The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-09-17
RESPONSIBILITY IS
CHARACTER BUILDER
Many Fail Because Of Lack
Of Stimulation
The Man Who Has No Worthy Thing To
Work For, Lacks The Encouragement
That Stimulates The Man Who
Has Responsibilities.
By II. S. Med.

The man who gets the most out
of life is the man who bears respon-
sibility. He, it is who puts his
shoulder to the wheel and pushes
with might and main until he gets
out of the rut. He is not satisfied
unless he is continually striving for
greater success in all his undertak-
ings. When he starts thing ago.
ing he is on the job morning, noon,
and night, planning out ways to
economic time, money, and labor.
He is there because he feels the re-
sponsibility that rests upon him,
and that alone inspires him to do
his utmost until the task has been
completed and the responsibility
has been removed. No sooner is
one task finished than he burdens
himself with others, and each day
witnesses his ascent a little higher
on the ladder of Prosperity and
Success.
How different it is with the man
who has no responsibilities to en-
courage him. He begins each days
toll in a lifeless, careless manner,
laboring only that he may reap his
reward in dollars and cents, and
seemingly content to labor day after
day at the same old occupation,
never taking time to ponder ON the
future or what it might hold in store
for him. Notice the change, how
ever, in his demeanor and labor,
when you set him to do a task
wherein he has a certain amount of
responsibility to assume. His mat
tention vanishes and he becomes
alert and labors diligently in order
to finish the work with credit to
himself.
1t is through responsibility that
the reformation of sinful man is be-
ing brought about. When he sees
his responsibilities in life, at the
right angle, and realizes that he has
something besides mere existence to
strive for, he begins to take an in
terest in that which is going on
around him. and instead of remain
ing half buried IN the mire and
muck, he grasps something substan-
tial and after once gaining a solid
foundation to stand upon he strives
nightly TO rise higher. RESPONSE
bility has given him a new, and hith-
erto, unknown grip upon himself,
and responsibility will lead him on
ward and upward to success.
All present day prison reform is
based upon the responsibilities that
are placed upon the prisoner. When
he gives his word of honor to do
such ard such thing. he feels the
responsibility that he has assumed,
and he will labor diligently to make
his word good.
1t may seem strange to number
of the readers of this article that we
mention the prisoners word of
honor" and some OF you may have
doubt in your minds concerning
the value of that word of honor"
and we want to make it plain to you
that the prisoner who has remaining
the least spark of manhood and self
respect, values his word Of honor
above all else, and far more so than
a large number of people we have
met in more fortunate surroundings,
and, let us say. that all the progress
that has been made towards better
ing the conditions surrounding the
prisoner of today confirm the above
assertion, for were it impossible to
rely on the prisoners word of honor
there could be no relaxation from
the old barbaric prison methods. 1t
is by reason of the fact that officials
of the state realize that the prison
er's word is of value that the honor
system, good roads camps, liberal
parole law, the abatement of the in
furious and sneak producing silent
system,'' and the innovation OF rec
reations and sports has been made
possible. They are all founded on
the principle of responsibility and
are gaining more prominent sta
tion every day.
We want to make it plain to all
our fellow unfortunates that we one
and all have more responsibilities to
bear than we, perhaps, think. We
were sent into a world where each
individual must struggle for exist
ence. and it is up to us to make