Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1867-05-11
The Ere o. Crime.

Never 10 the misery Of AmeStoes oss
crims bssa - prevalent - u b ct tAs prs.
sent time, ana Il behoovss those who have
The interest Of society and the we'll being
of,hs rising generation At heart to examine
iuto The oasss. and, ifpessible. hnd rem
sdy for The prsssus existing iaxity Of mos>
els. Crime, 70 greater extent than ct any
ether time, follows in the wake Of war.
Strife Of any kind. n ali tinss dsbssss and
often destroys the best feelings and aifsc-
tises Of our reee. causing total disssgsrd
for the su6erings, privations and sorrows
Of hsnssity. Il ebliesrates tho tender pas
sioos Of sympathy. charity. kindness and
love, and in their stead engcndcrs the pass
sions Of hate, revenge, intolerance, anger
and wrath. II 10 an old saying that
"ldeness 10 the father Of crms.' Without
some active engagement and wholesome
employment, the mind wandsrs astray from
that which il right, and creates unwhole.
seine. unlawful desires and appetites, pro-
ducing iongings for those things which des
morslize both soul aud body. making men
disrcgsrdful of all legitimate restraints i'm
posed on communities by custom or law
aud when once the barrier is past the mag.
ni,ude Of the offences committed ceases TO
to the governed by any reasonable bounds
and crime, like many other ailictions, hes
comes epidemic. aud preys upon tbs vitals
Of morality until the whole comm unity be =
comes sickensd and disguatcd, and begins
to lock into and Try 70 ascertain the best
means for ita prevention and eradication.
Ph'lAnthr ,pists from the earliest ages have
sought for some agency BY which crime
could be as far as possible prevented and
restrained. But up to tho present time the 9
efforts have met with but poor success, the
knowledge Of which has to certain extent
deferred others from making A. great q
crusade against immortality as they other
wise would have done. This however,
should not prevent those who desire the
advancement Of tho people, to uss all appli.
anccs known, and to hunt up new instru-
mcnt. to aproot the present and 10 prevent
future evils. In the first place, put in Of
fetal position none but responsible, earnest
honest, God fearing men. Those who have
committed cranes are seldom III agents for
its prevention. Commence at the foun.
tain. head place no men in position TO
make or carry gu, laws whom il is no,ori.
Gus disregard them. Foster industry, give
every one the means for making decent.
honest, and comfortable living; encourage
. love for the arts aud sciences, make vir-
tue more attractive than vice countensnce
all rational amusemcnis and exercises flr
the body and mind; endeayor to have the
y,uth Of both sexes attend Divine worship
trcqucntly and regularly. make the Church
es and Sunday schools attractive and en-.
dcavor 20 instill into the minds Of our
youth. SO that tine cannot oblisssate il, the
Golden Rule; to do unto others - they
would others shosld unto them, AID learn
to inculcats he divine spirit Of forgiveness.
nationally and collectively ~ well - in>
dividualDy. Firss snnihilats crimes against
the nation, and then sEssts 10 prevent
crimes against communities and individuals
viii not prove 30 hard or desperate an IN.
dertaking. Let US erase the beams from thc
eyes OF legislators. and then there will be
less difficulty in renewing the notes ths.
interfere with che moral sight Of the people.