The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1895-06-20
rs SOCIETY RESPONSIBLE FOR
CRIME.
Its Duty Toward the Discharged
Prisoner.
Fifth P0De7'.)

The fall thou darest to despise-
May be the angels sackened hand
Has suffered it that he may rlse
And take firmer, Surer stand;
Or trusting less to earthly things,
MAY thenceforth learn to use his wings.
And Judge none lost, but wait and see
With hopeful pity, not disdain,
The depth of the abyss may be
The measure of the height OF pain,
And love, and glory, that may raise
This soul to God in after-days.
Having demonstrated in my former
papers, that society has it in its power,
both to enact laws, and enforce such
laws for the removal or control of the
four great causes of crime, which fur
nishes at least three fifths of our pris-
ON population; it now becomes my
part to show the duty of society to-
wards the prisoner, when it commences,
when it ends, and what that duty con-
sists Of. That duty commences from
tho moment of the prisoners arrest.
Ruskin says: "Charity is greater than
Justice. Yes, it is greater, it is the
summit of justice-it is the temple OF
which Justice is the foundation. But
YOU cannot have the top without the
bottom; you cannot build upon charity
You must build upon justice, for this
main reason, that you have not at first
charity to build with. 1t is the last re-
ward of good work. Do justice to- your
brother (you can do that, whether you
love him or not and you will come te
love him."
So 1 say to society, you have go
your prisoner, see that justice is done
to him. Society asks Is not justic'
done? 1 answer no, justice is not dom
him-let us see whether l am right O
not. In amendments to the constitu
ton of the United States, article VI
find the following: "In all crimina
prosecutions, the accused shall enjo
the right to have compulsory process
for obtaining witnesses in his favor
and to have the assistance of counse
in his defense. Now what are the facts
man is arrested today; he is poo
man without money or friends; what
done for him? He is sent to the count
Jail, kept there until indicted by tn
grand jury, then arraigned to plead
asked if he has an attorney? Answer
nO.sU, | have no money to employ an a
torney; then the court assigns one. Br
let us see the standing of the attOrne
usually assigned by the courts. Ioun
men who have just been admitted
practice, the shyster attorney, who
always found around the courts, reao
to take such cases, and men who a.
failures in the practice of law, bl
must be helped out in some way.
Such are the attorneys, who,
ninety nine cases out Of hundred, a
assigned to defend the prisoner witho1
means. These are the men who are
encounter the district or country &
torney, who IS selected by the peop
for his profound knowledge of law,
intellectual capacity to defend socie
against crime and wrong, and for
known shrewdness and ability in co
Quoting criminal prosecutions. VIII
Justice is shown to the prisoner, in p
ting such counsel as are assigned
the courts, against such men as a
usually elected as county attorn'
The very fact that the counties "
only pay five or ten dollars, for the
fense, shows how inefficient such cot
sci generally are. Every attorney
compelled to take case assigned b.
Judge; then why not make a roster
all attorneys practing in the courts
each district, and assign each one
his turn?
Again, compulsory attendance