The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1896-10-22
orv since tho DAYS of st. Paul.

tory since tho days of st. Paul.
He died of ship fever, Jan. Goth 1850,
in hospital at Kerson, in Russia, up
on the shores of the Black Sea, where
he had gone upon tour of inspection.
In the preface of his book upon for
eign prisons and hospitals, in which
he announced his intention to make
the journey during which he came to
his death, he said, SHOULD it please
God to cut off my life in the prosecu-
ton of this design, let not my conduct
be imputed to rashness nor enthusiasm,
but to serious conviction that l am
pursuing the path of duty
BY the revelation made by Howard
of the condition Of prisons and hos
pitfalls in Europe, other men were in
cited to activity in many countries;
and the result has been more or less of
progress in prison management in all
Christian nations.
The old doctrine of retaliation, with
its requirements of an eye for an eye
and tooth for tooth, is not tenable
under the Christian dispensation; and
experience has shown that it is not ef-
fective in attaining the only end proper
to be aimed at by any form of impris-
onment, namely, the protection of So
ciety.
Under the beginning of the present
century, Difference alone seems to have
been considered by legislators in deal
ing with persons convicted of crime;
and they took it for granted that the
deterrent influence of punishment
would be in proportion to it's severity.
Even now, with a majority of people,
this seems to be the dominant idea.
This conception, however, has long
since been proved fallacy.
In England, this doctrine of deter
renee by severity was carried out until
the death penalty was inflicted for
stealing sheep. Even as late as the
time of Blackstone, only century ago,
one hundred and sixty offenses were
punishable with death, and hangings
were daily spectacles at almost every
crossroads. The results, however,
were the reverse of what was expected;
the crime steadily increased. At last,
, under the stimulus of John Towards
heroic life and death, it began to dawn
upon the governing classes of England
that the religion they professed, and
had established by the State, taught a
different system for dealing with the
criminal classes, and had actually an
nounced that kindness to the lowly and
mercy to prisoners would always be the
browning sign OF the presence OF its
t Founder upon the earth.
"The spirit of the Lord is upon me-
5 because the Lord hath anointed me to
preach good tidings unto the meek
7 He hath sent me to bind up the broken
l hearted, to proclaim liberty to the cap
3 tives, and the opening of the prisons tc
!, them that are bound" And thereupon
y slowly, but surely and steadily an6
S continuously, the old system based up
: on the halter, the lash, and the dun
t geon, was abolished; and in it's place
e came the Christian conception of thu
: brotherhood of men, recognizing tina
i even criminals are children of a com
mon Father, and that the State, in thu
- place of a parent, should train an(
Il discipline, but not destroy, the errins
i members of the family intrusted to it,
=, care.
u The result has been that now, no
only in England, but in all enlightened
countries, the death penalty is limited
Il to such offences as treason and murder
g and physical fortunes, of all kinds
l. have been almost entirely abandoned
&c In their place have come imprison
y ment. with classification, productiv
II labor, industrial training, and variou
> other appliances and methods for tn
u reconstruction and reformation of tn
Il prisoner, so that upon his discharge h
v shall be law-abiding citizen, an
% shall earn an honest living by homes
industry.
~ So everywhere, where these method
- have been fully and fairly tested, Grim
% has decreased, and society in all re
~ spects has been largely benefited. De
10 terrence has not been weakened, bu
III reformation has been largely increased
~ THE FAMILIES OF PRISONERS.
!" REV. FRANK RUSSELL of Cleveland, Ohio
a found a mother, once an educated
e. proud and happy wife. When he
1e husband had gone to the penitentiar.
t.. she came with her three children to