The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-03-31
MONDAY, MARCH, 81 1873.
THE effort to secure a Communication Q


sentence in Fosters case has been ioI'
lowed by q widespread discussion IN !nC
press touching the effectiveness OF capital
penalties as preventive Of crime
From the tone oil the papers that engage
IN the discussion 1t Is apparent that pub
Iic opinion on this question is growing
skep,icsl as to the virtues Of the gallOWs'
A large number OF executions have taken
place within the last few months, many
cC them within a fortnight But as
las, as the ValIows takes of its Victims
(resh subjects offer themselves by the
comniltal of fresh murders from day to
day.
II really does appear that the punish
ment of murdefhas little or no influence
in preventing other murder. We are
very much inclined to think that all ex-
listing theories of dealing with crime
which proceed on the idea OF prevention
bv the example of exemplary punish
mept. are radically defective. The execu-
lion Of felon insures society against
further offence from him. But itremains
to be shown that it has any appreciate
effect on the commission Of crime by
others The error on which our criminal
svs,ems are based is, VIC conCeive,a tunda'
mental one, like that committed by the
nh,siciap who tries TO cure disease by
suppressing its symptoms. What we call
crime is only the symptom Of q depravity
that prcvades and Affects society. While
the general tone and condition Of any
community or country remains unchang-
ed. there will be u surprising uniformity
in the amount of offences against lie ana
property within its limits from year 10
year, and the larger the boundary includ'
cd in the observation the more surpris-
ipply exact this uniformity will be. This
ia no mere speculative proposition. It's
fact that has been ascertained by phil
osophcal writer's after exhaustive re-
search into tho statistics Of many
countries. If this be true, 1t can
matter little so far as influence on
future offences is concerned what dis
position is made of offenders, beyond the
prevention OF further crimes by them.
Those who rob and kill are lmpelled by
causes that lie in a substratum below
the influence OF tho consequences; and
auy criminal system that fails to recog-
nize the fact IS radically defective and un'
successful.
Tho way to diminish crime is to dimin'
;sh the cause Of it. The axe must be
laid to the root. The stimulus must be
lcssened, the temptation taken away. In
word, to lessen crime the condition Of
the classes must be improved. The way
10 effect. this ia not to appeal to their
blunted moral sense but TO ameliorate
their physical condition. The moral per-
ceptions grow as physical comfort in
creases. This is the question to which
phiIanthropisls and political economists
should direct their chief efforts Tor the
prevention Of crime. Unless there is q
mitigation Of the conditions which stimu'
late crime as surely and naturally as heat
and moisture do vegetation, the hangman
is only reaper who takes Oft the crop.
1t Is sure to be renewed with unlagging
growth SO long as the conditions oil root
and soil remain the same. We may &c
on harvesting from week TO week and
from month TO month, but new murders
will succeed those cxpiatcd, fresh victims
will mount the scalold to take the places
of those swung of. The crop Of new Of
tenders will no more be deferred from
coming up 10 meet their tate than the Sec
ond growth oil the clover field is deferred
by the Iate Of the first.