The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1889-06-20
saltwater, Minn., Thursday 20, 1889.
"Manners', Do Make the Man.

'HannefS'' do Make the Man.
l had the misfortune last week to wade
through the most senseless jumble of words
[ have yet seen in THE MIRROR; the only
conclusion can reach is. that the writer,
though he may possess the requisite ability.
is so prejudced and cynical that he is un-
able to treat fairly the subject in hand. l
refer to the article by C. L. in which he at
tempts, in a morose manner and novel
style of logic, to entirely refute the possibil-
lty or any truth or worth attaching to the
old adage: Manners make the man." To
those who read the article it is patent that
the author gave more thought to making
copy" than to his subject. 1t is so thor
Oughly devoid of sense and so plainly
tinged with the vndictive feelings of the
writer that it does one but little credit to
recall it to the attention OF our readers My
only reason for doing so is because such
misleading jargOn is too readily accepted
as good gospel by that thoughtless class
who continually brood over imaginary
wrongs done them by supposed friends.
and who. by teachings similar to those of
G. L., are fortified in the belief that all who
speak cOurteOusly to them are designing
knaves. and should be stunned.
The writer might as well have stated in
the same plausible manner that the parents
who teach their children to be polite and
regardful of the feelings of others, do so
only to make them adopts in deceptive
practices; that the honesty of every man is
questionable because thieves exist; or he
might have said OF every doctrine and sim.
pie truth that has been handed down to
us from generation to generatiOn-as he
said of his subject-''It is falser' and then
ask us to convince the truth of
this peremptory exclamation in the follow
ing manner. which quote from his article:
Try to think of all the people you have
ever known, and you will find. l think. that
the most unapprOachable, ill-mannered and
surly people are the best friends when you
really come to know them." In following
out this style of argument l fail to reach
the conclusion desired by c. l.. All whom
L can recollect as being of the class he mem
tions were decidedly the reverse of friendly
at all times. and were thoroughly deSpsed,
or rather pitied, by their neighbors. We
all know that there are people who do not
depOrt themselves like TurveydrOp. and
are considered cold and unsympathetc and
yet are valuable friends when friendship is
most needed; but such people are not "un-
approachable, ill-mannered and surly."
There are others, again. who are rough and
ready with all, and inclined to be brusque
in their manners. but their characters will
not bear these lengthy adjectives As quail
tiers.
If c. l.. will follow part of his own
''cOnvincing'' recipe, and examine into the
characteristics of the different guards he
may have worked under while here he will
find that those who treated him the most
clvllly stand highest in his estimation as
true men. If he ever has asked guard
simple question that demanded only plain
negative or affirmative as answer, but re-
ceived instead the irrelevant phrase, ''gO to
your CELL in tones occasionally used in Or
dering dog to assume reclining position.
he must know how grateful politeness is
even to person of dull sensiblites.
l have not gone into any exhaustive de-
malls of c. LIS statements, nor can | be
charged with being hypercritical in my
treatment of it, AS have said before, my
only reason for taking up the role of critic
is because such iconOclastic doctrine has as
ardent devotees as the dime novel and other
such literary refuse. and should, therefore,
be Immediately Squelched. He has taken
the exception to a standard rule. and in di-
rect opposition to all mathematical tactics.
has attempted to show that the existence of
this exception is proof that the rule is IN
correct
All that have written on this subject is
done in good part; and if G.. l.. has made
an error in coming to conclusions too rap
idly. l hope he will admit it in his next
article by allowing little fairness to per-
colate the wall of vindictive prejudice so
plainly visible in his last. R.