The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1890-01-16
man and man without regard to time, place
or circumstances

or circumstances.
Scan the court record and how often do
we find men accused and found guilty Of
crimes receiving comparatively light SEN
tences simply because they are fortunate
to be tried at period when crime is at a
discount and the calendar consequently
light, while others found guilty under the
selfsame circumstances OF the SelfSame Of
fenses at time when the list of accused
ones happened to be long one received
sentences fOurfOld more than their more
fortunately earlier erring brothers. Treat
ing upon the unequal footing which men
sometimes stand upon before the bar of
public justice let ME instance an example:
Some time ago in one of the courts of this
state four young men were arragned for the
crime of larceny in the second degree all of
whom upon the promise from the county at
tOrney of lenient sentence. pleaded guilty.
Their past records were equal and all found
to be young men whose regulations were
good, the crime of which they then pleaded
guilty being the first and only Offense of
which any of them were ever accused. In
face of this fact what were the sentences?
Two of them had little money and cOnSe
Quently little influence, were sent to the
wOrkhOuSe for three and four months re-
spectively. while the other two who had
the misfortune to be friendless and poor
which apparently added weight to their
sin-were sent to the penitentiaIy for three
years each. Was this impartial justice,
ask? l answer emphatically. No. If the
sentence of three months Imprisonment
was sufficient to purge the crime of the one.
it was all sufficient, | claim. to purge that
of the others. 1t is not that l envy those
whose sentences were the lighter that |
mention this fact. but my Sympathies go
out to the two young men who have to
spend some of the best of their youthful
years in this, TO use borrowed phrase.
lonely city" wherein the sun goes down to
rest ere yet he has thought well to give the
kiss of peace to our western hillsdes.
In view OF the fact then. that there are
some in this institution who are innocent
of the crimes for which they suffer, many
others who are more the victims of senti-
ment than errng children of justice and
whose term of solitude already undergone
has long since paid to the fullest the pen
atty OF their past misguided actions, while
not few are victims of that whirlwind of
popular passion which swept around them
with such terrible results at the time of
their trials are weighed down by the
thought of the long dreary years ere yet
| they can return to their homes. their fam
lilies or their friends. trust it may not be
considered presumptvely dictatOrial or vet
too prospective OH my part to hope that the
next legislature may appoint committee
to fully inquire into the status of each case
here and submit their report together with
their recommendations to the powers that
be. Thus would many worthy petition
for executive clemency. at present lying
dust covered for the want of a friend, in the
pigeon holes of the Governors Secretary
be brought into the light of day. many a
darkened tlresde be made bright, many a
saddened heart made glad, many grievous
wrongs arighted, and justice seated upon
her throne by her bright, satisfied smile re-
pay the efforts of all those who brought
about this happy consummation.
lNNISFALLEN.