The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1894-08-30

Statistics prove that Al per cent, of
all convicts have drunken parents.
Tolstoi claims that alcohol is accounta-
BILE for 80 per cent, of crime and that,
one-half the fallen women owe their
condition to wines and liquors. Still
water Messenger.
1t costs nothing to be cheerful and
make others cheerful. Many of the
wrecks along the pathway of life would
have been prevented had some one
stopped for moment to offer some
word of cheer to lend a helping hand,
steady the weary and tottering frame
or to have even contributed some small
portion from the store house of plenty.
st. Peter Herald.
A popular young man was brought
before a justice in Natal charged with
the offence of kissing young lady "by
force and against her will The young
lady, who was very handsome, gave her
testimony in a modest and straight
forward manner. after which the judge
gave the following decision: "The
court in this case sympathizes with the
defendant, and will therefore discharge
him without fine, imprisonment, or rep
rimand, because the court, whilst this
case has been in progress, has been
obliged to hold on to both arms of his
chair in order to keep from kissing
complainant himself" -FarmingtOn,
(Me.,) Independent.
There is law extant in Minnesota,
which is a most perniciOus piece of
legislation. 1t is the act making those
not paying their clearinghouse and
hotel bills liable to arrest and impris-
Onment. One of the features of the
laws of England century ago. which
the founders of this government took
pains to guard against. was the liabili-
ty of persons to Imprisonment for debt.
Hotel and clearinghouse keepers are
very worthy class, from a business
stand point, and are entitled to great
consideration at the hands OF the pub
lie, but why this class should have the
aid of the machinery of our criminal
law in collecting debts any more than
merchant, doctor or blacksmith is
hard to comprehend, 1t is the opinion
of many good lawyers that the act is in
violation of the constitution of the
state of Minnesota, and is class legisla-
ton. We do not wish to be understood
as being an opponent to these institu-
tions in any way, but we do not think
man ought to be imprisoned for debt
If we are going to revive that old Eng
lish policy, then let us make it univer-
sal, and give the poor editor and others
chance to collect their debts. We
have several delinquent subscribers
whom we could commence On.-The
Gimlet.
, Some phianthropists take more
pride in lifting man from the gutter
than in helping him across it.-PRIsON
MIRROR.
The above lines are so true that they
are worthy place alongside the say
> ings of the wisest writer's. A good
man lifts his fellow man out from the
gutter. 1t is noble act, and he knows
:, it. and the world knows it, and he
4 knows the world knows it and ap-
l plauds it, and the human nature that
= is in him and the selfishness that al
ways finds an abiding place in his
heart puffs him up and eXaltS him.
= But the man who helps his fellow
Il across the gutter before he falls into it,
the world doesn't see it; perhaps the
. :, man he helps over don't know it, but
it is a noble act too. There are thOus-
ands of opportunities for helping men
! over the gutter. A little timely as,
: sistance, few kind words day by day,
T. placing yourself in sympathy with his
troubles and hardships, giving him
words of encouragement, words OF
u cheer, in these and hundreds of other
ways men are helped over the gutter
who would fall in if left to themselves
y Help men out of the gutter when you
/. can but never let the opportunity pass
1T by to help men over the gutter Blue
Earth City Post.
u,uuNu1xy nAVS EIhEP THIRTY