The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1890-11-13
Every one knows that prison walls hold

ness ana Improvement as any Otlor.
If we think not at all of higher motives.
what kind of economy is it to spend money
in keeping cOnvcts imprisoned and then
sending them out without reformation, to
prey on society until they are again in
generated?
1t is admitted by all students of political
economy that we are all personally respOn-
SibIe for crimes committed. to the extent of
our ability to prevent them. We who sit
safely in our hOnOred and happy places in
life, do not realize how narrow the gulf
between us and some prisoners. A power
full temptation; some dark environment of
poverty. might have made us change places.
Oh! this new nineteenth century conscience
is very troublesome thing. Like BAN
quos ghost it will not down. Though we
say over and over to ourselves what is all,
this to us? We are not our brothers keep
ers. it keeps reiterating, yes, you are your
brothers keeper, and it is something to you
whether he lives good lite or a bad one.
This new conscience invadeS the home,
and says to delicate and shrinking women,
you shall no longer sit in peace in your
safely guarded homes. with your flowers
and your happy children and your comforts,
but you must hear the voices of the little
fOrsaken human flowers who perish from
neglect by the wayside: must hear, whether
from the great army of sim stricken. weary
souls who call for help outside of your
sheltered walls. If you profess to be in
the service of the Christ then you too must
seek and save the lost Yes. this new con-
science is making it impossible for ardent
and earnest souls to find rest except in rea-
sOnable service to mankind.
1t is something in the line of this service,
that the ChautauquanS are seeking to do i'll
this prison work.
Something of the progress and results of
the last years work has already been given
in the columns of The Journal. They
have in many respects, exceeded the an
ticipatlOns of the promoters of the enter
prise; have won the unqualified favor of
the prison officials and contractors and, in
deed, are such as to give promise of similar
and additional good results in the future.
But more than this. An influence for
good is going out from here, reaching
farther and doing more than most are
aware of. Reports concerning this Chau-
tauqua work in the Nebraska penitentiary.
more or less in detail have been sent to Of
tfcers of every state prison i'm the land, and
to a large number of those men who are
actively and specially interested in the mat
ter OF prison discipline; men who are devOt-
ing time, money, and their best energies to
the improvement of prisons and prison af-
fairs, and not only to these affairs, but as to
how and in what manner best to aid those
whose term of service has expired. when
they go out into the world again. to take
their places as safe and useful men in the
community.
A large convention of these men, the
National Prison Association. has Just been
in session for five days at Cincinnati. Ohio.
This ChautauQua work was laid before them
fbor hot hoe iC hoin
done in Nebraska was felt there. and is to
have it's influence in shaping plans and leg
islation relative to these things in other
states. and. let US confidently hope, in our
own state too, for we need it here.
Similar classes of readers have been or
are about to be started elsewhere. Already
we hear of them in New Jersey. New Ork,
Massachusetts,, Ohio, Colorado, Minnesota
and Indiana.
A class was started some three years ago
in Massachusetts. and lapsed; but. stimu-
lated by what has been done here, it is pro-
posed to reOrganize it this fall.
At Saltwater, Minnesota, large class
has been started. mainly by the personal
eXertiOns of one Chautauquan, lady.
They have done wonderfully; and it is no
deSparagement to the work here and only
justice, to say of the work there, that they
are apparently doing, not only full as we'll
as we are in some respects, but in other and
important respects they are doing better
than we are. Doubtless this is in some
measure because of certain regulations
there such as admit of some advantage in
this line which differ from ours; while per-
haps we have some that they have not. A
little generous rivalry may be of advantage
to both.
At the great assembly at Chautauqua
lake which closed in August this whole
matter was made subject of special address
to that great audience of six thousand
Chautauquans cOngregated there from all
parts of the country. and it is no eXaggera-
ton to say that there was no practical