The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1875-07-01
TOO REFINED.
A Chapter On Punishmcnl.

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TOO REFINED.
A Chapter On Punishmcna.
In one sense, and from . certain
point Of view, it may perhaps safely
be said that there Is no possible dan
ger of too much refinement in our
civil and social methods. But in 9TH
er senses, and from other points of
view, it may be doubted whether, in
deed, it may not already have been
reached. Kid gloves are well enough
in their place aud way; but would be
out of place in breaking stone in the
highway; and there are reproofs and
reformatory processes which would
bring tears OF penitence to the sweet
cheeks Of a six year old girl, which
would have no more effect upon
tough old scamp, than the plash of a
rain-drop upon rock.
Something is clearly wrong in our
civil and social system. Ofienses alb
normally abound. The great crime
against life is dreadfully common.
And the country seems to be filled
with tramping loafers marching to
and fro, ready to rob, to burn, to
steal, to insult women and abuse
children, wherever they can find nm
unbolted gate or door a-jar.
We are not about to philosophize
as to the ways in which such things
come to be. The philosophy most
urgently now demanded, is that Of
repression, control and eradication.
And as to what is needed in that d.
rection, we have thought or two
which we wish to offer. We believe
that our civil methods have been too
much refined. In our endeavor to
civilize our civilization, we have gone
beyond the progress of events, and it
is needful to go back q little and
stand longer not very far from where
our fathers stood, until the millen.
mum gets practically good deal
nearer than it seems to be in Massa-
chusetts to-day. We are too lenient
with our criminals. We need to re-
sumo some ancient methods of treat
ment which are bettet adapted to hui
man nature as it is, and it is likely
to remain for some time longer in
this land, than that which has grown
up among US instead of them.
In the FIRST place, we are prepared
to advocate q return to corporal pun
ishment-on fit occasion-as a means
of legal restraint and retribution.
Take the case Of those tramps who
and now making themselves a nui-
sance all over New England. One Of
them enters house, and finding the
male members Of the family absent,
avails himself of the occasion to talk
and act obscenely, to indulge in petty
theft, if not robbery, and in every
way to terrify, and, for the time being,
tyrannize over the defenceless wo-
| men and children. He is arrested,
taken before Justice, complained Of
for petty larceny, or assault and bat
terry, convicted and-then the ques-
,ion arises what shall be done with
him? Send him to Jail; he rather
likes it-inasmuch as he is there de-
cidedly better lodged, and, on the
whole, better fed, than has been his
average for months. Feelings he
haa none to be hurt by his disgrace.
And. all things considered, while the
community gets the gain of his con
fine,nent from its annoyance, the
tramp gets the best end of the bar.
gain, after all. Such fellows have
really but one vulnerable point. Let
them he lied up and whipped, and
they come to terms, and acknowl-
edge that punishment has meaning
| which they can understand. Brute
force must be applied to brutes, and
these are bru,es. 1t is all very fine
to talk about the spirit Of the age,
and the MONDAY of civilization. and
the--varous things which form the
staples OF the speeches of certain
"philan,hropists," whose heads vie
with their hearts III sottness. Even
they would scarcely dare to rely upon
sugar plums, exclusively, in All EN-
counter with a wildcat. And every
sea captain knows that there are apt
to be sailors shipped in every crew
who would make hedlam Of the ship
unless the strong hand of brute force
were well-known by them to be ever
stretched ont for their restraint. We
do not advocate harslness least Of
all cruelty. But we do firmly believe
that there is now large section of
our criminal classes-great, over
grown, hulky boys and men, who
are iargel, imported from grades of
civilization essentially beneath our
own; which can only be kept in some
order that shall be safe for the general
community, by reviving the old ways
sufficiently to punish their oifenses
by cato nine tails well laid on.
Even their callousness will feel and
shrink from that, and it is about the
only thing which they can feel.
In the second place, we need to do
away with those dreadful and demor
alizing delays which are now apt to
attend the administration of our JUS
tice, such as it is. OF course there
ought to be neither unseemly nor un-
just haste. But, either by the increase
of tribunals, or by some enforced ac-
celeration of their processes, it ought
not to be possible for weeks and
months to pass before crime has its
trial, and confronts its punishment.
There is now, too often, a haze of
distance over all the processes Of le-
gal retributlon which immensely init
igates the dread they awaken in the
mind that looks forward to them; and
visions of possible escape, or of par
don, or of something that may turn
up" empty the law of half it's terror.
| We have refined the whole thing
till it has lost its temper and its
edge. Bose Recorder.
The primary election system Of
nominating candidates, originally
known in Iowa as the"Crawford coun-