The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1847-06-26
The Q,ankrr and the lure.

The canker Is seen In the social bo1y-eaiing,
eating, eating eyermore! And where il the
cure1 The gallows does not give it. Peniten-
tiares do not. No vindictive law finds it. All
these do their work they take life; they pun.
ish criminals to protect property; but these
criminals increase, in every form, and feed the
social csnker which eats deeper and deeper into
the social body.
What's to be done Where Is the cure
Here men have puzzled-are puzzling--iheir
brains, they tug at this question, and seek on,
an answer. As yet, the answer comes not.
As yet, society rests on the old modes, ami, with
The gallows ever In sight, says TO the wicked and
bad "there's your DOOM" As yet, law-mak-
crs and w-expounders are content with this
But here and there-scattered, indeed, all about
in church and out Of church--are little under
currents, strong enough in some places to bubble
up to,the SUFFICE, but generally wanting force
and strength to wash deep and SAT, channel
Outwardly through our social fibric. They exist.
Let us take comfort here. Silently, but surely,
they are making their way; by and by their
gurging will tell where they are and then,
when united, they will burst out, and clean up
the canker. if they do not cure it.
IT'S easy enough, for any Of Us, to point out
the Ills. and crying injustice Of the criminal law.
Take an example. There's boy educated to
vice he has never been at school or church
his parents are drunken brutes; they have
taken no care Of him and no body has done
thing to instruct or help him on. He steals
be to gmiify vice-cngcndercd habit no mat
ter--hc steals-is caught--tried. and punished.
Who is at fiult here He has done only what
each one Of us would have done under like cir
curistances He Il what he is, because he
could be nothing else. Suppose society through
its laws. or agents, had sent tina, boy to school
hal taught him 10 read and write-had made
aim TO know right and wrong-would he have
fllcn No such thing. He. and all like him,
lor the great majority Of them if thus Instruct
II, would become useful ciiizens-gooi men.
whose lives would give viyor 10 the common
wealth, and put wealth in its Golfers. As it is
they are a curse and expense.
Well then: Society undertakes to punish for
crime but does not undertake to prevent it, or
to cure the criminal. Is this just lsiigcner-
Gus Look at the question. FOR stealing q
yard of ribbon, girl or boy goes TO Jail tina,
step makes them criminals for life for vice the
are taught by rule, in Jail all their days, conse
quentIy, they either In prison plotting against
society. putting II 10 heavy cost, apart from the
loss Of their labor or out of it, plundering
and destroying. OF worse still. spreading their
abominable notions and bad habits whereU 7
they are. Society does nothing 10 prerrnt IN,
first step. Ii does nothing to cure or reform az
ter that step has been taken. What ALTERNATIVE,
is there then for youth, educated badly an.
wrongly. but TO steal. and after tina; TO become
more and more hardened in vlainiy. Til they
lie : or are hung according TO law
Howitt's Journal, for March, contains II tale
under the heading We have assumed, which.
illustrates well the whole matter. a suppose,
Judge goes away from home, and leaves hi
house under the charge OF servant woman
The postmsn comes to deliver letter. A chill.
gets into the house, and while she is reading the
letter, steals a fovoritc silver inkstani of the
Judges. The servant misses il Immediately
Suspecting the child she goes In pursuit. and by
the all Of the postman, catches her, and find.
upon her the property. The account says:
To half cry with Joy was Becky's first impulse
when the inkstand was again saf,; TO iremlle al
the bare thought of the judges stern displeas-
ure had it been lost; to almost sink in heart al
the iIea Of one doubt upon her iong-triei hon
esty: all these for the Instant were paramount,
but all sunk into mere nothingncss, or rather
were merged into one feeling Ct womany anC
simple mercy, when she glanced Gown upon the
child's upturnei face Of terror, hunger AM
pain.
"You-" commenced the postman.
"Had no whites" spoke the chilli, sullenly.
These words robbed the heart Of the ia .ge's
honest servant Of its last touch Of anger. She
sal something about letting the child 60; but toe
late. A crowd had collected. policeman step
ped in, and the thief in few minutes was lockeG
SAT. in the station house.
1t was sorrowful night, that. TO the com
passionate heart of Becky; though her fir,
was bright, her tea cool, and even the bar.
Der from little street hard BY had stepped
in TO talk the matter over with her. AM
she still more sad next day, when in hei
best grown she curtscyed to the magistrate G.
the police court, and saw the chill in the
lock, more haggari and pale. The case Wa
fully proved. my good woman" spoke the
magistrate, in his kindest voice, IL know
your master woull prosecute this case to the
fullest extent Of the Law, but to what end
Here is a child years old or thereat outs
without home, without friend, and, great God
apparently without a n0me; the scum ana re-
fise Of this city streets whilst yet baby
| if | send her to prison, she will probably
come out only more confirmed in prccociou
wickeduess; or IL sent back into the streets, bu
10 starvation or something still more horrible
incirient prostitution. hut were there SOM
one 10 save by teaching, AM"
Becky, the great ju.ge's poor servant, lookes
here at The magistrate, and then at the crimina
chill. "PIeasc sir" and the sympathy Of on
ivinest nature justified itself. 'lve fifiy-seveI
pounLs sixteen and siXpencc In the savings
Bank, that Mr.. Rednot has the receipt of, an
, Just two sovereigns more in the spice-box-s'
If little schooling might"
"Might 60 more than the prison or the Law
, can Go-turn gui.tlcss sin into good, and if will
, work"
ayes, ycs.'' interrupted Becky, pleased will
the magistrates manner, AMI interpreting tn
matter in her own way; .'if she were to turl
out thy, ami couli keep the thing from mas
,er's ears. why could teach her TO roast, an
bake, am set his room 10 rights, and
Sand II you should succeed in half chime
in the magistrate. "you'd show yourself 10 be
profounaer lawyer than either who sit upo
This Bench, or your master, Baron OF the Ex
: chequer. lie nho cures rice is better tham a
!. nao Furnishes H."
Becky did not understand this; hut left wit
I al II. Ii n