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The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, September 14, 1893, Image 1

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Persistent link: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86063465/1893-09-14/ed-1/seq-1/

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Tol. YII.— No. 6.
My soul Is dark—oh! quickly string
The harp I yet can brook to hear;
And let thy gentle fingers fling
Its melting murmurs o’er mine ear.
If in this heart a hope be dear,
That sound shall charm it forth again;
If in these eyes there lurk a tear.
•Twill flow, and cease to burn my brain
But bid the strain be wild and deep, .
Nor let thy notes of joy be first;
1 tell thee, minstrel, I must weep.
Or else this heavy heart will burst;
For it hath been by sorrow nursed.
And ached in sleepless silence long;
And no ’tis doom’d to know the worst,
And break at once—or yield to sontr.
—lit/ron
Intelligent Observation Pre-requisite.
To Enlarge Book Learning Which
Should be Compelled.
Education is a power, if of the right
kind. Ido not believe in our leading
educators, who graduate their students
as mere machines with thoughts and
styles that proclaim them as distinct
products of this or that school. I con
tend for that broad and higher educa
tion that lifts the student out of the
beaten ruts and opens up a wider and
more advanced field of thought and
developes his individuality. Such an
education eventually makes men into
levers and motors to move the world.
Ossian.
I h
Education is the foundation of true
success in life—though not indispensa
ble to the development of intelligence.
I believe in a compulsory common
school education whereby each and every
child in the state should be made to
read and write before casting a vote or
taking its place in society. Education
decreases crime and elevates the morals.
An illiterate person is obnoxious to so
ciety, detrimental to good government,
a barrier to happiness and progress, de
grading to his neighbors and depressing
to the home circle. Brigham.
There is but one criticism that I can
offer on education and that is: That the
educators ignore the moral nature of
their pupils. This is a grave mistake.
We have every reason to be proud of
our public schools and the showing that
the scholars make therein, but what
will it profit us if our children become
shining lights in the intellectual world
and are morally weak and unprepar
ed to cope with the world’s snares ? In
this age of skepticism too much atten
tion cannot be paid to the moral educa
tion of the rising generation by mould
ing their characters into strong, honest
consistency. Yon.
Every century has been noted for
some great event. The monument now
being bulit to commemorate the nine
teenth century is Education. Because
of its influence on mankind the various
governments of the great nations of the
earth are established on firmer founda
tions than ever before. The people are
more elevated socially, morally and
mentally. Those things looked on with
favor, or at least with tolerance, by the
illiterates of the past now no longer
command respect. Education has ele
vated and enfranchised manhood. It
has called for love, devotion and respect.
Science, art, invention and material
progress all tell in eloquent words that
the pen and book are mightier than the
sword. K. E.T.
Education and civilization go hand
in hand, where one is the other must be.
So also do ignorance and barbarism
co-operate with one another. In speak
ing of an educated person, I mean one
who also is in possession of sufficient
natural ability to know and understand
how to use the education he may pos
sess. In a truly educated person we
recognize a some thing that is want
ing in the uneducated; a certain refine
ment of tone and manner ever charac
terizes the. educated. He is as a rule
accomodating and philanthropic, he
has generally got a kind word and is
ready to lend a helping hand. Of
course this includes moral education as
(Mjr Ihtoon JHirrur.
MY SOUL IS DARK.
EDUCATION.
STILLWATER, MINNESOTA, SEPTEMBER 14, 1893.
well as intellectual. Too great pains
cannot be taken by parents to have
their children properly educated. It
makes gentlemen and ladies, and is a’
constant help and suport to the individ
ual all through life. One Lung. %
What is edicashun ? Jess a polishin’
uv de branes de good Lord ha' guv us.,
Sum folks kali ritin’ an’ rithmetick a
edicashun. But bless yeh huney, I
seen folks as knoed how tu rede an’
cyfer mos’ pow’ful culdn tell a hones
man frum a skoundle, nor wen it war
time tu quit argyfyin wid a no-akeount,
ornary cuss. An’ I’s seen them as culd
rite jess 1 ik prent not kno nuff tu tak a
rubbeh koat elong wen de sky war al
klowded oveh fur rane. Edicashun is
jess tu kno yeh’s a darn fule an’ not let
enywun els tu kno it. An’ de mor yeh
kno about yo’ own fuleshness de mor
yeh knos uv uther folks. I kan rede an’
rite an du sumin’, but I aint prowd; I
consideh de bess paat uv mi lamin’ is
knowin’ wich sid mi bred is buttehd an,
keepin mi mouf shet wen I’s got a hot
patateh in it. Nuff Sed.
Education is everything. We have all
got some sort of an education. Educa
tion is sometimes called book learning
which seems a pretty good thing to
have. At least I have never seen any
body with a supply of that article that
was not proud of it. But that is not
saying that they all should be; for there
are some of our college professors, es
pecially fellows with high degrees, that
know Latin and German philosophy,
yet are totally destitute of common
sense; to such men education is a
damage, it gives them the big head and
they are forever handling something
that is to much for them, by so doing
they make themselves and those de
pending upon them for instruction
miserable. Whereas if they had no
education, they would not feel above
their proper sphere; they would be
doing something that they would be
able to do—tamping ties for instance.
SUNOL.
Education is the brightest jewel of
the present era of civilization. Its gain
is now universally sought for, even sav
age tribes seek to acquire knowledge
sufficient to cope with their more civil
ized neighbors. What was in ancient
times the ambition of a few is now the
demand of the multitude. Mere ele
mentary knowledge should at least be
enforced of all, so that they may be rea
sonable factors of a progressive age.
The ignorant man unable to read and
write and reason on passing events of
national, social importance is a clog to
the socio-political machine. Our repub
lic calls for equality in all things and
no man should be allowed to fail to set
his feet on the common plain of rudi
mentary learning. From that he may
lead himself up along the various high
ways and byways of knowledge, and
the more thorough his education the
better his guide and escort. P. A. F.
Education means much more than we
are apt to think when speaking of it
generally. It is derived from the latin
word, meaning to brighten, draw out or
expand. To educate then is to draw
out and expand what is within, i e, to
develop the powers of the intellect
which may still be dormant or in a con
dition unfit for employment. The ex
pression “an educated blockhead”
means that there was no intellect to
brighten so that the man remains a
fool regardless of efforts to the contrary.
The word intellect means a “power of
looking into” anything. An intellect
ual man is one possessed of natural
undeveloped abilities which education
brightens and leads up to knowledge and
usefulness. The intelligent man has
the capacity of knowing, the educated
man has acquired the knowledge; but
no man is thoroughly educated till he
knows he knows nothing but himself.
A. B. M.
***
The schools of this country should be
institutions of moral as well as intel-
“ IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO MEND.”
lectual training. Practical education
is moral discipline. Political economy,
civil government and mechanical arts
should be more universally taught.
The present system bequeathes to pos
terity a disordered state of society. It
is for posterity to reorganize this disor
ganized mass into a progressive factor.
Practical education alone will do this.
Teach the youth of this country the
meaning of liberty by making them ac
quainted with the Constitution. Teach
them civil government that they may
learn to govern wisely. Teach them
political economy and there will be no
special sessions of Congress to repeal
dangerous laws. Teach them machan
ical arts and labor will resume its part
of dignity. We of the present cannot
in one generation build up our decayed
temple of liberty, but we can point the
way to posterity.
“ • T is education forms the common mind;
Just as the twig is bent, the tree’s inclined.”
c. c
Education has the advantage over
wealth in being permanent; it out
weighs health in durability; and it ex
ceeds social and political influence in
its greater display of refinement. It
should be sought with earnest exertion,
and, once acquired, valued. Next to
life itself, it seems the greatest of all
blessings. It commands respect every
where; no one disdains it. It is the
embodiment of wisdom. Instruction,
teaching, and a full harvest of infor
mation form but the childhood of an
education. Nurtured with care and
training, treasured with jealous vivaci
ty and importance, these finally blossom
forth into the full flower of wisdom,
emitting sweet odors of enlightenment
and intellectual refinement. It is the
guide-post to wisdom; it possesses the
key to discretion in matters of right or
wrong; it opens untrodden paths in the
beauties of nature; it reveals the all
wise and planning ways of Providence;
it chooses associates of the right metal
and intensifies friendship and love; it is
the religion of the soul. Vic.
Educate by all means. Educate the
heart, the mind and the body. Educate
the child, the youth and the adult. Ed
ucate each and every one of both sexes,
regardless of age, color or condition.
Educate the hand to supply the needs
of the body, the mind to restrict within
reasonable limits those bodily require
ments, and the will to enforce those re
strictions. Educate the taste for good
and to abhor evil; create and educate
a desire for freedom through law, and
justice tempered with mercy. Educate
the masses, for they are the strength of
the nation, if they are deficient the na
tion will be found wanting. Let the
nation support and educate those who
desire to advance themselves in any
way. It will be money invested that,
as an honorable citizen, the recipient
will someday repay. The nation is pat
terned after the individual; and, as ed
ucation developes the individual, it
will enhance his own and the country’s
value. Educate the body for health,
the brain for knowledge, but educate
no faster than can be digested.
Leonardus.
Many think that all college graduates
are truly learned men, but in my opin
ion it is a mistake. True, they may
have apparently mastered mathamatics,
figured prominently in scientific studies
and received a plausible grade in Latin,
Greek and some of the modern lan
guages. But if the halls of American
colleges could only tell their secrets
they would open our eyes to the fact
that difficult problems in mathamatics
were not solved but copied from keys
prepared by older heads; that Latin
and Greek were studied with the text
book in one hand and an interlinear or
free translation in the other. In this
way many finish their college course
and embark on the voyage of life be
lieving that the diploma will gain for
them distinction and success. But they
have only a smattering—a veneer that
will not stand wear. Such are not
worthy to be termed educated. The
Tcdmc. J sl-00 P er year. In advance,
i tKivis. j si x Months 50 Cents.
really educated are those who acquire
their learning by diligent study and
deep research. An education is not
worth having unless it can be put to
practical use. A. H. C.
The two great benefits derived from
an education are: First, the intrinsic
value of knowledge: Second, the disci
pline and training that the mind and
character receive. At no period of time
in the world’s history, has the value of
an education been so clearly recognized
or such universal deference paid to in
tellectual abilities as to-day; and in no
country have the facilities for obtain
ing an education been on so broad and
liberal a scale as in this. Any one of
energy and intellect can obtain one
without paying for it. The universities,
colleges and schools are both free and
popular, always ready to assist the poor
but worthy student. The older and
more civilized the states become the
greater the attention paid to education
al matters. Several of the states have
passed laws for compulsory education,
which have been found to work to good
advantage. The principle has been es
tablished that society has the right to
compel its growing generation to obtain
a minimum of knowledge, even if par
ents are too ignorant or indifferent to
know the value of an education.
Observer.
Schools of Crime.
To establish schools of crime are re
quired skilled teachers in the theory
and practice of crime, pupils with in
clination, opportunity and leisure to
learn and places of meeting. All these
are furnished by the state in building
and constructing city prisons, jails,
work-houses and reform schools. A
more efficient school for the dissemina
tion of crime could not be devised. Yet
the cry is, “crime is increasing.” There
are always those who make crime a
profession confined in such institutions
who are ever ready to communicate
their experience to the unskilled first
offenders. And as vice is easily learned
and these teachers are apt and enter
taining to the youthful novice, they al
ways are interesting and the influences
are demoralizing in the greatest degree.
Now a system of fines may compensate
society and the state for any first mis
demeanor committed. But I fail to see
w r here the compensation comes in when
he is confined in these schools of crime.
Could they not be much better dealt
with in the same manner as in Belgium,
France and England by a conditional
condemnation, whereby the offender is
released from court on his own recog
nizance and a surety and returns to
his family. Thus the bread winner of
slender means continues his social du
ties, till by good conduct his fine is re
mitted and sentence annulled after
certain fixed periods. This would
eliminate much of the evil of criminal
society and its baneful influence.
France surely can be guide for our own
republican country, and there this sys
tem has been practiced for fifteen years.
It avoids that loss of the sense df
shame in man that is as fatal as the
loss of virtue in woman. By this means
thousands could be kept among the
good and pure instead of being sur
rounded by degrading influences, sub
ject to the whims and caprices of of
ficials. Thus too we would cease to
inflict needless punishment on inoffen
sive wives and families and still incul
cate a lesson in honesty. It would be
a test of character far above the clever
est system of marks and grades that
mortal man ever devised. It would be
in harmony with law and labor which re
veals the Deity in whom we live, move
and have our being. Of course this
system is only applied in France to
minor offenses and not to felony.
Brigham.
When a man says “I’m not myself to
day!” the presentation of a little bill
might help him out of the delusion. —
Puck.

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