The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1900-03-29
FALSE STANDARDS.
Written for The Prison Mirror.

Written for The Prison Mirror.
Upon being asked by one interested
in prison reform in general, for such
facts in my possession regarding jails,
prisons, etc., as would be of service in
his work, L found myself obliged to
say, that, while had no doubt there
was much room FOR improvement,
still, the only jails with which I had
had any actual experience were, inso-
far as l could understand the require
ments of a Jail, good jails; and that as
didn't expect ever again to have any
direct use for jail or prison [ didn't
care particularly whether they were
improved or not. So have but little
to say about them; and while it is
good thing to have good ones, since
we must have them at all, it is an in
finitely better thing not to have need
OF them. However much they may be
improved, aired, lighted, fitted with
libraries and systematically conducted,
they still continue to be jails just the
same and the man inside continues to
be prisoner.
That which will never cease to be
subject for deep study and thought, is
the wrong conditions of my fellow
man which are the causes of crime and
makes these things necessary.
Understand me-when say the con-
ditions are wrong l don't mean only
that certain class of people live in
too filthy tenements, or that certain
class of laborers get too little for their
labor, or that certain set of capital
lists are taking more than their share
of the profits of the railway company
or the tramway company or the fac
tory. l mean, rather, that the standard
of excellence is in most cases a false
one.
The number of dollars a man pos
sesses may be the measure of his busi-
ness ability; but any honest man must
admit that it is not true measure of
that which is highest and best in man.
kind. Many of the leading journals of
the day are filled with information
about show to succeed in life" and
with illustrious examples of "suc-
cesses." In these accounts, success
means to become good or wise, kind,
gentle or patient. It means to become
like, or as near like as may be, to a
Frick, Carnegie, Gould, Have
meyer, Rockefeller, Sage or an
Astor, all of whom may be very good
men, but who stand in the peoples eye
for just so many boys of gold; and any
young man who starts out in life with
no other aim than to become such. has
a most narrow view and sordid pur.
pose.
Two boys start to work in factory.
One finds the work sweet and COM
panionable. He puts into it all his
loving faith and trust. The ponderous
bars of iron are transformed at his
touch into shapes of usefulness and
beauty. In twenty-five years he may
get twenty dollars per month.
The other "has an eye to business"
Perhaps he notes monthly shortage
of funds among many of his comrades
and loans them money at interest. In
twenty-five years he owns the factory
and WAKES fat upon the labor of the
hundreds.
This would not be so bad of it's self,
but that the world thereupon claps it's
hands and shouts: "Oh behold the
wonderful man! How splendidly sue
cessful! What an iIlustrious exampleI"
His companion, and equal at the
start, who has given more real service
to the world, finds himself unequal in
those things which have always been
considered the rewards of personal
effort. Is it surprising that there is
within him the sense of personal in
justice?
/ have known simple people to do