Plymouth banner. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1852-1855, 1853-05-12
From the Deiroil Free Press
Crime and IFS causes.

1t Is but too apparent that crime i in
creasing in grea ter ratio than the popu-
lation of the country. 1t is SO in our Cwu
State. and it is III every other State. The
number of conyicts in our penitentialy
is greater than at any former period. and
the cry is still they come. In New York
and other sea board States the increase Is
more stirling than here; and the press has
not failed TO note the audacity with winch
the criminal laws are set al defiance -
In investigating the causes of this stale
OF things, we must delve below the sur
face. for the evil springs from roots deep
i iy lnbedded iii the groundwork of sucie-
ty.
We have no doubt that many, perhaps
a ma jority of readers would DIT once, aud
without hesitation, attribute the great
! prevalence of crime to ID single Cause
RUN. Undoubtedly rum has enough SINS
to answer for; but yet if we would seek
iuil solution, we must not let oar pre- in
d'ces against rum warp Our ind sinemts 50
that we cannot look over other causes
cdndidly ana fairly. Oar own belief is
that one of the chisf causes OF The increase
OF CRIME Is the uncertainty Of punish
ment. There is d sichiy morality pseva-
lent In the country ia regard 10 the adj
mlnlstra'on OF Justice. A murderer be-
comes d hero, ANA The convict on The IA,
to prison Is all object of sympathy There
is lamenta bic idxity on the part of ia
rors In convlctinS when the Evidence j.
conclusive. A Csc illustrative Of this
haS
A woman attempted to poison ben has
band-the evidence seems conclusive
she was tried, the case submitted, the ia
ry staid out all night, ana in the mora
ing Ca NE III with verdict Ci not guilty.
TO the establishment of The court and ~
cry body else. This is only All instance.
aud not rare one. The fact is that
criminals are getting to he looked upon
ds all oppressed lace, AMI it only need.
an Uncle Tom among them Ia s.vv ,hc.n
from punishment altogether.
Heretofore, in this STATE, WHEN tie
county court system was in vogue ouI
legal tribunals were but SO many sleeves
through which criminals could ecca pc -
Bat the pre- sent judges are men whU will.
l..
enforce the laws. Some Il them are al
ready d terror 10 evil doors. BIZ, we are
very much inclined to think that he plan
Of eiecting Prosecuting ATTORNEYS by The
people is bad one. In counties y here
politics are osely contested. small
number Of m, II nay bold lhe balance OF
power. and in such case bad men know
how to use 1t; and we have in our minds
eve one or two cases in The interior VI here
they have used il.
Punishment, if lis grat obj,ci be 10
pre-, ent crime Should he certain. When
the criminal is tried. and the testimony
points unerring'y TO his guilt. 40 false
sensibi'ily Oh the part of jurors should
allow him 20 escape; and vheu h is son
fenced TO the Stale prison, lie should
have no hope 1--WE state This is aseneTai
rule) of Executive clenency unless il be-
comes certsin that new facts have trans
pired which make it positive that his
conviction was erroneous.
The Buffalo Commercial i9c6rfi,sr in
disc ussng this subject, makes some re
marks to the point. We copy portion
of them as conveying the sentiments that
we entertain;
punishment in jaiis and prisons has
become to be regarded by criminals a.
rela xation from labor "a pleasant yaca-
lion in thtr usual pursuits, and not
| disgrace. The ski.lul felon is as cele-
brated as the Statesman who has done
bis country service; and his exploits and
his portrait is sent over the county bv
certain class of papers, to attfact ili,
attention of the young. AMI epcouragt
junior aspiranls Ia distinguished vii!ainy
in their career OF crime. Such prints are
pests that require extirpation by the hand
of law. In addition TO this, there is
serious and dele;erious sympathy for GRIM
inals pervading the land. Which inter
leres with summary justice, aud holds
back her arm from the full and exempia-
ry iniliction Of punishment. This sym
patty goes about peering into prison
houses AMI gathering the complaints al
incarcerated lelons. and pouts out its
budget on the public, asking for attention
TO his stimulated miseries, and calling
down on wardens and turkeys the ven
geance of the people. Governors are APP
pealed TO with success. and the wretChes
are loose9 upon the society after brief
imprisonment The court and jury have
hardly done their duty upon the felon, be-
fore the newspaper shows by the pub
lished notice that IAN application will
be made" to pardon him aud turn away
the righteous award ofIaw. Look at the
papers aud see if this is not true. The
more obscure the paper, the better for
this purpose, because attention Is less
likely ~ be drawn TO its columns; and
in some instances the public are shocked
by the appearance of notorious rascals
| before the sensation created by their