Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1877-10-10
CLEARFIELD, Pa, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1877

VIZ uii ~ VIII INV vi uUltNH " tutt
? is put directly upon the evil itself. i
Q our view, the very first reformation I
be effected is in the administration Q
|, law and Justice. One great cause,
not the great cause OF the evil, lies jus
? here, in the laxness with which exist
I ing laws have been enforced. We de
f sire earnestly to propose the question
. to all these who are looking for a rem
edy for this state Of things: Why no
! try PUNISHMENT? Without any fea
of contradiction, we assert that thi
has not been fairly tried-notf for many
: long years. We have our State pris
ons and our city prisons and county
lails and penitentiaries for juvenile dc
linquents, and they are uniformly fill
ed to overaowing, but we do not hcsl
tate to say, in the face of all thes,
facts, that we have not tried punish
ment as preventative 10 crime.
The popular notion N regard TO th,
design Of punitive laws is very deiec
tive. Many social refoImers and phi
lanthropists regard the penalties Of
criminal law as designed simply tC
promote the reformation of convicted
criminals, and the sympathy due tc
society is, in consequence, largely ex-
pended on its enemies, to say nothing
OF the utter sinking of the idea Of jus
tice. Efforts have been directed rather
to the amelioration of the punishment
Of the guilty, often to surrounding
them with comforts and sources of en-
Iioyment. The rigor and terror Of law
has thus been largely taken away.
In saying that punishment has not
been tried as a preventative TO crime,
we have in view facts which are pa
tent to all. Crime is now committed,
to great extent, with absolute impu-
nifty; and where il is not, punishment
is so tardy and often so out OF proper.
tion to the offences, and so frequently
mitigated, or altogether set aside, that
it seems to be OF little account in the
eyes Of evil doers. The following is a
history Of cases without number: A
crime IS committed perhaps the of.
fender is arrested although in mum.
berless instances he escapes arrest
through the Of friends, If not of the
officers OF the law). Months elapse
before he is brought up for trial, and
then, under one pretext and another,
the trial is postponed until months
again have elapsed and the evidence
against him has become dissipated. All
sorts Of technical obstacles are allowed
TO interpose between the offender and
the punishment he deserves. II he is
convicted, another long delay occurs
in an effort to obtain new trial, which
is frequently successful; and when
months or years have passed away,
justice Is worried out and yields up
her claims altogether If he is con.
demned, then comes the struggle tor
commutation or unconditional pardon,
and the freedom with which pardons
have been dispensed by the executive
powers has become scandal TO the
public. We presume that very few
who are now sentenced to prison, ex-
pect TO serve out their time.
How many Of the most noted crimi-
mails escape punishment altogothor2
What mockery OF Justice have we
had in the five years dallying with the
notorious gang of robbers who plumber.
ed our city treasury of millions OF dol.
lars, and added tens of millions to its
debt A year ago the nation was in.
formed that the public revenue had
been defrauded to the extent of mil.
lions OF dollars by combination OF
whiskey manufacturers, comprising
scores if not hundreds of dealers, and
that the evidence against them was
complete. Three hundred of these
men were indicted, but not one of
them is today suffering merited pun.
ishment. One man who had been sen
fenced, was set at liberty a few days
since, on pardon by the President,
and the rest are enjoying the perfect
freedom Of citizenship. What has be.
come OF all who have embezzled pub
lie and private funds, United States,
State and municipal officers, and other
custodians2 What has been done
with the thousands that rose mp few
weeks since, setting all law at def
ance, committing murder and arson
and robbery? Afew have been brought
to trial and sentenced, but not one of
them, we believe, for the term of a year.
One of tho avowcd leaders was sen.
fenced to five days imprisonment. If
such gross offenders escape, what re.
straint can there be on petty crimi.
nails?
We do not pretend now to indicate
whore the blame for this state of things
lies, but We wish TO express the con.
vietion that the first thing needed for
the protection OF society and the sup.
preston OF crime is reform in the
administration Of laws Of the land, and
in dispensing justice to criminals. The
reform must begin here, or all attempts
at the reformation of criminals will
be failure. The civil magistrate is
as much "thc minister of God, in his
sphere to protect society, as is the
minister of the gospel to promote
moral reform. and the latter will not
be successful while the former neglects
bis high duty. We reiteratc the con.
viction that what is most needed to-
day, in the way OF accomplishing both
moral reform and the suppression of
crime, is the evidence that certain,
swift, adequate and relentless punish
mcnt will overtako offenders against
the laws Of the land Tho evidence
now is in the contrary direction
Nao York Observer.
-. -