far as possible
the selection of that officer from the domain
OF politics. This will strike any unbiased
| observer as being move in the right d-
rection. If ever there was place in which
the rules of civil service reform should be
made applicable in the appointment of all
officers from the highest to the lowest, it is
in all institution Of this kind. To make
an efficient officer requires years of expert
ence as there is always something to be
learned, and frequent changes are subyer-
siTe of discipline, it is therefore essential
that all officers, should continue during
good behavior and not be removable except
for cause. The clause providing that each
political party shall be represented in the
board, is also worthy of commentator, and
it is due that organized labor should not be
ignored in the selection OF its members as
it was chiefly through their instrumental
ty that the law was enacted.
Coming now to that portion of the law.
in which the convict is most directly inter-
ested, we first find that relating to diminu-
ton of sentence for good conduct, which
provides, that for the first year of good be-
havior, there shall be deduction of five
days each month. second year seven days,
third year nine days. and ten days month
for every year thereafter. If this section
serves no other good purpose it has created a
boom" in mathematics, the famous fifteen
puzzle. and more recent cOnundrum of
''pgs in clover Gwindle into utter insig-
niticance as causes of mental alteration, in
comparison to the havoc which this section
threatens. One enthusiastic lightning cal
culatOr" who has served scarce two years
of five year sentence, needs only few
more attempts in the direction he has been
pursuing, to succeed in ''fgurirg'' his way
to freedom. To the man serving sentence
of one, or even two years. the manipulation
of the figures affords little that is comfort
ing; it is only after the two year point has
been passed, that the figures begin to as
sumo the gOOdly proportions that fill the
heart of the interested operator with glad
ness; but, being admonished by the length
OF space already taken up. that the limit al
lowed me has been reached, the further
discussion of more important parts of the
measure will have to be reserved for our
next issue. TAMMANY.
A distinguished functionary of the Chi
neSe government, the minister of punish