The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1889-11-28
Five Gents.

absolutely identical and together we mus,
solve the difficulty. | try to have him see
! for himself that the rule which he has vic
lated is proper one. and should be Obeyed
! That must and ought to compel him t.
obey and all that | ask him to do is neceS
sary and right and cannot be avoided, anG
so | attempt to educate him that he may
avoid difficulty in future and become per.
manently recOnciled to what he now sees is
not unnecessarily forced upon him, but
which is really for his own good. If he goes
to punishment. he will know after it is over
that tried to save him, and that his own
attitude in the matter compelled it. Such
methods persisted in will finally break
through the great barriers which ordinarily
seem to lie between the warden and the
men. Naturally suspicious, the convict at
first questions every friendly act or word
some reason, doubts his sincerity.
When the warden of prison has reached
the stage in the development of his men
that he has earned and received as a mass
their entire confidence; when he has taken
hold of their hearts and not merely their
bodies, then, and not until then, is he able
to introduce into his system with advantage
the next and most essential quality of char
acter growth, which is education.
Scholastic attainments are part of this
branch. and are certainly of considerable
value. and to the densely ignorant an absO-
lutte necessity. The mental training OBJ
tanned by a man past twenty. in learning to
read and write properly. with a fair knOwl-
edge of arithmetic, will be a great assist
ance to him and is the place to begin as a
correct basis for all education. Besides.
the knowledge thus obtained is itself quite
essential to further development.
If we say education should be Industrial.
Political, Social, Moral, fair idea will be
obtained from these divisions of the ground
to be covered.
The limits of paper wiu~not permit a
discussion of these divisions. They involve
a general uplift of the whole man. A thor
Ough preparation for the duties of life.
A radical change of habits, long estab-
lished.
Mr.. Brockaway is right when he says sit
is soul growth" The process is slow.
and is full of conflict. A firm resolution to
do right is rarely followed by right doing
continually. DisappOintments and back
slidings are common to the process.
The man may be honest in his effort. but
incapable of long continued strain.
He must be taught industry and thrift.
because these are necessary to success and
proper living.
He must be taught the structure of his
government. and the proper relations of a
citizen to it, because this is necessary to a
proper respect and observation of law.
He must be taught proper relations to his
neighbor, the duties of citizen in his So
cial life, and the governing principles Of
change and interchange between cOmmuni-
ties.
He must be taught, if possible, that it is
better to starve than steal.
That in the very structure of the universe
written by the hand of God, is the law of
compensation, and that human conduct
brings it's own reward. He must be educated
to discipline himself. Right conduct, to be
effective, must be from choice.
External discipline i'm the character of
force by the officer. entirely outside the in
mates own will, may be operative to pro-
duce compliance while it is continued, but
when liberty comes. this must be withdrawn
and the old self comes in to control living
action, when it will be found that the proc
ess has not been educational.
The same fitful. changing course OF life
will be followed. Brutal at first, he is
brutal STILL Egotistic, feeble, debased, he
is thrown out upon society without an ef-
fort to change his character. He has served
his term in one mOnOtOnOuS round of labor,
forced upon him. Cell and shop have been
his home. With the exception of an Occa-
sonal library book. which is not agreeable
to him. he is left to his own thoughts.
His time is occupied with plans to cir.
cunlvent the authorities, whom he regards
as his natural enemies. and the authorities
i'm turn accept the gage of battle. and from
their peculiar vantage ground. watch him
constantly. guard him carefully. search him.
deprive him of harmless trinkets, search his
cell, jerk him about. order him and punish
him for the eslightesthesitancy
Who is to do all this when the man comes
into liberty? Is it likely that these charac-
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