The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-02-08
The Increase of Cnme-Its Causes and
Remedies.

IyHGE LUDLOW duuACoo w 0uS OANhN
Jury last Monday, expressed the opinion that
Ga most fearful, determined struggle between
right and wrong, virtue and vice, law and
order, is now going on in this country; and
unless the current of crime is instantly
checked, it will soon, very soon, sweep away
from the land all we consider good. For the
first time ia the history of the Eastern Peni-
tentiary, every cell is crowded; and the sad
dest fact of all is that over ta0o-thirds of the
inmates are Under twenty-five gears of GgeP
The mere fact that there are more conVicts
in the Penitentiary than ever before does not
of itself necessarily prove that there are more
than the ordinary proportion of criminals in
the community. AS the population of the
city increases, the number OF criminals is
naturally larger, and the Penitentiary might
in time come to be filed in that way alone.
Or q more strict and rigorous administration
of justice might result in the conviction of
larger proportion of criminals than usual, and
so apparently increase their numbers. I'm
fortunately, however, we can hardly solace
ourselves with any such explanations of the
present phenomenon. The alarming increase
of crime forces itself upon our view in too
many ways, and from too many quarters, to
allow of any doubt concerning its reality.
And as Judge Ludlow we'll remarks, the sad
dest fact connected with it is the increase of
crime among the young. This is something
truly startling. 1t should arouse the earnest
attention Of every good citizen.
Doubtless much of the increase of crime
is due to the Generalization incident to so
great war as the one through which we have
just passed. 1t is part OF the general cost
of the struggle forced upon us by those who
attempted to Ioverthrow the Government
Such a result was to have been anticipated,
and is perhaps less than we had reason to
fear.
There is something, too, in the present con
dition of the country which tends to produce
an increase Of certain classes Of crimes in
the Northern States. Since the close OF the
war we have received large accessions Of
thieves, picl1pockets, robbers, and gamblers
from the South. They abound in all our
large cities. They find a more profitable
field of operations here than at home.
But there are other causes to which much
of this increase Of crime, especially among
the young, is due. Judge Ludlow attributes
it in part "to want of proper training oi
our young men, and to the destruction of the
apprentice system" They are restrained
neither by parents nor masters. 'As soon as
their days work is over they are thrown en-
mGSSe upon society; they resort to low dens
of gambling and prostitution, become the
companions of thieves and prostitutes, have
no self-respect, and so hasten to their ineVi-
table destruction"
There is much of truth in these sugges-
tiOns. The overthrow of the apprentice sys-
TEN has wor ked badly in morals as well as in
business. Under that system not only were
young men taught to be good mechanics and
citizens, but some care was taken of their
habits and morals. Now they grow up into
half-taught workmen, mere bungers in their
trades, while increasing numbers of them 90
to swell the army of those who prey upon
society by their vices, or become its open
enemies by their crimes. There is also lack
Ofparental restraint which is disastrous in its
consequences. Mere boys, who ought to be
at home, are allowed to spend their evenings
in wandering about the streets, forming evil
associations and learning lessons of vice,
And then, also, there are thousands of
children victims Of poverty and want
who really have no homes that are worthy Of
the name. 1t is from this class that the great
army of criminals draws its never-failine
supplies.
In protecting itself against crime, society
must depend partly upon LGD and partly upor
moral influences. When crime has been com
mitted, the law should impose its penalt,
promptly and certainly. The lax admins
tration of the criminal law is one of the chic
causes of the prevalence of crime. The law
are good enough, their penalties sever
enough, but their execution is feeble an
uncertain. Criminals escape so constantl,
through the connivance or Incidence of th
officers of the law, that the law loses all i
terrors. 1t may well be questioned, to
whether the requirement Of unanimous We
dict of jury to convict, is not far more OF
defense for criminals than it is a protection
innocent persons. We believe that the be
interests of society would be greatly su
served by such change in our criminal ID
as should allow two-thirds or three-fourt
OF jury to convict.
But our chef protection against cril
must be in those influences which tend
prevent men from becoming criminals. II
is great subject, and one which demar
far more attention than il has vet raceiv