The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1893-11-23
SALTWATER, MINNESOTA NOVEMBER sst%S%n

SALTWATER, MINNESO
in the heart man would not commit
crime: for the very nature of that god
| ly fear would have such restraining
influence upon his heart and life that
he would shun all crime If men be-
| lieved that it is God who Furnishes crime,
and that the execution of just and hui
man laws are but the fulfilment of his
wise purpose, they would cease from
crime, and earth would be paradise.
A. B. NJ
If there is any fear attached to the
crime before it's cOmmittal it is not be-
cause of the punishment but because of
the detection and its effect upon some
one still loved and loving, whose heart
will be wrung by the act. The calcul-
ating criminal is a gambler. Detection
and punishment are to him the loss of
his stake-his liberty. If fear had any
deterrent effect, men would not return
to prison through again committing
crime. The average man is above fear
and often takes to crime as vocation
because it mas a stimulating spice Of
danger to it. Fear has but little infu-
ence on man, and in my estimation
crime can only be checked or prevented
by the excess of good over evil in each
mans mind. To the evil hearted, crime
will come in thought always, in deed,
! just as soon as it is eXpedient. To my
mind, you must touch lOftier chord
than fear in the human soul to deter
crime. j. B.
For fear to serve as a deterrent it is
first necessary to reduce the subject to
state, not only of moral. but physical
cOwardice. These two unnatural ele-
mentS of our nature go hand-in- hand;
they form natural and inSeparable
brotherhood, and neither can exist with
out the other. TO compel a man to
obey the law through enforced fear, is
simply to reduce him to a state of weak
humiliation, thus dethroning him from
the most elevating instincts of his man.
hood, and inStilling into his soul a hat
red toward the cause Of his humilia-
ton. Such course may hold him in
check, possibly, for time, but sooner
or later the hated and CALLING bonds
will be broken aSunder, and pent up
wrath, will burst forth with vindictive-
ness. Fear has never made a man bet
ter, truer or nObler; it has never brought
to light single redeeming trait of true
manly character. That which a man
fears he neither hOnOrs nor respects; to
honor and respect the law, is the only
time deterrent of crime.
SERRGA EITTIM.
1t certainly does to a great extent.
But not altogether. One can read of
case after case where crime was COM
mitted with fearless hand, in the heat
of passion where no thought was taken
of the consequences. Again we see
crime committed in open defiance of
for it's commission, but merely to Satis-
fly some criminal desire which rankles
in the bosom of so many, who are never
satisfied unless run from city to city
by the ever vigilant police. These
would seem to seek nOtOriety through
the columns of the press. But fear is
certainly great deterrent to crime.
Increase this fear by more stringent
laws and there will be less crime and
criminals. Construct this system of
laws so that rich and poor must suffer
alike and crime will be on the decrease.
For every one rich man committing and
escaping the consequence of crime,
two poor men must suffer the penalty
as an offset. Take away law and order
and you remove fear; then the world
will become Stygian waste indeed.
FARMER.
In the good old days when might
was right and the strong arm ruled
supreme, when fOrgers, murderers,
thieves and wife-beaters were hung to
the first limb, crime was as rampant in
the land as it is to-day. No man is de-
tered from the commission of a theft
by the terrors of imprisonment or pun
ishment when necessity urges, or the
chance of detection is reduced to min
imum. Some who have 'done their bit