The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-01-04
DOES EDUCATION PREVENT
CRIME?
A Newspaper That IL Puzzled 10
Nee How.

A Newspaper That IL PuL1led 10
See How.
From the indianapolis Nsvs
The Louisville Courier. Journal Ia at.
tempting to arouse the people Of Ken.
lucky to a sense Of the fragrant neglect 10
punish crime in that State. The Spring.
field Republican, commenting thereon,
says: alt shows great sense in making q
strong Fight for Improvement in the pub
lie schools, the low estate Of which 10 am.
ply sufficient TO account for the long.
prevailing lawlessness." Do these two
things 20 together? theoretically, every
one knows "Fis education forms the com.
mon mind" but practically, does eduea.
ton form this mind on a plane Of higher
living? A generation under a good school
systen ought to be productive Of better
results than a generation allowed TO pass
without 1t. They have had this in Mass.
achuae.ts, generally speaking, and gener.
ally speaking, In Kentucky they have
not, and generally speaking there 10 a
higher civilization in MASSACHUSETTS than
In Kentucky, but In this proportion Is
there more f.grant neglec, TO punish
crime 10 Kentucky than in Massaohu-
sets7 Massachusetts,, the core Of Purit-
anism, where two centuries ago n school
house was the frat thing established after
q church, reports that the spirit Of
lynching prevails on account Of the tre-
Guency Of murder aud the lack OF punish.
ment. In other words, two centuries Of
the highest type Of civilization in this
country does not suffice ~ project life
and limb. are these the fruits Of educa-
tion?
Penusylyania has a pretty thorough
system OF education and an old oivillsa.
ton; but Pennsylvania stand. in the cal
endsr with a red mark to denote its law.
~lesaneSs, It's insecure protection Of la cit
i.sns, aud 10 government Ia noted Tor lie
%outthroat, high.tarif policy which robs
nearly thirty.six States out oil thirty.
seven. Ohio, which boasts Of its culture,
i,noted for dishonest schemes concerning
national credit, records a murder q week,
perhaps varied by an occasional lynch
Ing. Ohio has a fine system Of public ed.
ueation. In this State the educational
system is Indianas boast. II has been
general In It's operation for ageneration.
Since this has been a State there have
been fihy murders, at least, probably
more, committed Ia this county aionei
and there has never been a man or wo'
man hung here since this has been q
county. The county coroner the other
day, after examination Of the records,
gave the conclusion that 4 man a a
greater risk Of punishment for commit.
ting petty larceny than for numbering.
Illinois furnishes like record. Rande,
the St. Elmo brigand, with The blood OF .
dozen murders on his hand', has good
chance to escape hanging unless no ts
lynched. And so on through to the Pa.
cifc coast this state OF things goes, and
back again through the South in various
degrees Of blaekness to Massachusetts.
The South cannot be taken as an exam
ple. for its social system has been up.
rooted and soWn With salt and the drega
Of war and the reaction from slavery
make an abnormal state 81 things. But
noue will deny the state o lfairs through
the North a. here exhibited. In New
York City 1t became q proNerb among the
lawless that changing wa played out"
Justice was bought aud sol like sheep In
the shambles. Tweed OWED the courts.
All this exists in the lace Of public
education. GeneraliEe It further. Has
the cost Of criminal justice diminished
10 proportion TO populadon with all our,
educational adyantagesi Inspectors Of
prisons say the majority Q! young men In
the p~enileutiAry have BETA educated In
the public schools. Has cur system oil
public educationfostered a roble ambition
10 the minds Of the youug2 Are the
aims Of the rising generation as pure and
lofty as they were4o year. got Has the
cauker Of q fashionable appearance a
"Position In liie' and the greed Of gain
grown enormously among l6e people who
have had the advantages Of eduostien3