The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1913-09-11
MAKES ANOTHER
PLEA TO YOU
coIored Inmate From Washington Makes
Heart to Heart Talk to his cOIorsd
Brethren. Read It, Even Though You
Be Not CoIored. II is full of Good
Advice.

Be Not CoIOred. Il is full Of Good
Advice.
Make your record for good be-
havior. Make it now. Make it in
spite of the man behind you or at
your side that wants to be bad.
Make it in spite of him. who would
just as soon be in the third grade
as in the first; who would just as
soon eat out of his hand as eat at
the table; who would as soon be is
olated as be in company twice a
day with his coneenial inmate
associates. Make your record for
good behavior.
On the fast flying train that
brought us, with exceeding great
haste, to this historical and memo.
rable city, of which we had heard
so much and which had heard. no
doubt, great deal more of us, /
appeal to you the forty. five col
ored men, who were in a coach to
ourselves on that trip-to prove
yourselves, by your good conduct,
not guilty of all the unfavorable re-
ports that might have preceded you,
through the newspaper columns or
otherwise, and to- make yourselves
model prisoners, such as would be
desirable in a modern up-to-date
prison, for this was the description
given us of our future temporary
abode. You remember when /
made my appeal. No?
Well in was just before reaching
this city. 1t was just when you
had about finished vocalizing the
musical notes and measures adjusted
to Good Bye Mother Dear" Fare
well to the Old Homestead" My
Old Kentucky Home" and Swan
nee River" 1t was just then-when
by these familiar songs of deep
poetic thought, you were brought to
full realization of the meaning of
the long and awful confinement
stretching out before you in a city
as yet unknown, and 10 a grander
chorus than before, you threw
your chests wide open, attuned|
your vocal cords to a higher and
yet sweeter pitch and sadly but sub
timely rendered Jesus Lover of My
Soul" At the Cross" and Almost
Persuaded" the Fully Persuaded"
which deeply touched your inmost
soul and mine and brought you and
me to heart throbs and mutual SYM
pathies, such as many of us never
experienced before and l hope
never will again on such an Occa-
sion as that, 1t was then that /
made my childish appeal to you to
be good men, to be model prisoners;
and it was then that you with one
grand acclaim promised you would.
And so you have. You have splen-
didly kept the faith.
Let me congratulate you, as we'll
as myself, upon your first six
months record for good behavior.
Apparently, and there is nothing
before me to create a doubt, you
have done better by far then many
Of them down yonder" believed
and said you would do.
Of the forty-tive Of my undis-
tinguished brothers of whom l am
the forty-ffth part, who came to
this city on the 2Srd day of Febru-
airy, 1918, large majority of you
have gracefully doned. on the left
arm, the white stripe. emblematic
of purity of conduct and consequent
promotion from the second grade to
the first. On the train you said
you would be determined to make
the first grade in the allotted time,
and you have done it. and because
you have succeeded you wear
semi-smile and look as though you
are pleased. l sincerely share your
feeling.
observe, regretfully, that some
few of you failed and allowed your
selves to be detained month or 90
longer in the second grade. Now,
i