The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1889-06-27
saltwater Minn, Thursday, June 27, 1889.

used to subjugate him. A portion of the
law said that discipline must be enforced
at all hazards" and this sentence became
the guiding principle OF the prison. While
it is known that it is essentially necessary
to PRESERVE, not enforce. discipline in {
prison. it is also obvious that there are diff
felent methods of doing so. If man be-
comes refractory and will not obey the
rules. the quickest way of dealing with hin
is to put him in the dungeon; but it is no
always the best. Placing man in the
dungeon is like sending him to prison ir
the first place: it settles the matter for the
time being. We are little world of our
own inside these walls. and the dungeon is
our prison: as we know from experience
that man who does wrong may be re-
formed without sending him to peniten
tiary, we should use our prison only in eX.
traOrdinary cases.
One rule we should all hope to see in
force is that of classifying the inmates. and
rewardng each. not according to the
amount of work he accOmplishes or hi.
skill in any particular line. but i'm the same
ratio as he endeavOrs to do right. The
good points of this system have been set
forth in former issues of this paper. and
need no special comment from me.
Before any effectual advance can be
made in the treatment of the criminal it is
necessary that closer relation shall exist
between the officers and inmates. More
confidence must be placed in the convict.
1t is noticeable that the men here who are
trusted most are the best class Of prisoners.
They behave better than if dozen guards
were on constant watch over them. They
have an inducement to behave we'll: theil
honor and trustwOrthiness are at stake. ano
they guard them As vigilantly as would the
most exemplary man in the outside world
Why not trust others of our number? l dc
not mean to give them key for their cell
door, or to let them do just as they please
but let them see that you depend on then
to do their work properly without having
to watch their every movement: allow then
to speak to each other within reasonable
bounds. There are many other privilege:
that may. without fear. be given to seventy
five per cent of the inmates, the granting
of which would excite in them feelings Of
pride and manlineSs. and sincere respect
for their officers.
There are great many people who think
that if the rigid discipline of prison i.
slackened any.ir will be offering a premium
on crime. and that such prisons would bt
sought after as snug home by the Grim
inal. This is ignorance of the most ap
proved style. The loss of liberty is wha
we feel most You may furnish my Gel
with the richest of tapestries, adorn it will
the crown jewels of all the potentates Of
Europe and feed me Oh ambrOsia, but if
have not my liberty also. it is worse than {
Barmecide's feast, and would gladly eX
change all for the hut of the poorest free
man.
1t will pay better to help the convict tt
become good citizen than to allow mucl
more of this country to become populated
bv such wretched ghOuls as the vermin
infested Huns proved themselves to bt
during the late JohnstOwn disaster. They
live like jackalS at best, but only showed
their total depravity and lack of every
sense or decency at time when the laten
good qualities of the most abandoned
wretch would naturally be forced into ac
ton. Nothing was too despicable for them
They manned the limbs of dead and dyine
women and children to rob them of family
trinkets, and then fought among themselve:
like the lowest grade animals for the spoils
do not believe that among all the mer
confined in the prisons of this country i
would be possible to find two dozen so en-
trely devoid of manliness and human feel
ings as these moral leperS who were i'm
ported to displace American workmen. Blu
the Huns Il am sorry l have to use a cap
ital HI will be more respected than thu
convict;they will work for fifty cents day
and the convict, if free, would not.
RONDA.
A man recently ran four blocks to catcl