The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1889-11-14

wendell his way to his own dOmicile and
began straightway to write up the SCOOP
The Views of an Outsider.
ST. Peter. Oct. 20, 1889.
EDITOR PRISON MIRROR: l was very
much pleased to receive my first copy Of
The PRISON MIRROR and could not re.
sst the temptation to write you word of.
commentator for your efforts to make,
your paper means of assisting in the ref
ormatiOn of our criminal population and;
your endeavOrs to call the attention of the
people to the way in which convicts are
treated upon leaving their prison homes by
sending them out into the cold uncharta--
BILE world again without adequate clothng;.
without money and friends, and conse-,
Quently without hope. No matter how
many good resolutions they may have
made, they find themselves at the very out
set under the surveillance of the police. So
cally Ostraciesd, spurned by every one re-
fused honest employment. and it is hardly
to be wondered at that they return to their
habits of crime and re enter the wilson's, for
there they at least have comfortable quar-
tiers, plenty of food. and are safe from the
taunts OF their uncharitable fellow mortals.
am heartily in sympathy with any prof.
ect which will amelOrate the condition of
the unfortunate or assist in reforming the
criminal class OF our population. But the
reformation of the latter is not to be accom-
plished entirely by secusion, harsh treat
ment and social ostracism. criminal is
not blameless for his crime, but at the same
time. to be humane and charitable, we must
also think of him as being to degree I'M
fortunate, and assist in his moral advance
ment and help him to regain his respect for
himself and the law of his country. All
prisons should be not only places for the ex-
piatiOn of crime but reformatOries as well,
and prisoners upon leaving should be given
some pecuniary aid and encouragement So
that they will have some hope and not be
discouraged and soured against mankind at
the very beginning of their new lives
think that the causes of the increase of crime
are to be found in the present state of So
cety and the natural tendencies of our race.
To be respected member of what is called
the best(?)socety requires no small fortune,
and to gain such place in society. Or
rather than give it up after having once
held it, man will stOOp to crime to obtain
money with which to maintain his place in
the social world. When criminals are
evolved in that way, is the world which
makes them blameless? We are fast becom-
ing nation of eywOrshipers. and the
most of the crimes are committed in the
great struggle for the almighty dollar The
tendency of mankind seems to be to stihe
all the better feeling of self respect, hon
esty. charity and humanity, and to show
nothing but righteousness. envy and un-
charitabeness, and it is the social cOndi-
tons of man which Cause him to so deteri-
crate in this respect.
But is the increase of crime any more
alarming than the increase of insanity. The
same things which cause the increase of the
one cause the increase of the other; and if
the present ratio of the increase of each
continues how long will it be before pris-
Ons and asylums will be so numerous that
the inmates of every household can hear the
signs of the prisoners or the shrieks of the
unhappy insane?
The philosopher who can discover way
of removing the causes of crime and insan-
ity will confer greater favor on suffering
humanity than all the inventors who have
ever lived. But in the meantime we have
the criminal and the insane with us and we
must do all we can to reform the one and
minimize the number of crimes and to cure
the other. G. F. 7. OLMsTEAD.
Proofs of His Noble Blood.
American miIIiOnoi ffOrtupo huiIf m,