American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-04-04

get into and get the thing that he wants
but he does get into some other establish
ment, and takes the change from the
money drawer, or some other article of
property that lie can pawn for little
! money, and thus procure the means of
gratifying his appetite; and similar re-
| suits follow. Or one of your jovial fell
lows, that takes his "sprees," but has
not as yet got quite SO low down as the
| Others, meets an old comrade that he has
not seen for a long time, and must needs
"show him around" He goes to a livery
stable, hires a horse and buggy to take a
ride; starts out, gets on tear" over
stays his time, is pursued, found the next
day at some cross-r roads or country vii
lage, drunk, and it may be offering to sell
the horse and buggy: is arrested, con-
victed of horse stealing, and sent to the
Penitentiary. Another is ON "spree,"
has spent all of his money, must have
more, FORCES the name of his employer to
an order for ten dollars, in order to raise
means to continue his revel; is arrested
and sent to the Penitentiary. These are
all crimes against property. Had liquor
nothing to do with thems ~
These, Mr.. Editor, are not Imaginary
cases, but each is substantially the history
of men now in the Penitentiary. And l
am safe in saying that similar cases may
be numbered at least by the score.
An examination of our records Is to
the personal habits of those who come to
the Penitentiary shows the following as
the result: Out of 1 ,495 men (wOmen not
included) who have been received into the
prison since it has been under my charge,
GAG were incorporate, 11S moderate drink
ers and so beer drinkers, leaving 3S1 who
claimed to be temperate. And here per-
NIT me to say that the idea that "crim-
mails as a class are inclined to excuse
themselves for offenses by throwing the
blame on whisky" is decidedly a novel
one. Just the opposite is the truth of
the matter. Human nature Is the same in
a man after he has been convicted of
crimes that it was before. And about
nit ever is the fact that he is drunk
ard. This disposition is sometimes
amusingly illustrated: In examining
man as to his previous history
and habits, when asked whether he
was Incorporate, he answers very
promptly, "Oh, no." "Did you ever
drinks" "Oh, yes, drank sometimes,
but was not Incorporate at ALL" By and
by the question comes: "What led you
into the commission of the crime for
which you are sent here?" "Well "-he
Summers and hesitates a while-finally
out comes the answer, II was drunk"
The records of this and every other prison
in the land show conclusively that large
majority of the inmates are those who
have grown up without any proper moral
training They were educated in saloons
and dram-shops; followed the example of
the frequenters of such places; it was
there they contracted those habits that
made them thieves, burglars, robbers,
and pickpockets. The fact that they
are such is the legitimate fruit of the
they received in these schools
of vice.
If you, MIR. Editor, have occasion to |
seek an interview with any gentleman of
standing and repute in your |
do you think of going to
saloon to look for him? Is that the place |
where you expect to find any pure, up
right, honest man? But if the police of
your city are on the lookout for thief,
or criminal of any sort, are not
these the first places where they set their
watch, and where, in all probability, they
will find their man? Are not such char
acters naturally as much at home in such
places as a duck is in the water?
Is there no significance in these facts?
And in view of them, is the assertion that
crime is largely the result of these causes
al incautious statement"
Destroy the liquor traffic in the land,
aHd | will give bonds that the number of
he inmates of your Penitentiary shall be
by more than 600, as soon as
he sentences of those now here shall have
Expired, and the inmates of your poor
houses of an equal proportion.
r. BURR.