The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1889-12-19

Five Gents,
There Must BE Reform.

There Must BE Reform.
Articles concerning the reformation of
criminals should be read and studied by
people at large. Society should first re-
member that all criminals are not in prison
and also that all who are in prison are not
criminals in the general acceptation of that
term. At intervals since its inception THE
MIRROR has contained many articles reIat-
ing to the best methods of reforming Grim
inalS. These articles were written by con-
victS-and why should convcts advocate
refOrmatOry measures? Is it to the con-
vict's interest to give so much thought to
this subject? Were to answer this oues-
ton | should say that it is of even more
interest to society to reform the convict.
The criminal. SO to speak. wants to be re-
formed, he prefers any life to the one he
has been leading, and he, of necessity knows
what means will best attain that end. So
ciety is benefited by the criminals refor-
nation. and should study all the articles
written on the subject that they may arrive
at some just and humane methods by which
to prevent crime.
Articles in our paper are unlike those
published outside prison walls. We do
not write with any idea of securing office or
pecuniary gain. When we write it is ac.
cOrding to the dictates of our best judgment.
In this remarkably progressive century
there should be some method discovered
whereby criminals can be reformed Not
method to simply reform the criminals of
the present time, but one that will prevent
the generations yet unborn from becoming
criminals. We all know that at present
! fhnro ,,1Cfh no r,ricn nd oil
dOwed with wisdom enough to know that
the thorough reformation of the criminal
will not be fully conSummated for a long
time yet We know, and society knows
that crime can be decreased. 1t must be
decreased or the time will come when jails,
penitentiaries and warehouses will have no
power: when every citizen of aff1uence will
need private policeman to guard his prop
erty day and night; when the poorer class
of society will be left to the mercy of the
criminal-whlch means that the poor class,
in self defense, will have to become Grim
inals. Yes. unless something is done to-
wards the reformation of criminals, the
time will come when the criminal fraternity
Will rule the country;when the saloonkeepers
will join hands with the criminals. and
criminals with anarchists. and anarchists
with all the crooked officials in the country
which means destruction to the cOuntry'S
best interests.
Oh, ye wise people. live up to your ideas
and look into the future. Now is the time
to check the inevitable emergency. Strike
the iron while it is at white heat if you wish
to make any impression. All criminals
know that it is not right for them to lead
life of crime; all criminals know that tits
not right for them to appropriate the earn
ings of their fellOwman. unlawfully, be he
Of <uc
back to the days of slavery as carried on in
the United States. All shareholders knew
that slavery was wrong. They knew that
it was wrong to sell the babe from it's moth
er's breast; they all knew that it was not
right to live on the earnings of their fellow
men. Now, why did they cause so much
misery? Simply because they were not
governed by their better nature-they
needed reform. Their fathers owned
slaves, why shOnld not they? If our faith
ers committed crimes. then, why should
not we? The slaves were made citizens.
and have proved that they were worthy of
citizenship. The former shareholders are
now earning honest livings. simply because
they have been reformed, if l may use that
term.
The reformation of the criminal must be
considered 1t cost many lives and dollars
to reform the shareholders. 1t will not
cost any lives to reform criminals. nor any
unreasonable amount Of money if steps are
taken at once But to wait means destruc-
ton of life and loss of money to many. 1
do not venture to propose any method that
will tend to the decrease of crime; l only
ask that society will open it's eyes and do
something that will conduce to the decrease
of crime; that steps be taken to place
in general operation the many advanced
methods already in use in some of our penal
institutions. l.. G.
But one thing on earth is better than the