The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-11-21
qatHtscellauen1rs.
onn puN1snMENTs FOR CRIME.

Iamliy. w u6u lOOk ONpA WI P"+"'
laws, their titles, to my mind, read be-
tween their lines, "ActS to punish wiUeS
and children Of those who viOIoteiheir terms"
was constantly appealed to to pardon
convicts for these reasons, and in some
cases by the wives of those who made
the complaints upon which the wrong
iloer was convicted. When this was told
to them, their answer was, that while
that was true, yet when the husbands
were in Jail, where they were fed and
warmed, their wives and children were
left to starve and freeze for want OF sup
port.
There is no perfect way of dealing
with crime, but there is no worse way
than the system of this State. Some
years ago leading lawyer of New York
travelled through Egypt. He met the
chief of wandering tribe Of the desert,
and, among other things, he told this
wild ruler Of our laws, and the ways we
dealt with crime. He was heard with
astonishment, and for the first time he
himself was struck with their absurdi-
ties. After his return he used to say he
was never so thoroughly ashamed of his
country as when he was telling his sim
ple.minded auditor what laws we had
upon these subjects, and how they were
enforced
While we may not frame perfect sys-
TENS, much can be done to improve the
condition of things-to simplify justice,
and to break up the tendency to disor'
derly conduct and to vagrancy. We can
not hope to make any great improve
ment in our jails. Each county must
have one, and its population will deter.
mine the character of its place of con-
tinement. Those in charge of them will
be frequently changed, and save in the
large cities the number and character Of
the inmates will not admit of ClassiiCa-
ton, etc.
The first change should be one that
will allow our judges to impose punish
ments other than sending the offenders
to these common schools of vice.
AS nothing can be worse than our
present laws, there can be no harm try
ing new plans. We must have jails, as
there are cases when the safety of soci.
ETY. makes it necessary to lock men up.
But, as a rule, other restraints can be
used which will check, not teach, crime.
Our laws only allow two punishments to
be inflicted for minor ohenses-fnes or
mprisonment-and these must be i'm
posed without regard to age, sex, COndi
ton or circumstances. The law de-
mands these, it matters not what moral
or material mischief they may do. AS
q rule, fines inhict distress on families
and friends, while jails are gateway to
q course of Wickedness which leads to
the State prisons. For these reasons no
punishn ents are Inflicted until the often.
ders have grown into hardened Grimm
ais who excite no sympathy. There is
no power to deal in right way with the
frat step in crime, with acts of mingled
error and wrong doing. 1t has been nay
duty to look into great number of such
cases, and have given much thought
and study to our statutes with regard to
them. Next to moral and religious in
hueuces we must rely upon the wisdom
of our laws with regard to youthful Of
tenders. 1t is comparatively an easy
matter to deal with grave crimes.
The first step toward reform is to give
magistrates right, within certain limits
to direct such punishments as 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 such cases. This will not give
them undue powers, but will take away
pretexts for not doing their duty. Now
they must fine, or imprison, or discharge
In many cases either of these courses is
unsuitable, and many wrong'doers go
free, for to enforce law would only make
things worse.
This state of things is full Of evil. If
magistrates could bind them out to do
work, or direct the minors to be Cnastis
ed by parents or guardians or suitable
persons, many would be saved from the
moral leprosy which infects our jails.
Such or like punishments would be in.
ficted, and there would be no excuse for
letting offenders escape.
Magistrates should have, in addition
to their present powers, the same right
of control over Vagrants, disorderly per-
sons, and habitual offenders which par-
ents or guardians have over their wards
or children. The fact that they belong
to these classes should be judiCially de.
cided after certain number of conVic
tions. When they are thus enrolled in
these classes, they should have no right
to vote at any election. As our laws now
stand, notorious offenders who do no
honest work, who can only live in i'm.
moral ways, are held to be innocent per
sons, when they are arrested, until the |
formal, technical and sometimes expen.
sive proofs are furnished that they are
guilty of practices which there is NOR,
al certainty they indulge in. This is
right when they are accused of grave |
crimes. But there is no hardship put
ting such persons into that state of ward. |
ship in which the law places all persons |
under the age of q years, or who are af. |
flicted with disordered minds. Should |
disorderly morals be more leniently |
dealt with than disorderly intelleCtt?
There is no danger in giving magis-
trates the power over kabitual offenders
which parents and guardians have over
of making them work, of
binding them out, and of locking them |
up; and, in the case of children, having
them chastised rather than sent to jails. |
There is no reason to fear that this pun
lshment will be used too often or too Sc.
yerely. 1t would rarely be applied but |
should not be made Illegal, as it would |
give magistrates great control, aud would |
DO much to put an end to the bravado |
and svagger of disorderly boys which |
are so much admired by their weak or |
Dr. youthful companions.-Hor0tiO Seq |
aour, in Hdrper's Magazine for December.
TIE November. December number of
The North american ReUielU contains the |