The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1891-10-29
for personal observations could not honestly
10 70 ho ho iC that

for personal observations could not honestly
state such to be the case. 1t is true that
there are those who have sunk so low in
the human scale that they will stOOp to any
depths of degradation to supply their Great
ure wants. Some of these do commit petty
crimes to secure the shelter of Jail or
workhouse. but it is rare thing that one
reaches the penitentiary by intent. The
Patriot editor says: Heretofore the glori
Gus good time policy for criminals has been
approved by the national prison congress"
By research through reports of proceedings
of late congresses we fail to find any such
policy outlined. or approved even by I'M.
plication. But" he continues. 1--WE take
it that the election of Joseph Nicholson. of
Detroit, Mich. as president, indicates that
it's slushy and gushy era in behalf OF prison
ers is thing of the past" All people will
be glad to know that if there has been such
an era of prison congress it has past. but
there is nothing in the records to show that
such an era has existed. Mr.. Nicholson has
the reputation of being model prison man,
man of broad human sympathies. We can
not find word in his utteranceS as presi
dent of the Wardens' association on which
to base an assertion that his views are less
liberal towards cOnvicts than those of other
wardens. His utterances are always kind,
and when he speaks of cOnvicts 1t is gener-
ally as our unfortunate, or fallen. brothers
and sisters. He declares himself in favor
of adopting ''the best means of helping our
fallen brothers and sisters" Does that read
like the sentiment of man DESTROYS of
pulling the prison back to the condition of
fifty or seventy-five years ago? We fully
agree with the editor of the Patriot when
he says 1T is a sickly sentimentalism that
endeavors to make the way of the trans.
gressOr otherwise than hard" There is too
much sentimental gush about the treatment
of prisoners. There needs to be less said
and more done for them. Make the prisons
not hells as they were not many years ago
but places of real character building. To
do this it is not necessary to cOddle the con-
Wet or abandon the idea of punishment.
Imprisonment is always punishment no
matter how luxurious the prison may be
made. but do not lend your voice to what
would lead back to the conditions of i'm
prisonment of hundred years ago. A per-
son is very safe in saying that the prisons are
not responsible to any considerable extent
TO- <Lo e Cr;,, hoe
ed nearly as rapidly in states where prisons
are conducted on the best known principles
as in states where the very worst systems
are followed. Or to refute the assertion of
ment of criminals is responsible for the in
crease of crime in some of the states,
let us make comparison. We will COM
pare. for instance, Michigan with Georgia
ment Of criminals have been practiced.
Michigan is the Patriots home and where
the editor has seen crime encouraged by
sicklY sentimentalism. Statistics say that
in 1886 Michigan had 1 convict to every
2,614 of population. In the same year
Georgia, where the extreme of cruelty has
been emphasized in the treatment of GRIM
inals. there was 1 convict to every 1, O2S of
population. OF course the great difference
is not wholly due to the different systems of
prison management. Again we repeat. the
prison arrangements are not responsible
for the increase of crime. Insanity. as we'll
as crime. is on the increase. Will any one
say that the lunatic asylums are such lux
urious homes that people go crazy to get
into them? 1t would be we'll for social re-
formers to turn their telescopes from the
penitentaries and their freights of fallen
humanity and take a look at the causes
which are producing the ever increasing
army of lunatics. paupers and criminals.
So long as there are gross evils existing in
the body Of society there will be long trains
of thieves. murderers and perjurers. pau
pers, vagabonds and lunatics marching to
the prisons, poorhouses and asylums.
| Two Mean Men.
The farmer in Southwest Missouri that
grated tomato vine to a potato vine in
| ~ no q