The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-11-05

per time was christened the Prison
Mirror; but not like the most of in
fants. it could talk and talk loud
from its birth. Being the first baby
of the kind in the world to be born
behind prison walls-it has been al.
lowed to have its say.
But it is not baby any more, for
that was % years ago. The man
whose brain furnished the idea and
a portion of his and his fellow in.
mates money made it possible to
publish PRISON paper, little knew
then, that in his life time that nearly
every penal, correctional and char
liable institution in the United
States before three decades had past
would be publishing a newspaper or
magazine, in behalf of the wards in
said institutions. The good that
has been accomplished can never be
fully estimated. the transformation
of prisons of corporal punishment
into mere play-houses compared to
former times. to say nothing OF the
chances made possible for men to
obtain another try at making good
on parole: prison reforms in re-
cent years owe their existence to
the man who conceived the idea of
publishing the Mirror twenty-nine
years ago. He has been free for
many years and has lead an upright
Christian life, and some years ago
we had the pie asure to meet him in
Missouri, he said: How glad / am
to see the good that the little Mirror
has done for my unfortunate fellow
men behind the walls" He smiled,
shed tear and whispered. thank
God. / have helped to bring about
better prison conditions in many of
the states" You all know who we
mean.
Space forbids us discussing this
subject, but suffice it to say; that
from personal contact and mixing
and mingline with men in durance
vile, we have learned that men in
prison stand ready to retrieve their
lost footing, to make good, to be real
men, to stand shoulder to shoulder
with their brothers on the outside,
and face the problems of life, to
march in the front ranks, bear arms
against the evils of humanity; yea!
more. they are with pen and press
showing their brothers q better way,
a way which if needed will insure
safe harbor. haven, from which you
will never fall or become a servile
ward of any state. We want to say
to the citizenship of the Great State
of Minnesota; yes, to the citizenship
of America. our brothers and sisters
of the outside world; that W, believe
in the men and women behind the
walls; that hidden deep within them
burns the inextinguishable light of a
diviner life; that out of taem shall
yet flow more abundantly the rivers
of living waters; that by their toll.
sweat and blood shall be built a
temple of an enduring fraternity and
the golden city of an everlasting
brother aud sisterhood; that by their
hands shall yet be woven the shining
garments of a changeless, fadeless
love with which they shall both
clothe ami be clothed upon. The
Saltwater Minnesota State Prison
has been eulogized as the most mag
n,icent and sanitary prison buildings
in the world. in which there are over
1000 men and women engaged in
the various avocations of daily life
that is. counting the officials aud the
inmates, and this we must do, be.
cause, we all compose this great ST.
lent City-rangiDg in age from Is
to 80 years-all fastening on to the
great beyond, all to be judged &C.
cordlng to- the deeds done in the
body.
Therefore, seeing that the same
destiny awaits us all, why not turn
our faces III the same direction and
make this not only the most modern,
most splendid, most magnificent
building of the kind in the world,
but, why not conform our lives IN
such a manner, that both officers,
guards and inmates will become the
most perfect body of men in the
world. Men our fellows: those in
authority, those in bondage, can
make the desert wilderness of pas
sion, hate and perjudice. blossom
with flowers of peace and joy and
beauty; we can at least. if we will
stand erect. noble, godlike. with
every letter broken and every chain
beneath orr feet. freehorn sons SER