The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1892-08-18
Pertinent of The Times.

Inc 1unny paper SOmeClmoS says
things that are not to be laughed at.
We do not remember to have seen any
where better picture of the American
people than that drawn by the editor
of Puck. 1t is true that he delineates
only the worst features of the people,
but this is because his purpose is to
call attention to those ugly aspects
which the people have lost sight of in
their fervor of self laudatiOn. His sketch
was inspired by the present disturbed
state of affairs growing out of the
trouble at Homestead, Pa, but it covers
wider field than that, it embraces
many other disagreeable things. We.
copy the following portion which it
would be well for every one to make
note of:
There has been too much worship
ping of wealth for wealth's sake in this
cOuntry-tOO much willingness to bow
down and worship a man because he is
smart enough to pile up millions, with
out inquiring whether he has piled them
up fairly or justly or honestly or de-
mean and brutal plutOcrats, who have
| When the public takes an interest in
quarrel like this it has right to know
whether the man who is reducing the
wages is a just man in his business. or
only rich tyrant.
| There has been too much nOnsensica1
coddling Of the honest working man.
Other men are honest besides the work
ing-man, and he is frequently as horny
headed as he is horny handed. He
seems to have got a notion that there
is something particularly holy about
him because he works with his hands,;
and that he is somehow better than
butcher or boOkkeeper or minister
of the gospel or dry-goods merchant;
and that he can defy the law when he
feels like it. This rubbish ought to be
knocked out of him before society at
tends to any more of his requests.
There has been too much paltering
with these rascally anarchists. Free
speech is good thing and free press
is good thing; but melting to murder
and violence and incendiarism isn't
freedom. 1t is crime-and it is folly to
allow it.
There has been too much indulgence
of that American nuisance-the Crank.
The crank is neither an imbecile nor a
maniac: he is man who can control
his eXtravaganceS and eccentricitieS,
and who 1OiW control them if he knows
that people will not tolerate his fOolery.
Ii he knows that as soon as he shows
himself crank he will lose his job, and
put himself in danger of government
restraint, he will keep himself straight.
UvQ
him crank and smiling cOntemptu-
Ously at his vagaries, he will go on in
dulging his cravings for nOtOriety until
he kills someone. Don't laugh at the
crank. He's no joke. Make him un-
derStand it.
There has been too much loose, in
competent, ignorant criticism of con-
| stituted authority. We may put it
down for a pretty safe rule that, in nine
cases out of ten, a man who has earned
authority knows better how to exercise
it than private citizen who is willing
to take the job of instructing him. The
captain on the seattle officer in the
fields and must be, law unto him
self. His authority should be complete
and unquestionable, if it is to meet the
measure of his responsibility. The
thought of disObedience to his orders is
a sin; actual diSObedience, in word or
deed, is crime for which death is not
too severe a penalty. That is the
cornerstone of martial law and of the
law of the high seas all the world over,
wherever men are worth their salt.
That law is hard but it is hard on the
one for the safety of the many: and it
ought to be religiOusly respected.
There has been too much willingness
to listen to a class of people whose
blood bOils with Indignation when they
see policeman clubbing drunken
tough; and who manage to keep as cool
as water-butt on north corner when
that same tough assists six others in
hammering "scab" workman with
paving. stones. They are very nice peo-
pie, and they can beat the record writ
ing letters to newspapers; but you will
find, if one of them gets knocked down
by highwayman, that he wants to
have that particular highwayman boiled
in OIL
1t can hurt none of us to remember
these things Oftener than we do. Per-
haps we can sum up the most of our
duty in setting down Law and Order as
the first great good of the whole peo-