The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-11-14

. Orr FEH&2&&HEReH a~k U0SssaSs
while Goyersor of this State learned
shat tho suffering for crime, as 8 rule, sen
not upon the o4ender, but upon his tauh ".
when I LOOK over our penM laws; eneu
sitles, TO MY mind, read beGw zen theiri j;
ss AIS M s,ss,;isya ,c;ces asd ckisdren9f atose
/ ,nbo ',;ol afe,sScir TERMS" Swas constantly
snnealed to to pardon conEicts for these
yeasons. and In some cases ny the iWEes OF
those 70 aosznade the complaints upon when
sI,e wrong-doer was convicted. When TINS
-,Cas to,<l.to them, their answer Was, that
yhi!e;tha. was true, yet when circumstances
uyere in Hail, where they were Fec anu
warmed. their wives aud children were lett
10 starve and freeze for want OF support.
There Is. no perfect way OF dealing with
crime. but there is no worse way than the
system OF this State. Some years ago a
leading lawyer OF New York traYeiied
through Egypt. he met the tchtef OF q
wandering tribe Of the desert, an a, among
other things, he told this Wild ,rnler OF our.
DAVIS, and the ways We dealt Wiincrisie. he
wac heard with establishment, and for the
airstttime he himself was struck with sheir
-absurdities. After bis return he used to
.say that he was never so Observation-Disclosures
nj his country rs when he was telling MS
simple-minded auditor what aaws we had
s1pon these subjects, and bowthey were en-
forced.
While we may not frame perfect systems,
much can be done to make better state OF
Thin as-te simplify justice, end to break. nj
-tbe Tendency to disorderly conduct and TO
yaerancy. We cannot hope to make any
marked improvement in oEg 1aiis. .Each
county must have one, and ITS population
will determine the character OF its place OF
confinement. Those in charge OF them will
be frequently changed, and, save in the
large cities, the number and cbaracterof the
inmates will not admit OF classification, etc:
The first change should be one that WILL
allow our Judges to impose punishments
other than sending the offenders 10 these
common schools Of vice.
AS nothing can be worse than our present
laws. there can be no harm in tryinglDew
plans. We must have iaiiS, rs there are
cases when the safety OF society makes it
necessary to lock men up. But as arule
other restraints can be used which VIII
check. not teach, crime. Our laws only al
low two punishments to be Inflicted for NIL
nor offences-fnes or imprisonment-2nd
these must be imposed without regard cage,
sex, condition, or circumstances. The law
demands these, 1t matters not what morai or
material mischief they may do. As arulernes
infiict distress on families and friends. while
jails are q gateway to course OF wicked
ness which leads to the State prisons. For
these reasons no punishments are lnflcted
until the offenders have grown into hard
ened criminals, who excite no sympathy.
There is no power to deal in n right way
with the first step in crime, with acts OF
mingled error and wrong-dong. 1t has
been my duty to look into great number
OF such cases, and have given much
thought and study to our statutes with re-
gard to them. Next to moral ana religious
Influences, we must rely upon the wisdom
of our laws with regard to youthful, of,
Tenders. 1t is comparatively an easy mat
ter to deal with grave crimes.
The first step toward reform Is to give
magistrates right, within certain limits, to
direct such punishments rs they shall see
are best fitted to reform wrong-doers. They
have all the facts before them, and best
know what is just and right In each case
This will not give them undue powers, bit
it will take away pretexts for not doing
their duty. Now they must fine, or impri-
son, or discharge. In many cases either OF
these courses lis unsuitable, and many
wrong-doers go free, for to enforce law
Gould only make things worse. =:
This stale of fittings is full Of evil. IT.
magistrates could bind them out to do work,
or direct the minors to be chastised by pa.
rents or guardians or suitable persons,
many would be saved from the moral lep-
rosy which infects or jails. Such or like
punishments would be inflicted, and there
would be no excuse for letting offenders
escape. 49,
Magistrates should have, in addition to
their present DO wers, the same right of con-
troll over Migrants, disorderly persons, and
hahitual offenders which parents or guar
dians have over their children or wards.
The fact that they belong to these classes
should he iudcially decided after GER
tain number OF convictions. When they
are thus enrolled in these classes they
should have no right 20 vote at any
election. AS our laws now stand.
notorious offenders who do no honest
work, who can only live in immoral
ways, are held to- be innocent persons,
when they are arrested, until the formal,
technical, and sometimes expensive, proofs
are furnished that they are guilty OF prac-
tices which there is Il moral certainty they
indulge in. This is right when they are
accused OF grave crimes. But there is no
hardship il putting such persons. into that
state Of Wardship in which The law places
all persons who are under the age 4of twen-
ty-one years, or who are afflicted With dis
ordered minds. Should diSorderly morals
Dc tuoiC }eu!CulIS 8Sate WILL chola oiSS-uSh'y
intellects?
There is no tlanger in giving magistrates
the power over habitual offenders which
parents and guardians have over miners-
that of making them york, OF binding them
out, and OF locking them up, and. in the
case OF children, having them chastised
rather than sent to ,jaiis. There is 40 req
son to fesr that this Punishment viii be !
used too often Or too .karshly. 1t would 4
rarely be applied, but shsald not be Raadet|
illegal. MS it,Rould give magistrates greatl
control, and would do much to put an endI
to the brayade and sWagser Of disorderly,f,
boys which are so much admired by their
weak or youthful companions Horatio
Seymour, ia HgEpsr's Magazine for Deem
Der.
x. had summoned a. cab and was veil on
his way, when the sborrible Suspicion that
he had left his pockeSrbook. at. home on the
piano became tesrible truth. :. Hi,
eoaehae," he exclaimed, as he neared his
"hold son-pull up-pve
dropped ffty-frane Rieee in the straw
here. Wait till run over to the shop OPP
posife and get a candle" So Saying he
sprang Aat OF the vehicle. and was neither
Dor displeassd to Aeethe cnashman
whip mp IFS horse and ,disappea ass0und
the corner at a2:134 gait
II ~.