The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1898-04-28

sentimentality so often manifested
towards even hardened criminals which
would too often throw down prison
bars indiscriminately and turn lose
unreformed men upon society. but it
is the result of long years of patient,
self-sacrificing research on the part of
broad minded humanitarians. Indeed.
it is the accumulated experience of
ages that is now crowding and press
ing upon lis with such force that, if
true to ourselves and true to the best
interests of the community, we can no
longer ignore. * \ *
Any semblance of vengeance in deal
ing with unfortunate human beings is
not only contrary to every principle of
ethics, but is itself criminal in the ex-
treme. 1t is continuation of the
Mosaic law, "an eye for an eye, and a
tooth for a TOOTH" in this brilliant
closing era of the nineteenth century
when the admonition of the humble
NaZerene, "Go and sin no more" is
supposed to be the watchword of the
hour. The great trouble with retrib-
utive punishment is, that it is based on
the false idea that society can be
repaid for wrong committed by in
f1icting punishment upon the evil doer
somewhat commensurate with the
wrong committed, which idea ulti-
mately leads to the demand for execu-
tiOn, Punishment or continued impris-
onment without hope of relief for
grave offenses when the fact is, this
does not amend the wrong in the least,
repay society farthing or have but
little if any deterrent effect on others,
and when in reality the greatest COM
pensation to society would be the
reformation of the criminal, the reha-
bilitatiOn of the citizen, and the max
ing of him "a man." the noblest work
of God. With this idea uppermost in
our minds the culprit is treated more
as a criminal than as prisoner, and
his Imprisonment is more commen-
surate with his criminal tendencies
than with the single crime committed
For this may be much worse or much
less than the criminal tendencies of
man. X X
The system of conditional release, by
parole and indeterminate sentence, is
in successful operation in Massachu.
setts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Y ork
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, South
Dakota and many other states, some of
which have constitutional provisions
similar to ours, and no state has ever
abandoned either when once adopted
They are both improvements on the
"Ticket of Leave" Or conditional re-
lease system of England which has
been in successful operation, with
frequent improvements since the sus.
pension of the transportation system
by Gladstone in 1847.
"The great thing is to compel the
prisoner to struggle out; to make him
feel that the date of his discharge
depends upon himself and upon NO
other person, not upon the Warden
nor upon the Managers, not even upon
the Governor; that nobody can help
him, in any way, except by aiding him
to gain command of himself" To
better aid him in this uplifting process
the atmosphere of the prison should be
absolutely pure and thoroughly refined
Everything in and about the prison
should be such as to strengthen every
effort of the prisoner to throw off any
natural or acquired shortcomings, and
to enable him to retain every inch OF
vantage ground he may gain. 4
1t does not matter so much what a
man has done as what he is, and what
under the circumstances, will help him
to get command of himself, and enter
on the high road of his own reconstruc.
tion. All officers, from the highest to
the lowest, should show to the prisoner
that they are friends, and are in full
sympathy with him in his efforts to
reform. While no morbid sentimen.
tality should be manifested anywhere
yet firmness of purpose and sympathy
! for the unfortunate should be fell