The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-08-06
LAY THE BLAME
where IT BELONGS
Don't Hide Your Faults and
Blame Your Downfall to Liq-
uor Alone. Denotes Weak
ness and is Cowardly. Admit
the True Causes.
From The Summary

From The Summary
Out of total of 1878 prisoners,
confined in the Eastern Penitentiary
of Pennsylvania, exactly 1908 have
voluntarily signed a petition, which
will be submitted to the next Legis-
lature, asking for statewide prohi-
bition. The number of those who
did not care to sign the document
was 40.
We dare say that if we were to
take many of these 1908 men and
question them, each one of them,
who attributes his prison sentence
to the evil of drink. would be able
to give pretty detailed story, show
ing that he. at least, has been bon
afed victim.
But, is it true, that prisoners, as
class, have tendency to see reasons
for their downfall, which, all too
often, prove to be innocent exagger-
ations, and which tend, not infre-
quently, to blind even themselves
entirely to the true underlying causes
of their confinement, whether this
be lack of will-power. thoughtless,
careless, drifting, trying to be too
much of good fellow, or plain ig-
norance, or blend of some or each
of these with the thousand and one
other things which may. and do,
tend to place men behind prison
bars?
Personally, we do not favor pro-
hibition. if it be expected to take
lone stand to correcr the evils at
tributed to liquor, because we be-
lieve that prohibition in itself, while
it would undoubtedly be beneficial
to certain class of men, will not,
and cannot, remove the evils which
cause such undesirable situations as
the wrecking of home, the impris.
onment of loved one, or the break
ing of a mothers, wife's, or sisters
heart. The reasons for these things
lie deeper by far. and mere prohibit
ton cannot reach them. So far as
inebriety is concerned. prohibition
would merely be an external meas
ure, and to be absolutely effective,
it must first be firmly coupled with
internal measures. This means that
men must be educated, not superb
cially, as now, With reference to this
matter, but fundamentally and effec-
lively, so that they may know fully
what they are about.
Was Liquor Responsible?
Now. with reference to those who
are behind the bars. Did liquor
place you there? Truly, you must
admit, that. with the exception pos
sibly of very few cases, 1t, all by
itself. did not do so.
Stop to consider. Do you lot see
that, though it may have had part in
placing you in your present predic-
ament, it did not do it all? Woman
and song may also have played their
little parts, which only means trying
to be too merry. You cannot leave
out those other little things, diversi-
fed in the extreme, any one of which
had as much to do with your down.
fall as the liquor evil to which you
would fain give the entire blame. 1t
is so easy to talk. 1t is so easy to
agree with others in a position SINH
lar to that in which one finds ones
self. When prisoners fraternize
and begin to exchange experiences.
it is so easy to lay all the blame to
drink and let it 90 at that. 1t it
happens to be actually true that liq-
uor did have a part IN the downfall
of a particular prisoner, the act of
taking all the blame home to it alone,
is only anther indubitable sign of
what is. perhaps, the real reason for
his present position. Drink alone?
No; rather a careless thoughtless-
ness, apparent when he lays all the
fault to drink. and seen, also. when
he drinks--to excess. You, who are
in prison. be wise; if you would i'm
prove the conditions of this life, be-
gin with yourselves. See what were
the true causes Plural is ussed advls-
edly) of your downfall, and avoid
them in the future. For the present.
in justice to ourselves, avoid
proneness to rashly place the blame
on any one thing alone, in an indif-
ferent manner, and using it as a
scape- goat, reason always with it as
a starting point. whenever you
think of your predicament.
| While we do not believe in abso-
lutte prohibition. we do believe that
the manner of selling liquor, as now
in vogue. is, without doubt, an evil.
The saloon IF the present should go.
1t is most decidedly no good. Used