The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-02-21
USE o CRIME.

~
fallen so short as in its practical
dealings with crime. For certain
crimes, instinct itself points out
the punishment, and deals with
the criminal as he had dealt with
his victim. Blood cries aloud for
blood, and the wretch who wars
against the peace and security OF
society, who preys upon property
by robbery, or destroys it by arson,
or violently assaults female purity
meets the fate by common consent
accorded to open enemies OF the
human race. He is pronounced
unfit to live, as unsafe to be per-
mitted to so at large, and stained
with guilt too fragrant to satisfy,
the demands Of justice by the sim
pie act of restricting his liberties.
SO far all civilized societies, not in
fected by false humanitarian ideas,
are agreed.
But there is a larger and more ca
tive class of criminals whose offence
are more yenial because influenced
as often by human infirmltles as by
absolute viciousness, criminals I'M
der temptations, falling under the
pressure of bodily wants, yielding
under sudden impulses; or, indif-
ferent to all moral and legal obliga-
ton, willing to stake the gratifica-
ton of their desires against the
chances of detection and punish
ment. This class, also, is deserving
Of punishment, as troublesome enc
mics of society, and the law metes
out a penalty presumably proper
tionate to the offence. 1t is IN
dealing with this grade of crime
that the fallacy of human wisdom
to which we lefer, exhibits itself.
Society, while furnishing the gull
ty Furnishes also itself by sharing
the penalty. 1t takes upon itself,
in general, the whole burden of
the maintenance of the prisoner, as
if the demands of justice, were sat
listed, and the rights of the injured
citizen indicated by the act of de-
privation of liberty. There is moth
ing more illogical than such a con-
clusion. Leaving out of view the
indifference with a depraved crimi-
nal regards restraint upon his lib
erty, what is more unjust than to
add to the burden already laid
upon the citizen By far the lar
ger class of crime for the consider
alton of the courts is that of theft.
The guilty party is arrested, tried,
convicted, and sentenced to a term
of imprisonment. The loss to the
citizens is complete. The law makes
him no restitution. The prisoner
enters upon his term of service in
IN the penitentiary or IN the county
Jail, and that same citizen, already
a loser by the crime, is taxed for
the support of the criminal during
his term of service. Is this Just,
or is it even common sense?
1t has been the good fortune of
of this State, in its dealing with
crime, to wake up to the value of
practical ideas, and under the pres
sure ofnew enterprises in Internal
Improvements, and the poverty of
its e~xchequer, to lessen the burdens
of the support of the convicts, by
putting them to profitable labor.
But, besides the tenants Of the pen
itentiary, there are in the ninety
four counties in the State, as many
more criminals, confined for a term
less than authorize committal to
the State prison; these criminals
serving out their term in idleness,
rlpening in congenial seclusion for
farther future criminality. and in
iured society and the sorely press