The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1893-11-23

have proven most incOrrigible: others
have fled in terror from the prison walls
when released, never to return. And
yet others have so benefited by expert
ence as to slip through the peculiar
meSheS of preliminary courts and exam
nations, but all such have finally fallen.
However, we must all admit that the
fear and terror, inspired by jails and
prisons is widespread among the com
munity. Who can tell what salutary
effect this fear and dread may have
proven to the merchant, banker, lawyer
or trustee trembling on the verge Of
bankruptcy or insolvency; and if per-
chance one of these latter ''play himself
OverbOard' and embeZZleS the funds en-
trusted to him, how quickly he HES
himself away seeking safe asylum
even if in the antipOdeS, who can doubt
the terror and fear that inspired his
flight. r.
Honesty is undoubtedly the best poll
cy; but in this advanced age l am be-
ginning to Believe that with but few
exceptions. man has his price. Upon
the position he holds in society and the
prominence he has obtained by adher-
ing to life of integrity, depends that
price. Through his knowledge of law,
cunningneSS, or political standing he
may escape the stone walls, but the dis
honesty is there just the same. To look
over the records of crime in the past
proves that man will succumb to temp
tation no matter how high he stands or
wealthy he may be. What then must
the temptation be to the poor who have
none of the rich mans possessions? But
1t is Well-knOWn that, with few eXcep-
tiOns, the poor only suffer; the larger
the crime the less chance of punishment.
FOur-tifthS Of our prison population
are doing years of penance for less than
one hundred dollars. and much of that
through liquor or ignorance of the law.
[ could undoubtedly find thousands to-
day who would willingly be confined for
one thousand per year. 1t is not the
fear of punishment that prevents crime
50 much as the small gain. Liberty is
a great boon but wealth will cOmpen-
safe for the time lost. Divine law is a
greater preventative than human law.
BRIGHAM.
Xxx
UC pCIOOll
clined who obey the law through fear
of punishment, but the number who do
so is very small. A law that terrifies
cannot command respect, that is a per-
son cannot respect law that he obeys
only through terror. Such a person is
as poison to those with whom he comes
in contact, and detrimental to the ad-
vancement of purity. can easily con-
ceive that from this class of people
come those who are called anarchists.
AS there is nothing to fear from the
law for crime until crime is COM
mitted, it certainly fails in that respect
to prevent crime. And even if it were
possible to impress great fear of pun
ishment on evil-doers before the act
had transpired. it would only tend to
make them more cunning or more des-
perate as the case might be. 1t would
be cowardly indeed for anyone to say
or think that the great mass of people
who abide by the law do so only from
fear of the punishment that the law
imposes on crime for such is not the
case. They recognize the law as pro-
tector not as an oppressOr and in so
doing some unknOwingly endorse the
great command of Christ, "Thou shall
love thy neighbor as thyself' Men
must be taught to love the law as a
protector of their rights and the only
sure way is with the help of God.
SPEs.