The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1889-09-12

more liberal and effective policy is slowly
but surely taking its place. The old, time
worn and vindictive idea that severe and
long. continued punishment would make
men better has been exploded. and legsla-
tors, penOlOgists and humanitarians are
casting about to discover some other REM
edy for the growing evil. Within the last
decade much progress has been made in
this direction. People who formerly never
gave thought to the condition of prisons
or their inmates, are now evincing a lively
interest in those matters. and the result is
that more cOnciliatOry laws are being en-
acted which cannot fail to bear good fruit.
The opinion that so long prevailed i'm the
minds Of many good people, that it was a.
moral impOssibility to reform a criminal,
has been proven fallaciOus; and the man.
ayers of the refOrmatOry at Elmira, n. Y.
(Where the experiment was first tried) can
point with pride to record of 80 per cent
reclaimed and called back from the tortu-
GUS pathway OF sin, as a complete refuta
ton of such doctrine. The reformatOry
idea is being widely disseminated and is
fast taking root in the more progressive
communities. and it is gratifying to note
the fact that Minnesota has taken her right
full place at the head of the procession.
When refOrmatOry methods are more gen.
should be. the good results that are sure to
follow will cause people to wonder why it
was that so efficaciOuS remedy was so
long postponed or delayed.
In the good old times one of the methods,
of dealing with the criminal and making
him more dangerous enemy. was the
branding or disfiguring him with hot iron.
so that he might be known of all men. So.
ciety in its more advanced state has dis
carded the iron, but it still retains and in
sists upon the brand. In its treatment Of
the discharged convict it virtually prOclaims
the doctrine of once an enemy always an
enemy. True. we have law on the stat
ute books of the state. which provides for
an honorable discharge and restoration to
all the rights OF citizenship, if we by good
conduct earn it; but the presentation of
such discharge will not be likely to secure
us employment, nor will 1t act as pass
port to good society. ''Ohv some good.
people may say, this is only the usual
whining of cOnvicts; all they have to do is
to behave themselves and they are all
right" Will it astOniSh those same good
people to be informed that it is not a great
while since the leading officials in police
circles in some of our large neighbOring
cities wrote here requesting to be furnished
with daily list of all cOnvicts discharged?
The purpOrt of such request is obvious,
and the indignant refusal to comply with
it reflects honor on the gentleman to whom
1t was addressed. When man has paid
the penalty which the state provides for
the commission of his crime. he stands
responsible to God alone for his past trans
gressions. If he leaves prison with de-
termination to do right if given chance,
he should not be Swallowed as suspect"
bOycOtted in his efforts to obtain honorable
employment. nor socially OstraciZed shonld
the fact of his former misfortune become
known.
Let society recognize these facts and act
upon them. and the vast army of its ZEN
emies" will be decmated by desertion. and
victory for the cohorts of law and order
assured. TAMMANY.