The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1906-05-17

extra food once week from the earn
ings he is allowed to spend. 1t may
cause considerable surprise to learn,
that in most French, Spanish and Italian
prisons, the inmates are permitted to
purchase q one-half bottle of light claret,
or white wine, ON Sundays only;, while
in Austria they may purchase, at their
own option, either one-halfliter of wine.
or one liter of beer, also ON SUNDAYS o,aly.
AS nothing is said of such thing of
any of the other countries, we may de-
duct that it is not allowed there.
The report made by the German
delegates is very voluminOus; but it
deals more with the criminal while
awaiting trial, than when in prison.
The care taken in that country to
place the rich evil doer on exactly the
same level as the very poorest, deserves
special praise. Unless a man is ac-
cused of very serious crime. or
unless there is reasonable suspicion
that he will flee from the country, he
is not placed in Jail pending his trial,
but is permitted to remain at his home
and work until summoned. Even af-
ter conviction, he can postpone the
serving of his term for weeks or
months, if he can give a good excuse
for so doing. That this does not re-
fer to sentences exceeding eighteen
months, is self-evident. Money bail is
seldom accepted; because that would
give the rich man too great an advan-
tage over the poor man. Instead of
that, the word of responsible party
for the proper appearance of the de-
linquent, is often sufficient to prevent
incarceration before trial.
First offenders are dealt with very
leniently. a clerk, for instance, who
embezzles or steals $4,000, or man
who commits similar offense for the
first time, is not accused of a felony:
but OF misdemeanor, and is not COM
mltted to a state prison, but to a
house of correction. For an offense
of that kind, he would probably receive
sentence of from three to six months.
But if such an offense were committed
by man in the public service, the
sentence would be much severer; be-
cause, In that case, the offense of hav-
ing violated the oath of office, would
be added to his other offense. The
crime of perjury so frequently COM
mitted, and so seldom punished in
this country, is taken very seriously
in Europe, and considered much more
heinOus than many other crimes.
At the Hamburg conference, the
United States was represented by
three delegates; but nothing about our
prisons was said in any of the articles
the writer had sent to him. This is
due, probably, because prison affairs
in this country are nonuniform, as
each state deals with her prisoners &C.
cording to her own notion. Neither
was mention made of Russian prisons;
in that case, no doubt, because they
are below criticism.
1t is often said in this country. that
punishment, no matter how severe,
will act as deterrent; because every
body who engages in crime, thinks that
he will not be detected. The constant
increase of crime is pointed at in sup
port of this contention. Augmentation
of this matter would lead to nothing,
as nobody could either prove, or dis
prove, it's correctness. Nobody can tell
positively, how many people are de-
TERED from committing crime be-
cause of the punishment provided for
it, and because of the social disgrace
connected with conviction. Still, it
is perfectly reasonable to suppose that
crime would be much more frennant