The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1891-08-27
attempt to put it doing such work as it
never was intended for.

attempt to put it doing such work as it
never was intended for.
Sometimes we see an engine brought into
the shop that is in itself all right, barring
little overhauling and being refined, but
upon examination the boiler is found to be
so far gone as to be condemned as unsafe
and is consigned to the scrap pile. This.
however. is seldom the case. and it has
frequently happened that the boiler is safe
if it is only repaired as it needs to be. al
though an experienced engineer sometimes
fails to see it in that light Or perhaps the
Company does not think it will pay to go to
the trouble and expense of fixing it up be.
cause it would necessitate an expenditure
of labor and material that in their eStma-
tiOn would cut down the profits realized to
minimum so small as to be of no object to
them. Their judgment in matters of this
kind is solely their own to exercise as they
see fit. but it does not alter the fact that the
old boiler can be made all right if they see
fit to do the work. The question is simply
one of dollars and cents, and not of the
availability of the boiler.
Man is simply human engine, but one
that came from the hands of a builder
whose knowledge of his mechanism has
never been fully understood by living NOR
tai. He however endowed the owner with
sufficient knowledge of the work required
and the proper care to be taken Of the COM
plicated. yet simple piece of master work
called man. We are here in the states re-
pair shop. Whether we all believe that we
needed repairing or not. is not the question;
and when l see man in such a place as
this WHO raises such question, see one
who is simply begging the real question and
striving to dodge the hard cold facts. When
you come right down to "hard pan" there
is comparatively little that the state can do
to repair your old engine. 1t can clean the
boiler of the vile sediment that has settled
there through dissipation and utter disre-
gard of the laws of nature to say nothing of
the laws of man. Our library contains
material enough to enable man to true up
his bearings. and if he is so disposed to avail
himself of the practical knowledge of the
duties required of him by society through
such books as are at his disposal, and by
the advantages to be gained by attending
our ChautauQua circle, he certainly has it
in his power to "take up'' the lost motion
that has occurred through All Improbable
life. make no exceptions to this rule and
l care not how many times prison doors
have closed behind him. although 1 do ad-
NIT that it may be more difficult task for
the man who apparently got return
pass"
AS rule, do not like to moralize for
the simple reason that l am like the philOs-
Opher (?) in the glass house and have very
few lights of glass that can afford to have
broken; but l honestly believe if we are
willing to be guided by experience instead
of our perverted ideas regarding MANS in
humanity to man." that we will recognize
the wisdom of what is the real duty to be
performed in order to regain what has been
lost. While l insist that the major part of
the work required to successfully rebuild
our individual engines devOlves upon our
selves, it is by no means to be inferred that
society in general has nothing to do in the
matter. A man who leaves this institution
or any other of a like nature has certainly
paid his debt to the state so far as his past
actions are concerned. and if he manifests
disposition by actions (not professions of
such) there should not be so much eager
ness displayed in some quarters to treat him
as some boilers are treated in the shops.
He may have record that is pretty shaky,
but it can be rebuilt if he is encouraged in a
consistent manner. But while there seems
to be an apparent feeling of skepticism on
the part of society towards an eX. convict. it
is but natural result OF the law of human
nature, and we have only to apply the
same question to ourselves and it is more
than probable we would be found occupy.
ing like position were the individuals
changed. No man living can make me be-
lieve that society will not eventually well
come truly reformed man and help him
bury the past dead. The trouble with most
of us is that we want society to do what is
contrary to human nature-to accept as a
fact something that is at present appear
ances nothing but theory.
SCRUTATOR.