The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-09-09


not, for time at least, demonetize gold and
make uniform legal-tender currency as the
only money of the country.
THE HABITUAL CRIMINALS ACT AT
WORK.
From the London Saturday Reviec.
The Habitual Criminals act is fairly in ope-
ration Some of its provisions have been put
in force during the past week. Several men
have been sentenced to imprisonment with
hard labor, for periods exceeding two months,
as a punishment for assaulting the police. 1t
is this principle of the new act the enforce
ment of which will become known sooner.
and make a wider impression, than any other.
The ''roughs" of the metropolis have so long
been accustomed to pummel and kick the
police that the application of the longer SEN
tences will produce the same effect which
chlffney bit produces on a vicious three-year-
old. Some of their kind it will entirely sub
due others it will irate to madness. In some
districts the new law will produce profound
quiet; in others, angry and vindictive repri-
sails. But the provision for furnishing these
assaults on the police, though an important.
is not the most important, part of the new
act. The distinctive characteristic of the act
is that it has swept away one of the most time
| honored prejudices of English criminal law
| How often have not we all heard the effective
appeal to the jury and the audience which
vibrated in the words, Every Englishnan is
innocent until he is proved guilty How
often has the most practised criminal-the
| prisoner of eight or ten previous convictions
been covered by the shield of this princi-
pie, not only from every proof of former
guilt, but from every hint at it! He might
have come out of prison for the tenth time:
but the most indirect alluson to mis- former
life would have been denounced, not only as
unfair, but as illegal. And how much of the
roaming, rowing, aggressive crime OF the day
do we not owe to the liberal spirit in which
this principle was interpreted and carried out!
Now, however, there is an end to the eXces-
sive latitude both of its construction and of
its influence. The man who has been the
subject of previous convictions will no longer
profit by the studied reticence of the criminal
law in his behalf Part of his sentence, when
he is found guilty, will be that he remain
under the observation of the police
for seven years. During these seven
years it will not be sufficient for
him to escape detection; he must also
avoid suspicion. If after second
conviction such man be suspected by any
police officer of getting his livelihood by dis
honest means, then the onus will lie upon him
of rebutting this suspicion. If he fail to
show that he is earning an honest livelihood,
he will then be subject to imprisonment Tor
term not exceeding twelve months, with
or without hard labor. The same punishment
will hang over him if he be found lurking OF
lettering about premises with the evident IN
tention of committing, or aiding IN the com
mission of, certain crimes.
This is so great novelty in our criminal
procedure that it is not to be wondered at II
many people have not yet become reconclled
| TO it, And il is one which requires very
urgent necessity to justify it. Severe as the
new law is we yet believe it to be fully
justified by the condition of things which
Iroyoked it. When the old principle to
which we have referred was first broached,
! the crimes of modern culprits were only acci.
dental. not trade. For the highwayman and
? the armed robber there was speedy and sum
: | mary punishuent beyond the scope OF actua
law The class of offenses now brought
> | under the seyerer cOgniZance OF law Is tht
= | slow growth of wealth, trade, ana clVlizatlon
. It was only when commerce ana Wealth mac
- greatly increased that they ohered' OF seemeo
. 70 offer an ADEQUATE compensation for the
T, lohors of n life devoted to their plumber
;, Robbery of various kinds became pro
fession only when its professional galni
balanced its dangers and prlVatlohS' lh'
profession existed a long time, whlle lt
professors still were regarded only IL
h their individual and not IN tnel
Il corporate, capacity. 1t is only mter more more
f than a century's experience Oh Vne
I and vitality which numbers collplll'ioii' ' aii'
training give to systematic lawlesshess ness Una Una
If we begin to view them in their real character
If And it was high time that sucn "a a cHang ta,ra
J, should take place, When men PaSsea 'nieG iie1;
d fourths of their lives in undergoing ana quah
le fyine for imprisonment, there was humor
IL Gus but mischievous irony in persistent I'll
Il treating them, after every new conviction :i
le as casual backslders from the path OF virtue
% The rogue was equipped by the law "itn IN
W armor of an honest man TO nghe o8a.la
n society. He was as much an enemy as
10 pirate, freebooter, LEVER OF Dlack lhal az
ID But though everybody else knew .nis, VI u
at judges and the jury were not allowed
t. know it, except under restrictions whlc
le would be unintelligible to continental tribu
n nails In recognizing his real character
is society only uses the most obvious mean
IN of self-defense. 1t simply deprive
Id him of privilege wmch