Litchfield enquirer., 1857-02-19
The Increase of Crime,

W. "-e-a Sssaiieu clty ciefgYnan taxes his va caton Then it is that some clerical disciple of old Isaac Walton may be seen cautiously wandering along the brooks of the Ariondac shing-rod in hand -or still farther away. casting his fly the rapid waters that empty into the basin of Minus. More than once of late years has the browsing Moose in the dark pine forests af Maine tossed back is ant lsrs disturbed by the bending bush which cracked under the cautious tread of sporting parson, who week before in silver voice had proclaimed
 The Lord is in his hoiy temples
 While thus the city Reverend is enjoying himself, his pripit is often supplied hy some rough shoi<td whn for many years ten led hardy flock of God s shecp that gained prec .ions existence among the rocks and streams of New England's hll!s Now te
 makes a. erchcrqe and the pocr brother glad to bar ter his rye bread for the whi:er escuent of his ifortrnate neishior and at the same time to get a peep at Me umll risks the chance Of death by fever or cholera a-and enters meek and hnmily, inc d,or that opens in uron So much smotaed magn,fcmcr Now for the firxt time in twelve month the few loungers who for fr1n's sake dose away an hour or two Of the hot S,bbIth amid the luxury of velvet ] cushions, hear practical sermon. touching upon the enormity of crime in their midst and com 1 rnencing ard cu1ing with verse from 2,l Slmre 18th and 17'h. O., their way home they give many ai.ie smile to their n-shbors and their luzu riant rerast crack many Ike at the peor parsons expense and this is al"t al! city folks know ar care regarding tie murders and bberirs that flight us her, in the country. Indeed. the city gentleman must come into the country to learn the news and strange IS il may seem, we who reside far away among the lis. are more familiar with the story of riots and elealcatons than the very residents of the city themseves Ia view of tlrs. facts. and ir consideration of the size of rolling snowfall we must receive the thousand stories regarding the horrible state of city society with many grains of al lowancc.
 It no doubt affords such papers as the Tribune Ties and others opposed to the municipal anthcri ties of New York. infinite satisfaction to record stree! afrav, murder robbery and that these statements greatly enlarged upon for the slkc Of showing up the miserable system of Police in the cities, is more than likely. No one is blind however to the fact of fearful increase in crime throughout the entire land, Scarcely paper arr yes which does not announce some astounding of forgery em- bezz!ement horril murder. which traced to it's fountain source is found to have originated in the all engrossing desire of the day-to become sud- denly rich.
 In the stnpendotts extravaganza of this age. lies the cause of all the trouble the splendi palaces which range along the wide avenues of New York --s,lrndid to point beyond the extravaganza of spend,hrift courts, but go many alurcments to carry one on from fraud to murder.
 wha, arc these dwellings but the residences of ambitous vulgar pdrrenue. superb pieces of arch- lecture founded in the rivalry of some neighbor- hood, or a desire to outsne some pretending great man. In the folly of bedizzcning children with rx- travagant and mftrt,hle garments. of clothing wives and daughters in silks and faces that exceed in costliness the price of rarcst jewels in the in convenience of a host of reckless servants. and wretched excess of srmptuoua meals, lies the root of the evil wherein slumher rnnuml cred curses.
 The Tanker to carry ont and sustain his Riyle of living last year when he realized q fortune by the rise of stocks must this year. tthe same having fallen stoop to fraud fail He cannot entertain the thought of the latter and to yield to the temp tations of the former is but to follow in the foot steps of his successful neighhor and he prefers to do this than reduce the number of his servants or curta the q ex'ravagance of diss pated children. He therefore commits me fraud generally winkeI at hy shrewd men If the trade. and then step l.v step goes dcwn the back track until some Schuyler fraud is announced. and he mpelled to escape md at length rliserably to perish in foreign land His clerk of his peculations and d. sirous sustain himself among his own class, to drive his fast horses to beard at fashionable hotel, to re- joice in diamond pins and shirt rtbuttcns, and pr b. ably to support painted Cyprian. follows his ex- ample, and some morning leaves in the steamer for Europe, flying dcfaulter.
 The porter in the bank or warehouse, has too q position to sustain and therefore takes a dollar now and then. soothing his conscience with the thought that it is no mtre than the rest do and soon detected is tlied ard sent to pliscn from whence in few years he graduates ready for any crime.
 | Tho late murder in Bond Street is only one step lower on the ladder than were the acts,f Schuyler and Huntington and in smparison to the incal- culabc misery produced Ky the Schuyler fraue!s of hut little consequence.
 l Not alone in thc cities. however, does this hydra of extravagance exist We find it in the rural dis trcts, insnuatirS its bale.ul face and murder hand. We mark it in tle dress of servant girls, be- ,lecked with tinsel jewSlry and wrapped in mock sinwl7 and fu,s. We see it in tho shop boys and apprentices, sporting huge watches and swelling behind clumsy chains, large enough wherewith to kedge sloop. We see it in clouds of smoke curl ing up from sensnous lips that turn six cent cigars and eject oaths and tobacco spit over fancy shirt bo.om and fashy tied choker. We see it Tn pat ent leather boots, pnching tine toes Of sme nsipid fool who lounges in the har- n. and plans out tricks fr smaller fry to rerretrate upon unsuspsct- ing old men and hal-witted inebriates We sec it in the neglected laws for apprentices the dsregared Sabbaths, the tempting g,oggery, the curtained dram hole. and private gambling room, We see it 1 in the effemnate spindle shanked generation who