The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1900-10-18

who believe that the primary object of
confinement is punishment for wrong
doing; nothing mOre-nothing less.
Reformation may be an incident of
this punishment, but an incident only.
Punishment is the essential feature, to
be so indelibly impressed on the pris-
oner that the mere memory of it will
be powerful deterrent against future
crime. They ably argue that the fear
of punishment stimulates to greater
efforts than the hope of reward, par
ticularly in the type of men who go to
make up the general class Of criminals.
They are not advocates of cruelty, but
they cannot be charged with any pre-
disposition toward leniency. If the
criminal is not at once amepable to
reasonable restraint, they would not
hesitate to lay upon him the strong
hand of corporal punishment, claiming
that some natures can only be con-
trolled through fear of bodily pain:
that whatever the teaching of modern
civilization, it has not demonstrated
the inutility of the whipping post as
punishment for certain offences.
Another class believes that, in ma
jority of instances, conviction for crime
carries with it instant repentance and
a resolution to lead better life. The
Immediate liberation of the prisoner is
perhaps, not possible, but the belief
remains unshaken that reformation is
Well-nigh an accomplished fact. A
conspicuous adjunct to this class is
often in evidence with roses for notori-
Gus desperadoes, and cake, jelly and
fruit for the perpetrators of peculiarly
atrOcious crimes.
Occupying middle ground between
these two classes neither of which is
wholly right nor wholly wrong, si a
third. Choosing from the practices
and beliefs of both; rejecting much,
accepting much; they are the true
eclectics and to their intelligent and
persevering efforts often in the face of
great physical difficulties, and at times
well-nigh overwhelmed with a hurri-
cane OF adverse public sentiment, IS
due the prison system of today as we
recognize it in its best type and most
civilized development. To them the
purpose of the modern prison is two
fold; first, as a place of restraint for
those whose liberty is dangerous to the
recognized rights of society, and Sec
ond, as an institution where character
may be strengthened, where the mind
may be improved, where the evil in
fluences of former associations may at
least be partially eradicated, and where
the unfortunate may have some prepa-
ration calculated to help him when he
is called upon to again take up for
himself the battle of life. The so-called
liberality of opinion of this class of
prison reformers is often misunder-
stood by the prisoners under their
charge, but not so often as by the pub
lie at large. To my inexperienced OBJ
servation the far greater class of Of
tenders against the law are not those
who by nature are criminals. Men in
prison and out of prison are pretty
much the same the world over. Stand
on the corner of any great thorough
fare, stop the first five hundred men
who come along and venture to say
they would not differ to any marked
degree from the present population of
our state prison. Clothe them in pris-
on garb, accustOm them for week or
more to prison surroundings and they
would not differ materially in appear
ance from the prisoners under my
charge. l am not believer in the the