The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1890-04-10
StillWater Minn, Thursday, April 10, 1890.
Extremes.

Extremes.
There are two classes of people, who,
though having directly opposite views. re-
tard any movement for the reformation of
the convict or the amelioration of his con-
dition. The first class are those who be-
lieve that the criminal has by his acts for
feited all rights to consideration from So
ciety. They believe that the convict should
be made to suffer for his misdeeds by i'm
prisonment and hard labor; his clothing and
food should be of the coarsest; and he
should be denied all privileges; he should
be degraded and be made to feel his humili-
alton to the utmost. For the criminal they
have nothing but hatred and contempt; and
they believe in the theory of. ''Show me
liar and L Will show you thief; show me
thief and will show you murderer"
The second class are those whose Sympa-
thetic natures and zeal leads to the opposite
extreme. They find some good qualities in
the criminal and he Immediately becomes
possessed with all virtues. A halo of ro-
nance is thrown around him and he be-
comes hero or martyr. They do not re-
gard him simply as the average man with
both good and bad traits of character, but
they believe-Or profess to believe-that had
his condition or opportunities in life been
different he would have been mode! of
virtue and goodness.
This kind OF Sentimentality and guSh is
nauseating to the convict of average intel
ligence. and can only do harm. for it is a
Misrepresentation; and no good can ever be
accomplished through Misrepresentation
The truth u.s. we are bad lot, or why are
we here? By this do not mean that con-
cur in the opinion of the first mentioned
class, that the man who has been driven
through want or adverse circumstances to
commit theft is also possessed of such vi
ciOus temperament that he only awaits an
opportunity to commit murder. Neither does
it necessarily follow that the man who has
taken human life in the frenzy of passion
or while craZed with liquor is lost to all
sense of honor. and is deceitful, treacherOus
and wholly bad.
1t is true our condition and training in
youth may have been unfavOrable. but this
is but poor excuse to offer in extenuation
of our criminal acts. for we have many ex-
amples of men who have risen from the
most obscure lot in life to positions of the
highest eminence; and though our position
surely it is as easy to conform to the laws
of our country in an obscure position as in
an exalted one.
Should prisoner upon the expiration of
his sentence renew his criminal practices
the first mentioned class will cry out, did
l not tell you so? Once criminal always
a criminal" But our over Jealous friends
will say. Poor fellow, he is not so much
to be blamed. Society received him coldly,
and not having proper aid and encourage
ment, he became disheartened and relapsed
into criminal ways" Or. 1.-The detectives
bounded him from place to place until in
sheer desperation he committed crime"
When we are in need of aid we do not
appeal to those whom we have injured.
Having transgresSed the laws of society.
can we reasonably expect the same cOnsid
Grafton as he who has never transgressed
its laws? Is it to be wondered at that the
honest man looks with contempt upon the
thief when we who are criminals show no
charity towards each other? Can society
be expected to watch over. counsel and ad-
wise the ex-cOnvict when we, instead of en-
cOuraging each other in right-dOing will
often counsel and urge to wrong doing, or
sneer at a cOmrade who is endeavOring to
correct his faults and improve himself men
tally and morally?
l repeat it, we are bad lot. but still we
are not demons. Though we have bad
traits of character, we also have good ones,
and if you want to bring those traits to a
fuller development, treat us as our individ-
ual conduct merits while in prison; give
us an opportunity to learn something that
will aid us in fighting the battle of life and
when we leave these prison walls behind us
another PRODUCER is given to the world and
not whining mendicant asking aims of a
Prisoners Aid Society. x*x