The mirror., 1894-06-28
PAROLE.
Its Advantages and Requirements.

Its Advantages and REQ QuirementS.
1t seems to me that the admirable
qualities of the parole system are not
thoroughly understood by the prisoners
in this place, or the public at large. To.
begin with, one released on parole is
prisoner, still bearing all the disabili-
ties of his term of Imprisonment eX-
cept that of being under constant
watch and word. He is one, whose con-
duct has been such as to give every
reason to suppose that he can continue
to exercise that self-control without
watching, which he had done whilst
under guard. He is therefore allowed
the advantage of being able to earn all
he can for himself instead of the legal
daily pay within the walls. This alone,
it would seem to me, is so great boon
that a month or even week of parole
is so much clear gain in dollars and
cents. He who talks about not accept
ing parole within three or four months
of his discharge on good time, must
either fear his own will power and
dread the results of a probable relapse
into evil or must not fully appreciate
the value of liberty and the honestly
earned dollar. What are the require
ments for obtaining parole? First
that half the sentence shall be served
a fair proposition. Secondly, that a
man shall have been in the first grade
continuously for six months last past
what can be fairer ii a man can not
control himself within the loss of
two marks a month, where the de-
mands of duty are ever before him, he
could not reasonably be expected to
control himself where there was no
supervision. Thirdly, that he have
labor at living wages to occupy him
self with. What possible objection
can sane man find to this? Most of
us are here because we did not have
any steady employment, and SO worked
out the old adage that Satan finds
some mischief still for idle hands to
do" Nothing is so destructive of
principle, character, manliness and
} honesty as idleness. Few men could
afford to go from prison to loafing, or
hunting for work with any great hope
of keeping out of the ruts and sloughs.
Fourthly, that he must report to the
prison authorities in writing, counter
signed by his employer, his earnings
and their disposition. What possible
lighter chain could man carry? No
man. but he who employees him, need
know. or does know that he is convict
at large; yet does any man suppose
that he can for ever hide the fact that
by crime he has had to serve the state
. behind bars? It was only the other
, dav read of a man who had gone into
= new place, and achieved success in
; an honest calling for some II or 10
i years: at last was discovered and to be
q crushed by society. And why crushed?
\ Because society was agrieved insulted,
- tricked by harboring man under false
pretenseS Let man go out of this, prl
f son with this idea full in view, II am
, marked man; can not hide the brand;
= I must wear it out; l must live down
- the past" Let him follow the gam
7. blers rule and go win back his character
l. where he lost it. The worse scoundrel
It he has been in the past. the better will
each step forward and upward be re-
: ceived by those whose good word and
II will are worth having. The man whose
d purpose to new life is fixed, will have
It a pride in fighting the devil on the old
4 stamping ground, and each victory
~ will be the sweeter that it is in view of
l. those who knew him but in defeat.
% The sooner then the conflict is begun,
q the sooner the victory Do not shrink
. from your disgrace, but meet it boldly.
=" Every day will add little to the testi-
y mony against II was" and in behalf of
st "I am" Life is short enough at best
le for such achievements; why then waste
y precious days nursing vain delusions
e. DO not fool yourself with the sophistry
S. that the world owes you living. It
l. does not. When all mankind, or a
lp goodly majority thereof has come to
le acknowledge in precept and practice
ut Christ's law of neighborly love, then
to he who has done, and continues to dc
a that which is perfectly right, may have
to nay will have, right to living. But
CO as long as self is tbs first and only OBJ
Id ject in life, the law of selfishness must
in and will govern. Toe the mark anc
scratch. K. f.