Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1878-11-21
Our Punishments for Crime.


acts to punish wives and children
OF those who violate their terms" 1
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
the wrong doer was convicted. When
this was told to them, their answer
was, that while that was true, yet
when the husbands were ia Jail,
where they were fed and warmed,
their wives and children were left to
starve and freeze for want OF support.
There Is no perfect way OF dealing
with crime, bat there is no worse
way than the system OF this State.
Some years ago leading lawyer Of
New York Travelled through ESypt
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 astonish-
ment, and for the first time he himself
was struck with their absurdities.
After his return he used to say that
he was never 30 thoroughly ashamed
OF his country as when he was telling
his simple minded auditor what law s
we had upon these subj acts, and how
they were enforced.
While we may not fran. perfect
systems, much can be done TO make
better state OF thlugs-to simplify
justice, aud to break up the tendency
to disorderly conduct AMI to vagran-
cy. We can not hope to make any
marked Improvement in our iails.
Each county must have one, and its
population will determine the charac-
ter of it's place OF confiament. Those
in charge OF them will be frequently
changed, and save in the large cities
the number and character OF the in
mates will not admit OF classification.
etc.
The first change should be one that
will allow our judges to impose pun
ishments other than sending the Of
tenders to these common schools Of
vice.
AS nothing can be worse than our
present laws, there can be no harm
in trying new plans. We must have
jails, as there are cases when the
safety OF society makes IL necessary
to lock men up. But, as rule, other
restraints can be used which will
check, not teach, crim3. Oar laws
only allow two punish nents to be in
fiictel Tor minor offenscs fines or
imprisonment-and these mist be
imposed without regard to age, sex.
condition, or circumstances. The law
demands these, il matters not what
moral or material mischief they may
do As rule. fines infiict distress
on families and friends, while jails
are gateway to course Of wicked
ness which leads to the State prisons.
For these reasons no punishmcnts
are inflicted until the offenders have
grown into hardened criminals who
excite no sympathy. There is no
power to deal In right way with the
frat step In crime, with acts OF mingl.
ed error and wrong doing. 1t has
been my duty TO look into a great
number or such cases, and i have
given much thought and study t.
our statutes with regard to them
Next to moral and religious Influences
we must rely upon the wisdom Of oul
laws with regard to youthful often.
ders. 1t Is comparatively an easy
matter to deal with grave crimes.
The first step toward reform is tc
give magistrates right, within Ger.
tain limits, to direct such punishmt n 1
as they shall see are best fitted to re
form wrong doors. They have all IA,
facts before them, and best know
what is just and right in each case
This will not give them undue powers
but it 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 doors
go free, for 10 enforce laws would on
ly make things wor Sc.
This state OF things is full OF evil
II magistrates could bind them out
20 do work, or direct the minors TO be
chastised by parents or guardians OF
suitable persons, many would be-
saved from the moral lerrosy which
infects our jsils. Such or like punish
meDts would be inflicted, and Their,
would be no excuse for letting often
ders escape.
Magistrates should have In addi
fion to their present powers the same
right of control over Migrants, disor-
derby persons, and habitual Offenders
which parents or guardians have ovel
their children or wards. The fac
that they belong to these classes
should be judicially decided after {
certain number of convictions
When they are thus enrolled in these
classes, they should have no right tC
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 limo
cent persons, when they are arrested
until the formal, technical, and some
times expensive proofs are furnished
that they are guilty OF practices
which there is moral certainty they
indulge in. This is right when theJ
are accused OF grave crimes, Blu
there is no hardship~in putting sucf
persons into that state of wardship in
~ ich tho In n.Innoe oil r,cr.cnc "a. d Z