The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1901-12-19

was in no way bound. to issue serum which he knew
to be poisonous; coercion used by his
superior and he at least had the option of resgning
his position. Appearances would lead to be-
ieve that through fear of losing his job he risked
sending dozen souls to their creator. 1t
is beyond comment
WHAT to do and where to 60 after being released
from prison is matter that naturally is the subject
of considerable thought with those within these
walls, and from time to time the results of the
Elections find their way into the columns of The
MIRROR. Last week a somewhat discouragng
record of personal experiences printed in which
the writer advised others in his position to shun
their former places of residence and make fresh
start in some place where their past record is
known. This is matter that cannot be settled by
rule, but must depend upon circumstances. It is
impossible to take the experience of one man,
of dozen men, criterion. Ifa man thinks he
will not get fair show in his old home If he
better opportunities elsewhere, he would be foolish
to return there; but matter where he may Locate
he need not delude himself with the idea that his
past record be hidden for long. Wherever he
goes it is pretty to follow him, providing he
remains in one place for any length of time. It is
something that has to be faced sooner later
It is needless to say that the fact of mans
having served term in prison is not calculated to
endear him to the general public, but, for all that
an honest competent workman is always in demand
It doesn't make any difference whether he has been
in prison not if he is living honestly now and has
some knowledge stored away in his head that other
men want, he will make living There are
ceptons to all rules of course but this is the rule
knowledge is power the world over, and the thing
for to do in here is to devote less time to think
e IL
that will be of benefit to us after our release It is
time enough to worry when are at liberty to act
BECAUSE three of our presidents have been as
sassinated in thirty six years. and because the laws
of some states frequently and fagrantly violated
without fear of punishment, Mrs. Clara Hoffman
recently declared in lecture that the United States
is not law-abiding country. And in an editorial
comment on her speech. prominent Chicago daily
says: eve will have to concede that we are the least
law abiding of all civilized nations"
Such assertion is far too sweeping. This
country a whole is law-abiding; some sections of
it not. In considering Mrs. Hoffmans arraign-
ment and in weighing the truth of her statements
the question of the assassination of our presidents
may fairly be put to side as irrelevant. With
the exception of Booth the assassins aliens in
every sense of the word Garfield and Mckinley
WoTo DoCduSo Cu0y were accoSSlDl0 tnan
any foreign rulers. There is country in the
world that does not harbor madmen of the
stamp of Guiteau and Czolgosz and that they found
an opportunity to wreak their madness two of
chief executives is great misfortune but it cannot
be attributed to general disregard of law and order
If the country is to blame at all for the occurrences
the blame must fall on those persons who have in
sisted that the president should not be surrounded
by bodyguard when he travels abroad.
But, on the other hand Mrs Hofman's charge
does ring true applied to sections of the
country This is because the laws must mirror the
morals of people before they will be obeyed, and
in sections this is not the case. The south
for instance is the victim of this kind of moral
cowardice It has system of morals practiced
in everyday life and apparently found satisfactory,
while it's laws are founded on somebody else's morals
and quite opposed to habits of the citizens To
be specific: In all the southern states there
statutes making lynching felony-indeed common
law does that-and these statutes supposed to
voice the sentiments of the voters the subject.
But still lynching is condoned, and lynchers are
seldom prosecuted in any of the southern states.
The conclusion is obvious Either the laws are sol
foreign to the sentiments and ethics of the people
that it is absurd to expect them to be submitted to-
or else the morals of those who make the laws are
something to be hidden from sight of the world