New-York daily tribune., 1851-09-29
Increase OF Crime


sally assented to, and men are very naturally
inquiriug why this Is so, and what shall Oe
done to stem tie appalling tide and reverse
is current Our view. as is well-known
may be summarily stated thus
Crime increases because.
/ The temptations to and facilities for
entering upon vicious courses are enlarged.
We have more grog-shops, more gambling
dens, more haunts Of public lewdneSs than
formerly, aud in these the Young are daily
and gradually schooled in dissipation and
stepped in sensuality until their moral ln-
stincts are completely corrupted and per-
verted. Hence they glide insensibly down
the inclined plane which leads through de-
bauchery, dishonesty, swindling and robbery
to murder.
2 Tens of thousands are destitute. out
of employment unable to procure the means
of honest livelihood and so brooding over
their desperate prospects in inevitable idle
ness from day to day, and often tempted to
drown apprehension in the intoxicating
bowl Thus they continue or gradually be-
come diseased in mind, Injured to idleness,
unskllled in useful labor. and resigned to a
wretched career of Incidence, intemperance
and crime.
3. Our laws in favor of Morality are not
enforced by those paid to execute them
Every one not stone-blind can see that five
thousand groggeries are open and doubly
active on Sunday. though the law expressly
says they shall be entirely shut throughout
that day Everybody, including even the
Police, knows that fifteen hundred grogge-
ries are going ahead unlicensed. in defiance
of the laws Everybody knows that the
City is full of gambling houses, policy Offices
and brothels, though the law condemns all
these, and provides for their extinction.
On every side, the laws are violated with
impunitv, and the violations winked at by
those whose sworn duty it is to prevent
them What wonder, then, that the igno-
rant and vicious have a confused idea of
Right and Wrong, and suspect that crime
consists not so much in breaking the laws
as in being convicted thereof?
f. We think the law goes beyond its
proper sphere when it undertakes to punish
vindictively, or without regard TO the cul-
prit's reformation We have no faith in
penalties inflicted to balance evil perpetra-
ted The ends of Punishment should be
the reformation Of the offender. the secur-
ing of the community against further out
rage on his part until such reformation is
effected, and the Prevention OF Crime on
the part of others bv the exhibition Of its
evil consequences We think the State
which inficts pain or prlvation merely as
an offset or retribution for past offence
commits blunder if not a crime itself
Wherefore, we would diminish crime
bv these measures
l. Shut up all the grog-shops inexorably,
break up all the gambing-dens, policy
Offices, assgnaIion haunts, brothels, &c. &c.
and render it impossible for their owners
and inmates to make a living by vocations
injurious to the public veal. And we hold
1t indsputable that, 50 long as customers
can find any of these haunts of dissipation,
the Authorities and Police might find them
too if it would, and stop their business.
,. Proffer Usefui Labor and Subsistence
10 every man. woman and child who Will
apply for this would be difficult at first,
and would involve great Social changes IN
the end but we hold that the State can far
better afford to find work for all who cannot
find any for themselves, and give them de-
cent bread for honest labor, than allow them
TO get their living by begging, rum-selling,
prostitution, theft, and robbery.
3. Hold the Municipal Authorities and
Police responsible for the faithful and
thorough execution Of the laws, and in
case of default, turn them out and prose-
cute them for neglect of duty.
t. Stop hanging men and all that until
We have fairly tried the experiment OF re-
moving temptations from their path and
giving them all chance TO live innocently,
useiully and creditaby.
These are briefly our views Of the
matter. The following are those Of the
/ Journal Of Commerce
PnoeRrss oF CRIME This i "a subject Of deep m
-
Sone veaTs past murderers have cheated tie galio~s
of is victims viii account, II a grea' measure Tor
+ the rapid increase OF cTlme among u Anothef
cause Is he lnfux OF foreigners not few OF whom
4 were adopts ~ yanany before they reached our
shores MANY Of the recent murders have been COM
I fniuel by foreigners. >llce ne Isl OF January
at u this Clty alone. there have been SIXTEEN
/ Trials FoR MURDER.
It fnrure Jnr!e. !ns.ead Q. .nlu-ging N Lna" klsh