The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1876-05-27
The INCREASE OE CRIME

Wv ulIe'V attention 10 the letter {
Peter Gin since il 80 nearly relterate
lhe VIEWS enuuciated by u some dav
since We said then, and repeat now
that officers must be paid to suppre.
crime. Men will not risk life or Iinl
simply for glory aud thogcneal good n
society Neithorwll they throw ava,
time that might otherwise be- wmabl,
to them This transaction Of the State,
business rs charity should be mum
oer'd with the errors Of the past Tho
state Is not in such contemplate con.
ul'lon OF pauperism that she needs must
beg her officers 10 administer her Grim.
mai laws gratis When the Legislature
pays reasonable fees, when il offers
some adequate incentive for the arrest
OF criminals, we will see n more thor.
o'@h enforcement of law, but not till
then,
To the Editor OF the Dallas Herald
In u late issue Of TnE HERALD | no.
lice an article in which AN effort Is
made to account for the startling prcyn.
lence OF lawlcssness throughout tho
State, and the writer ascrlbcs il mainly
10 the want of power mthe hands of the
Executive to enable him To secure n
prompt and speedy execution of The
Laws Now ! shall not quarrel with the
author nor deny that this is one causc
OF the condition of things that is dnily
dlsgraemg our State, but this, in nv
opinion, Is far from being the only
cause of the increase of crime. ifit l.
the principal one, There is an insane
spirit of rcrenchment stalking over the
land, that forms the slogan of every
demagoguc in his strife for office which
in It's practical workings has done more
IN my opinion, to foster hwcssness In
this State than all other negative causes
combined. This may seem almost an
insane proposition, but let Us consider
It, This spirit Of rotrenchment in the |
prohigacy Of its economy and wisdom
itself during the Thirteenth |
Legislature, by one grand camp dehi
which ought to immortalile that
body rs the most astute On
set Of law giyers that have |
yet come to the front, This Legislature
acting on the principle of the corpora.
ton that begins a reduction of cx-
penses by curtailng the wages Of the
brakemen and tremen, while the
Dloated mognatcs hold on to what they
have, repealed the law allowing to ius.
ices of the peace, shcrins, constables
Etc, fees in ielonies and mislomennors
over which justices only had iurisdic-
ion rs examining magistrates, thus i'm.
posing on those officers the most labori.
,us duties without the possibility of re-
yard. Under the old law Justices and
Deace officers in preliminary trials of
elonies, for instance, were paid reason
BILE fees for their labor. In case the
ccused was committed or held to bail,
he State paid the fees, in case of dis
barge, the county paid them, Under
his law there was no premium for con-
teton and the equilibrium of the scales
t Justice was not disturbed by the hope
{ reward or the fear of loss. Then was
ere stimulus to vigilance. The Jus
ice knew that if he took cogni2ance of
crime and had to sit for u week on
rial of it, examine witnesses and write
age on page of testimony, he would
ct pay for his time and labor
he peace officer knew that if he had
} risk his life in arresting desperadoes |
nd ride day and night after witnesses
mploy guards, etc. he would be rcmu-
Grated by the State or county. Of
curse, there was stimulus to vigilance
nd activity in feriting out crime be-
'use it paid the officers to do it, Now I
is the verest folly to talk about an
licer or any body else working and :
;posing himself Ato danger, for mere @
Dry, or for his love of good order 4
en- will not work without they are q
id. The law was repealed. What is i
G legitimate result2 We find our
fcers (the best Of them too) always
ady to avail themselves OF any excuse s
at presents itself, for not enforcing -,
G laws. No justice of the peace,
leriif or constable is going to put him s
If to much trouble to hunt up felons,
! the glory of working a day or week /,
r nothing, The most laborious species
duty appertaining to the enforce i
ent Of our penal laws, is the holding y
examining courts, and to impose
ch burdens on men and eXpecta cheer 3
discharge of their duty without pay, In
inconsistent with common sense.
EN- are all human beings and subject
the frailties common to humanity,
ID one of the leading characteristics of y
Mortal nesh" is that without some
imulant to action men never act. u
Let the Legislature pay the servants ,
the State, Give men living wages if
VI expect good wook. You cannot get
en- to do much for nothing This kind 9
patriotism has played out. 1t is in :
ed poor economy to beggar officers
Nv them well for all they do and hedge r
ZEN in with penalties for misieasanee I
nonfeasance. Then there will be the
70 grand stimuli of human hearts that +
,er moved the world in the direction c
duty, operating on all alike-the I
,pe of reward and fear of punishment
Ours PETER GIFT.
Denton, Texas, May %, 1876 Z
---------------------