The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1898-01-20

natural and lncurable criminal ought
never to be set at large to prey upon
society, any more than should the in
durable and violently insane. The Of
ficers of the prisons, are powerless in
the matter. They are Oblidged to dis.
charge the prisoner when his term has
expired. | would make conviction OF
crime, far more sure and certain than
it is today would do away with ju.
dlcial farce in criminal trials and then
change the law SO that the sentence
Will be lndeterminate; that is, the con.
vict is simply sent to prison, the au.
thorities to retain him until satisfied
that he is fully cured and is proper
person to be at large and to be trusted.
so that discharge when he obtains
one will be recommendation and a
voucher of good conduct.
There might be a commission
modification of our board of pardons-
composed as largely as possible of
those well versed in criminology and
penolOgy, to determine as to the dis
charge or parole of a prisoner. This
commission would virtually constitute
a Judge and jury-not to determine as
to guilt or innocence, as that had al.
ready been adjudicated- to de,
termlne whether, considering the case
in all its aspects, the prisoner shall be
released on parole, discharged or re-
tanned.
We send the lunatic to the hospital
for insane, not for a fixed term, the
period of detention must be deter.
mined by those thereafter having him
in charge; he may be discharged soon
or he may remain for life if the true
interests of society demand it.
In the interests of the criminal class
as well as our own protest and warn
against any weak sentimentality in
these matters; no good can result from
1t, and much harm may grow out of it.
The success of the true philanthropist
lies along the pathway of Charity, JUS
tice and Mercy, lighted by the lamp of
good solid reason and common sense.
The prison i'll our present stage of
evolution, and especially in our pres
ent state of society, is necessity; and
when occasion requires. let it be used
without hesitation, with as much free
dom even, as the insane asylum. and
Just as promptly as we send a patient
to the hospital and sever limb or per
form more serious operations to save
his life and thereby retain him as a
useful citizen. Let trial be more
speedy and conviction more sure and
certain. 1t is not the POSSIBILITY of
parole or pardon that stimulates crime.
but the great, and to the criminal,
grand possibility of NO CONVICTION
under our decidedly loose modes of
procedure.
Under the '1ndeterminate Sentence
system with the possibility of very
long term (even for life in case of an
incorrigible,) for minor offense. men
will STOP AND THINK; and if we can
get them to THINK well, most crime
will remain undOne: in some cases
from fear of the law, and in very many
cases because the better nature gets a
hearing and prevails. On the other
hand we should act with equal prompt
ness in releasing those inmates who. on
close scrutiny and thorough test, are
found to be suitable persons to turn
out to mingle with their fellowmen.
The only question should be, not who
are his friends, but, "Is this man one
who will try to do right and make
amends so far as he can for past mis-
conduct?'
Society gains nothing by keeping
such men in prison; on the contrary it
is the loser. The test, however, must
be applied by those so thoroughly COM
petent in such matters that when the
prisoner passes out a free man we may
have such confidence in the result as te
be willing to bid him
Waste no tears
Upon the blOtted record of lost years;
But turn the leaf, and smile with Joy to see
The fair white Dapoc th af Grill ron, la < <t nm 5,