The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1869-05-20
The Prevention of Crime.

minds of so many thoughtful people rela-
tive to the fruitful sources of crime and the
means of preventing it. The agitation so
far has been confined chiefly to the effica-
cy of different systems ofprison discipline
and the influence OF education on morals.
A conviction is rapidly gaining ground
that our systems of discipline are lament
ably defective. but what constitutes che
remedy is a puzzle that as yet has received
unsatisfactory solution. Thoughtful people
are also beginning to suspect that intelli-
gence and literary education are not to be
depended on as bulwarks for the preserva-
ton of morals Such sentiments in re-
gard to the efficacy of scholastic education
have been usually esteemed heresy by
our people, but heresy or orthodoxy, they
are rapidly gaining ground.
As to the means Of securing public and
private morality, newspaper article IS too
short 70 give opportunity for more than
mere glance at them. Yet it is through
the agency Of the press that the discussion
of the question for the benefit Of the peo-
pie must be carried on We shall, then,
take for granted that efficacy is to be found
in the means Of prevention by inducing to
virtue rather than in any particular meth
cd or rigor of punishment. Though the
first object of punishment is generally es-
teemed to be the reformation Of the often
der, yet such efforts, worthy as they are,
constitute the least efficient agencies in
the prevention of crime Nor does it seem
at all clear at least to our mind, that the
offenders reformation is made the chief
object Of punishment on grounds of good
philosophy so much as through COM
mendable philanthrophy The solitary
system was devised with special reference
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if anything is capable of demonstration,
then was it plainly demonstrated in our
own county Court that the. system was
total failure in that respect. Within the
walls of the Allegheny penitentiary, the
murder of Cassie Munday and Polly Paul,
among the most cold-blooded on record,
was devised by prisoners occupying differ
ent cells, and directions and descriptions
were so accurately given by one party to
others soon to be released that they follow
ed them as easily as one who guides his
course by the wake Of ship.
AS TO the influence of literary or other
education of an intei;ec ctual character in
the promotion of morality, it comes to
this /: The properties of mans nature are
threefold-physical, intellectual and nor
al We could with as much propriety,
train the moral to develop the physical, Or
the physical to develop the intellectual, as
to train the intellectual to develop the
moral. Yet those who advocate scholastic
education and the spread Of general intel
ligence in order to secure morality are do
ing this very thing, this very absurd thing.
Whoever will trouble himself to 90 on the
streets even Of our villages, will find some
men weak in intellect and ignorant as pos
sible, who are scarcely less harmless than
pigeons, and others Of the same class as Vi
cious as a cross dog, and immoral as imnor-
ality yitself So, also. will he find the same diff
ference in men of intellect and culture
Intellectual education is a good thing, a
splendid and necessary thing, but it is not
TO be depended on for the maintenance of
morality.
On what, then, are We to rely for the
promotion Of morals asks the reader
Not on statutes, not on intellect nor intel
lectual education, bat on the training of
the young Gin the way they should 90,
and when they are old they will not de
part from it" answers the editor Many
adverse influences may exist, by reason Of
bad laws, or financial or political troubles,
that will often overthrow all that private
effort may do, but private effort, and
it alone, prompted by parental love
can be depended on for upright, well
balanced men and women Moral socie-
ties prohibiting this or that vice necessa-
rily make lop-s;ded creatures. among a
people who receive Christian religion, it
alone is able to organize and concentrate
and give the greatest eject to private ex-
ertions.