The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1892-03-24

available means to inform themselves
of the nature of the criminal. There can
be no better index to the thoughts and
character of any class of people than their
newspapers. Those persons are best
equipped for successful combat who have
made the most minute study of the enemy
But the criminal class and the prison re-
formers are not enemies. The criminal
looks upon the prison reformer as friend
anxious for his reclamation as well as for
the protection of the community from the
depredations of criminals. On the other
hand the prison reformer looks upon the
criminal as the unfortunate offspring of a
demOralized condition of society, and seeks
to remedy this condition by reforming the
prison system. Therefore the interest of
one class is the interest of both. The
sympathy of the criminal is naturally with
the reformer in his efforts to better his (the
criminaps) condition. But it cannot be said
that the sympathy of many of the eminent
advocates of reform are with the efforts of
the criminal to aid in the work of his own
redemption.
To return to the prison newspaper, if it
does not exert an elevating influence upon
those for whom and by whom it is pub.
lished then the morally pure and we'll con.
Quoted newspaper does not exert a civ.
ilizing influence upon society in general.
The prison press is positive good or it is
positive evil. therefore it merits the public
approval or the condemnation of those gen.
tlemen who teach the people the right and
the wrong of the methods of the treatment
of criminals While it is not pretended that
the eminent reformers would be greatly in.
structed for their work by studying the
pages of humble prison journals yet it does
seem that it would be in accord with their
philanthropic work to lend the prison press
the help of their open approval at least.
We do not say this because the prison paper
is in need of the financial assistance that
would come to it from such advertising
(the non professional reformers have sup
ported the prison papers-this one at least),
but simply to show how different the re-
suits are from what one would have natur-
ally expected. The refOrmers to which our
observations refer mostly are those who
may be called hobby riders. the men who
do most OF the talking and writing. They
are excellent gentleman. and say many
substantial things on their favOrite subject,
but they labor under the same disadvantage
that the man would who should undertake
to describe the habits. characteristics and
the proper way of managing horse with.
out ever having seen such an animal. They
do not know the criminal animal and, what
is more. they do not intend to get on init
mate terms with him. However, it must
not be imagined that the prison newspaper
is without its friends and supporters among
prominent prison reformers. These are
usually the ones who work constantly but
silently. We mean the wardens, superin.
tendents and chaplains of prisons who live
among the criminals. These are the men
who one after another take steps forward.
One opens school. another goes a step
further and permits the prisoners to organ
| lie literary or some OIner KIM OF NUT
ual aid society. another ventures to allow
his wards to start newspaper; and so grad
ually the prisons of the country are being
changed from places where mems minds are
dwarfed and their souls imbttered forever
against their fellowmen to houses of deten-
ton where defects of character and educa-
ton are repaired and the dormant good
brought out and developed. These reform.
ers have realized that the best way to get
the devils out of men is to crowd them out.
The other class stand aloof to approve or
condemn, as the results may be. without
sharing the responsibilities of the adventure
Yet they mean we'll and do more good than
harm. but they haven't much use for the
prison newspaper.