The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1895-10-17

degenerates and criminals multiply
Environment may be considered under
the heads: First, the home. The slack
ness Of home government, the lack of
home training, is potent factor in the
outside the scope of this paper, and so
we dismiss it with this remark.
Strong drink is another cause of
crime. Just what proportion of Grim
inaIs are such because of strong drink,
is impossible to say. For one of our
American prisons the estimate is 9S
per cent. For another, 81 per cent.
For another, - per cent | am fire.
quently asked, if it. is not a fact that at
least IS per cent. of the men in our
Minnesota State Prison, are not there
purely through liquor. | am confident
these estimates aretoo high. 1t is the
easiest thing in the world to make a
mistake here. In the first place, there
is always good deal of sympathy for
the one who commits crime while in
toxicated. Men know this and take
advantage of it. In the second place,
while sober, but lack the nerve to exc
cute it, and SO drink to get the nerve.
And lastly, most crimes emanate from
drinking places, and therefore people
Jump to the conclusion that liquor is
the cause of the crimes. From my own
observation, l doubt very much
whether drink is the actual primal
cause of twenty-five per cent. or even
twenty per cent. OF crimes committed
l emphasize this thought, because
| believe that here, a good many
of our reforms and refOrmers, have
been switched off the track. The
cry is stop drink, stop selling, and the
impression seems to be, that that will
make us all saints. Now, believe
thoroughly in prohibition and total
abstinence; but the remedy lies pri-
marily not there, Socially, the most
productive cause of crime lies back of
drink; yes is itself the chief cause of
drunkenness.
The great body of criminals come
from the cities, great and small. What
now is the social environment of the
majority of the young men in the city
Whatopportunitiesf forp pleasure, amuse-
ment, cialintercourse in any form
| have in mind city of about 100000.
For order, morality and intelligence, it
is above the average of American
cities. In this city are something like
10000 young men, without other homes
than hotels or boarding houses. They
have room probably Sx1O. Through
the day they work in stores, Offices
shops and mills; most of them belong
ing to the common laboring class
When the days work is over, where
can they go for an evenings recrea.
ton? Where can they meet their
friends for a social chat or entertain
ment? They have no home, with the
purifying influencegOf mother and sis
ter. Where now can they go? 1t is
not in the nature Of young men. it is
not in human nature, to sit shut up ir
room Sx1O, often with no stove in the
winter. Now, the only doors that are
open, and invite these young men tC
: enter, are the saloons, the gambling
hall, the low variety theater, (they can
: not afford the high opera,) and tht
brothel Every other place is closed
And for any amusement or social in
tercourse, they are driven of necessit.
to these places. Here is their club. 1
/, is the only one they have or can afford
But here, too, at this club, these practi
cally pure and innocent young mel
t meet and associate with the gambler
thief, burglar. pimp, and every seal
and blotch on society. Here they be
: come familiar with vice. Here Grim
8 generates; here criminals are made
: These clubs, so-called, are the gateway
to the realms of the dead. Beyon
f them loom the dark walls of the peni
: tentiary; and broad highway leadet
). thereto, and many there be that go i
t thereat. Right here is thought fo
/ our churches. We build our houses Q
r worship with tall steeples, reaching u