Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1877-10-24
YANk DAKOTA.
The Daily Press and Dakotaian
WITH cRiMn.

- -- rrN l
The epidemic of frauds. forgeries and de.
falcations committed by persons in good so.
cial and business standing, which has fur
nished so many startling sensations In the
last few weeks, has been the fruitful theme
Of much journalistic preaching against the
special vices oftAe ags. The temper of the
press in discussing these matters displays o
noticeable reaction from the humanitarian
spirit which was abroad q few years ago,
and which was the fruit in great measure
of the teachings Of the Dickens and Victor
Hugo school of fiction, and Of the moral
philosophers Of the period. that society as
n whole was more largely to blame for crime
than the individual. This doctrine, while
based upon the recognition of the fact that
man is but the creature of his antecedents
and circumstapcss that his will, though
nominally free, is in reality necessarily
swayed By the motive which appeals most
strongly to his nature, just as certainly as
iron flies to the tombstone, had undoubtedly
been pushed To- the extreme of a maudlin
sen,imentality and sympathy with crime.
The reaction lisa healthy sign, but while
'he press demands in the sternest tones
that immunity for great rascals who rob
Thousands by commercial frauds as we'll ss
for tramps who rob hen-roosts and strip
clothes lines, shall cease, and the punish
ment for offenses be as certain, and, let us
hope, more discriminating than in the days
OF our forefatbers. the primary and original
responsibility of society should not be over.
looked. We cannot punish society, al
though collectively it may be more blame
worthy than the criminal, but as in the
U%niversalist creed. "it takes its punish
ment as it goes along" at the hands of those
whom its neglect and injustice have armed
against itself. We should not punish the
criminal in any spirit of revenge, or because
he deserves It. HIS deserts, considered in
the light of his opportunities and training,
nag be no worse than that of his respecta-
Die and honored neighbor.5 nevertheless he
must be punished as q deterrent to others,
or in other words to hold out by his exam.
pie a motive strong enough to overbalance
the tendencies of Others to the same course
of crime. When the subject is rightly un-
derstood there is no inconsistency between
punishment as q warning and a deterrent
and the philosophy which recognizes the
controlling influence of circumstances over
mans destiny and traces in our social sys-
tenn the inherent causes of crime,
The responsibility Of society for the class
ofcrimes at present under consideration
mightat first sight be supposed to he ne.
duced to a minimum, or not to exist at all.
Morton, Gilman, Sibley and linen of their
type, are men of more than the average
education and intelligence.-sprung from
the ranks of the best society. exceptionable
favored in their training; and surrounded
with every influence calculated to restrain
them from wrongddng. They at all
events cannot plead the excuse that neg.
lect. the neglect of opportunities, or vicious
associations drove them into crime. They
did not even feel the pressure of poverty
or want in any legitimate sense. The
!. means Of. q comfortable subsistence were
always assured, whatever reverses they
might sustain in business. Yet, neverthe-
less. society has a very deep responsibility
in connection with their fall. In the very
full and minute details which, led to these
offences, the fact is strongly brought on,
that the great object for which above all
others they toiled and struggled, was t
save their social position. Come wha'
might, that must be unheld at all hazards
Business might be dull and receipts. ovel
balanced BY expenses. but the style of liv-
ing must be kept up. Dress end equipage
must be as handsome as ever, the summe
months must@be spent out of. town, the
t~.yi,ensivs house inSthea most eligible local
lily, and the pew in the fashionable church
must bes retained. in ordsrthat the family
may not lose caste. It is very easy to ash
why, when compelled to face the prospec
If failure, Gid Asyinod I,satreach and lowe
their standard ofaliyisgs IL ! proportion t.
their means: Why, il. failure was newt.
,ablc, did they not manfnllv face the stu
sfr,ps, and begin 1ifesgain at the foot o
heladder? Supposing they had done s,
The very. people Who are holding up thei
i,andsf horror at the iturpitude of tn,
offenders would have shown them the col,
shoulder Or given theai The cut direct. OF
ii they did not, their wives and familie
would. II, rather than carry on q syste.
matte prOcess OF forgery and swindlinp
with the object of sustaining their socia
position. they had some down In the worl
and given up the s%uperduities of fashion
instead Of being received on the old fami
liar footing and honered for their courac
and nls~l!iuess.,4hey woald have!completel
droprsR sus Of sight oh recognition. Gil
man as q fugitive and Sibley in prison Il
no, more utterly dead to the worldin whic
they lived, than Gilman running a poorl
paying agency, or 6abley existing on
thousand dollar clerkship. 1t is useless