The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1895-10-03


encouraged and urged, and sometimes
possibly constrained, to do all the work
of the paper, SO far as it is practicable
that they should do so.
THIRD. The prison paper should be
adapted to the age, rank, condition,
circumstances. and prospects of the
prisoners in that particular prison
where it is printed.
prison allowed of it's being done
economically, our impression is strong
ly in favor of an illustrated paper
FIFTH. A prison paper should have,
we think, if possible, genuine paid
circulation. A large prison should
naturally have, we think, enough
friends outside, including parents of
prisoners, who might feel disposed to
pay for it, to maintain genuine circu
lation. But failing in that, the prison
paper should not claim to be what it is
not, nor claim the privileges of second
class matter in the mails.
SIXTH. A model prison newspaper
is far more than simply a reprint of
selected matter, however excellent.
The purpose of prison paper is not
simply to reprint reading matter, or to
keep the prison printers busy, or to
have weekly card to send out in the
name of the prison.
SEVENTH. A prison paper should
present and discuss, as far as need be,
the news of the day. A prisoner who
reads the prison paper very long, should
find himself, when he. goes out, very
we'll posted upon public matters. He
should not only know something about
events of large significance and of
general interest that have happened,
but also he should know the nature
and the bearing of them. This can all
be presented in prison paper sufi-
GENTLY to give every prisoner who
reads it considerable knowledge of
the progress of the world.
EIGHTH. We believe that prison
paper should have personality about
it, the same as any other paper. 1t
should represent distinctly the spirit
of the institution. The same spirit,
reforming, vitalizing, educating, SYM
pathetic, that is breathing all through
the prison should especially breathe
through the prison paper.
NINTH. A prison paper should be
strictly non partisan in politics, and
scrupulously impartial as between the
denominations in religion.
TENTH. AS respects the purity of
its purpose and the thoroughness of its
work, a prison paper should be one of
| the best papers in the world.
These are few points that have &C.
Cured to u.s. We cannot close this
article without renewedly conveying
our compliments and assurance of our
high appreciation to many prison pa
pers that come to our table every week,
cellent points about them. We are
very grateful to them for all the ex-
cellent suggestions we have obtained
from them, which are many, and we
only wish we might be able to give
back little of such assistance by any
word we can Offer
1t is great deal easier to say how a
thing should be done than it is to exc
cute the work The lines followed by
THE PRISON MIRROR are consonant
with the second, fifth, sixth and ninth
suggestions in the above paper, but to
make a model institution paper re-
quires the same ability, perhaps more,
than it does to make first class weekly
paper on the outside. Hence, it re-
quires someone at the helm of the in
stitutiOn paper who has a literary
education and some practical knowl-
edge of newspaper work that will en-
able him to direct the work of the of
flee in an intelligent and economical
manner If it is conceded that these
qualifications are essential in an editor
OF prison paper, can you always de-
pend, in prison containing from
three to five hundred inmates, on find
ing man who is capable, and willing
to accept the responsibility of the po-
sition? The writer, whose entire time
spent at school was less than year
and whose knowledge of the printing
trade is only such as could be acquired
working a few months at the case in
The MIRROR composing room, is
surely not the one that could be ex
pected to make such paper as de-
; scribed above.
We have been an inmate of this
prison from the first issue of THE MIR
RoR, and have always had deep in
, terest in the success of the paper; but
we have come to the conclusion, baseC
upon past experience, that an officer OF
i, tho ,,ricop inctoo6 Of convict is the