The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1889-03-28

We turn now to the last object of nipris-
Onment, the reformation of the prisoner. 1t
is new and untried but what little has been
seen of it is good and promises much. 1t is
the most just and philosophical way of deal
ing with crime. Men are not wholly
to blame for their niiSdpedS. In our prsOns
the ignorant are to the educated as sixteen
to one; the poor far out number the Well-tO-
dO and the miserable and those having
criminal tendencies fill the prisons. while
few come from good surroundings. If these
are wholly responsible. then it is a crime to
be ignorant and poor. To be llenvirOned.
and to be born of unrighteous parents.
Prison reform. although it began late and
has beer much opposed, has made great
progress. A lmOSt every civilized nation
has its reform associations. National and
international congresses are held. Phllan-
thrOpiSts and statesmen are giving the sub
ject thought. Bodily torture is passing
away; physical forces are yielding to moral
forces. In our country. schools. libraries.
newspapers. Sunday schools and PRAYER
meetings are found in many prisons; whereas
but few years ago the first sermon in a
prison was preached under the protection of
4 loaded cannon and fuse.
So far. a man having the brand of
prison has been barred from society and
from honorable pursuits. and has thus been
forced back into the old paths of tranSgreS
siOns. TO day. those who have given the
subject most thought. receive and respect
him as a man; and there are societies which
assist him in finding employment. and in
maintaining virtue. So far men have been
liberated when their time was up; now we
are beginning to keep them imprisoned un-
til they cease to be dangerous. So far pris-
oners have been silent; to-day they have
voice in THE Prison MIRROR. One Sun
day in the year has been set aside as Flower
Sunday; on which day the w. C. T. u.
sends a bouquet to every prisoner in the
land. the tear Of joy and feelinglo of
thankfulness called forth by this token of
kindness reveals the soul of the prisoner.
True there are some men who are very
wicked; concerning whose crimes we can
only rejoice that we need not judge them;
men from whom it seems all virtue and
manhood has flown. But the mass of prs-
Oners are not so bad; and even the very
vilest, would you torture them? Would
you make them suffer during the weary
days of year, often years? When they
are bound and can do 10 more wrong? Nor
need we think that the humane treatment
prisoners are receiving will make prison
life desirable. 1t is yet hard to be borne;
~ J OG OdhCo away lIOVitS. IhO uCeiCcO hNIi
tage of man; and the complaints that con-
victs are having good time, come from
those who do not know the sorrows and
woes of that silent community. which are
like death.
The number of prisoners in our country
is about IS. 900. One-siXth are women; one
fourth are foreigners; One-fifth are mere
boys. less than twenty years of age. If
possible. let this army be reformed; let this
IS. 600 be restored to themselves and to the
country. even at a cost. Why not then.
when 1t costs nothing? When there is even
gain? When society is more securely pro-
tected than if there were no reformation?
Surely. criminals have greatly erred; let us
be careful that we do not err also.
For ages the cry of society against the
wrongs done by criminals and the cry of
criminals against the wrongs done by So
ciety have been heard. Justice at last
moved by their cries brought out her strong
est balance Into one scale she placed the
wrongs against society; then began to place
in the other. the wrongs against prisoners
but ere the work was half done the beam
broke. Then Justice said to man, For thy
brother who is unfortunate enough to be in
prison, have as much love as for thy other
brothers. and more charity
FRANK OSCAR KRAUsE.
One may be very happy while away from
I~o, l,,k l. T. Id 70 tn