The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1889-10-31

in vogue of making machine out c of each man,
nearly all who went in came out worse citizens
than before. The system of farming convicts is
nothing else than pernicious. 1t prov ides only
for their physical occupation during the years of
their confinement. 1t utterly ignores the moral
side of the men and takes away all possible inter-
est in themselves by giving them no incentive for
doing any more than their allotted tasks and
those in ver mechanical and perfunctory man.
ner The interest of the contractor in his work.
men extenos no further than the problem of how
much he can get out of them. PRISONS. in all
cases. should be seIf-supporting; but the work
should be done under the supervision of the state
and for the benefit Of the state. To this should
| be added some system of education and moral in
struct on that would make the convict a better
| citizen when he came out than he was when he
| went in.
| REV. M'CLARY.
phase OF the PRISON question which demands
attention that of prison labor. Can perceive
a pos tive difference between the inmates of Still
water prison now and those of three years ago.
| and it is due to the enforced idleness caused y
the abolition of the contract labor system 1 be.
lieve that schools should be formed in the prisons
for the instruction of convict. fit them for bet
ter lives after their release. There is a great
field for religious workers in the prisons, but l
tn nix better to make effort to keep men out of
prison. and the abolition of the saloon will reduce
the number of criminals 80 per cent.
JOHN. w. WILLIS.
believe CT me should be treated a. a disease.
1t should be treated disease malignant and
contagious. Society should seek to eradicate its
germs. l would give child thorough moral
and religious education. l would destroy all flash
literature. or at least keep it from children, if
were imposs BILE to prevent its publication and
circulation. would enforce the laws intended
tor the prevention of drunkenness and the up
lifting of the drunkard. man commits . crime
because he has u Grim nal propensity. and this is
what would do to him. would send him to some
proper place of confinement for restraint until he
was cured of that propensity. be that time short
or long. What would be said of the superintend-
ent of Il lunatic asylum who should send at large
a raving maniac for the mere reason that the
had beer confined for Il number of years? Or
what would we dowIth a physician who would
turn loose upon the streets from the pest house a
person afH icted with malignant contagious dis
ease? Then what better reason is there for turn
ing loose upon society men who are not cured of
the disease of crime? Turning them loose not
only to commit crime, but to educate Grim nalsa
Il believe that under such ystem proper board
of men could ascertain with reasonable degree
of certainty what cow lets in a penjtentiary or
refOImatory cured of the disease of crime and
should be set free, and what ones should not be
set free.
SECRETARY HART.
In 1885 there werei1 the United States 10000
convicts in lenitentar es. and 12 600 in reforma-
tories OF all these there were greater number
under the age OF twenty than the age of
thirty. Where do these children-those under
twentJ l call Children come from? good
form school come out of the Sunday school and
this is generally true all over the country In
our reform school know of many cases
wherein the child would never have been sent
there had it been brought up at home under even
ordir airy control. How many of you know whe re
went to the Superint endent and told him how his
| boy, who just received as inmate had
! bren stealing rocket change. Yes said the
| Superintendent IAN ! had you done your duty
two years ago there would never have been any
occasion TO send him here. And if he continues
on down the broad road you can lay it all to your
self" Discipline, industry, education-aIl these
are essentials in saving juveniles from becoming
| criminals.
Carl Prelzel's Philosophy.