New-York tribune., 1870-08-20

and vice, we OOuDt vi We ha'O % a,
interfere but when one of the hundred fuhy
fedged, commits murder, or picks pocke..
we try to seize him with the strong arm OF
the law. Is the manufacture of criminals
then, not as great crime as petty theft
II is a safe estimate that two-tbirds OF our
street bepgars are unauthorized recipients OF
public charity, and are thus kept from foiiow
ING useful occupations. A large NUMBER Oh
these are children thrown on the streets 10
copy the worst vices of society. AS we pass
along, we are met by the pale, squalid face OF
a duplicating woman with child, or the
helpless dirty hand of q boy is raised for a
penny to buy some bread" Probably 1t Is
for pennies to go to the theater, or to furnish
liquor to drunken father IL we give, we are
harassed by some such doubt, and also with
the knowledge that we have not yet com
plete system for supplying the suffering poor.
Perhaps we give on the mere chance OF doing
good, and under the bare possibility that
it is case of actual merit, but in
reality we lend our influence to increase
the army of street beggars, worthy and
worthless, which forms the nursery OF vice.
Two classes have some claims to public char
ity. First, the halt, the manned, and the blind'
who cannot support themselves. For these
there should be comfortable public institutions,
where, besides support, every thing possible
should be done to heal and restore. The second
are the accidentally poor, who may be entitled
to temporary relief until proper effort secures
legitimate support. 1t seems unfair to saddle
the families of worthless vagabOnds, who re-
fuse to support them, on the public, yet they
have, in certain cases, some claim. with lew
exceptions, those who are in the habit OF get
ting "into misfortune" are the indolent or
shftless. Having once leaned on other should
ers, they want to continue it. For their own
sake and that of society, this should be
prevented. 1t is customary, and right,
that the needy should first lean on
their own family, who can help them.
II seems to be necessary for the safety of the
community that certain aroma of disrespect-
ability should surround public pauperisnl, and
that is a reasonable family pride which can
boast that none of its members were permitted
to fall on public charity. There is a very con-
siderable class who only want encouragement
to be paupers, OF to be self-suppOrting They
are what we call trifing peOple"-shiftless,
Ddu managers, luuOltuI. ClOlu buVoC NoiiiO bOoo
of our criminals and paupers. They spend
their own lives uselessly, and rear children
fearfully exposed to crime. Yet 1t cannot be
ignored that our worst criminals are from a
better class, who, from pride or other causes,
have not been taught to work. Those who
have been too proud to teach their children an
honest trade may, in their old age, be har-
assed because they have learned dishonest
one. We have, probably, as large pOpula-
ton as can be found anywhere who, without
learning to make their wits honestly profitable
are nevertheless determined to live by
their wits. Some pick pockets in a
vulgar way, others swindle the gulible indi-
vidual and the gullible corporation, and are
worshiped so long as they can keep out of
the penitentiary. Your polished vagabond is a
hero, although in Europe he may be an en-
peror, OF, in the United States, the president
of railroad company. Concerning this latter
class we have little hope There may possibly
as pariahs, or judicial machinery be so perfect
that their calling will be impossible.
For every sharp, polished rascal, there are
hundreds of vulgar rascals. These, as well as
the others, crowd the cities, which swallow up
both our best blood and brain and our worst
scapegraces. The former give them power, the
latter make them resemble great ulcers.
Are crime and pauperism on the increase
We fear they are. Probably our vicious ele-
ments increase faster than our virtuous I'm
migration swells the number of our criminals,
but we also make many. Religious and moral
training have not received all the attention
they should. We want better system for
both criminals and paupers. Our increasing
population and multiplying crimes admonish
us that we have neither done enough nor all
that we could do. Our towns doubtless need
better draining and better ventilation, but the
condition of our moral sewerage appeals more
urgently for improvement We shudder at
our statistics of infant mortality, and the city
record of deaths " from one year old and un-
"dern would hOrrify HerOd but, after all, the
unhappy fate of large percentage of the survi-
vOrs is greater calamity. Crime and pauperism
should be treated to some extent as diseases.
The willful murderer has no difficulty in max
ing plea of insanity; yet how wretchedly
insane are our petty thieves who lead a life
of wretchedness, fear and shame, in country
where every branch of honest labor invites to
a life of comparative comfort and respect!
Our civilization is loudly called on for a sys-
tenn SO intelligent and comprehensive that the
street beggar shall cease, and our criminals,
caught, shall be subjected to reform
atOry process, lasting until there is reasonable
hope that the criminal can be risked in So
ciety. We might ss well turn loose so many
tigers and hyenas on the streets, as men who
we know will commit crime. Parents who
have failed to educate their children properly
must be prepared for the assumption of that
task by society. Nothing else will check the
carnival of crime.