The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1890-08-14
OUR ANNUAL TOOT.

third revolution OF the master wheel, the
sun, since The PRISON MIRROR cast its
first reflection of prison life. And nOtwith-
standing our old wheel, in its rapid course,
has rotated with wOndr0us velocity, we
have not been cast off into chaos, but here
we are started on the fourth annual circuit
with strengthened grip and face made
brighter by the friction of previous journeys.
We deemed it proper on this the first stage
on the fourth annual circuit of THE MIRROR
to greet our patrons and thank them for
their liberality in furnishing moral support
and the wherewithal to maintain existence.
By the unfaltering loyalty of its many
friends, and the fostering care of the
newspaper fraternity, THE MIRROR has
grown to healthy maturity, and is to-day as
widely and honorably known as any paper
in the state of Minnesota. We look with
pride upon our little paper, conceived by
criminals. born within the gloom of prison.
and grown pure thing amid blighting in
fiuences. like maiden coming forth pure
and holy from dwelling amid the vile and
leacherOus of city's slums. We are proud
of our paper, too, because, like bright,
pure daughter, it reflects honor upon its
home and people and leads strangers to
consider if there is not some good and some
worthiness in the authors of its existence.
Our paper has ever had the one purpose
to do good. With what degree of success
the paper has pursued it's mission Of course
cannot be reckoned. but it may be safely
claimed that it has done no harm in the
world. It has striven to help untangle the
knotty question of how best to deal with the
criminal to the end that he be no longer a
criminal; it has tried to assist in removing
the scales which have for so long blinded
the eyes of the public to the inefficacy of it's
methods of Furnishing crime and has sug-
gested in an humble way such changes and
improvements as it seemed would conduce
to the prevention of law breaking and the
reformation of the law breaker. If at times
illogical and seemingly fallaciOus theories
and arguments have been advanced those
producing them have had to stand the sharp
criticism of their fellow prisoners; and thus
we think the balance has been kept tipped
in favor of the right It is hardly to be ex-
pected that minds more or less poisoned
with the criminal tincture and biased by the
uncongenial conditions of prison life will
have as clear and fine conceptions of what
constitutes real morality and exact justice
as would men whom circumstances had not
prejudiced; but even the convict, no matter
how low he may be sunk in criminality, has
hidden away within him deep respect for;
purity and justice. 1t is this hidden germ
that The MIRROR has labored to draw
forth and cultivate into fruitfulness. We
want the world to know that there is good
germ in the soul of nearly all, if not all
criminals, which by judiciOus training may
convert the bearer into right thinking,
right-acting man. And THE MIRROR has
succeeded in calling the attention of many
active minded world betterers to the prison
and it's inmates. Through wide system
of exchange with the newspapers of the
country the attention OF many editors, who
otherwise would have given only an occa-
sional thought to such matters, has been
directed week after week to the subjects
bearing upon criminals and their treatment.
The MIRROR has widely disseminated the
opinions on these matters of eminent men
who have made the whole subject their
chief study for years. The paper as it
voiced the sentiments of criminals has
sounded continuous alarm warning others
of the tempting pitfalls that insnare
and destroy the happiness of those who
follow the crooked path-it is states wit
ness against crime. We believe the paper