The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-10-20
HUMAN BUTCu;RY.
Are Men Growing More Desperate aud Bar
ing I'm Their DepravityY

Are Men GROWING uore br-f"""fS M" sssr-
ing I'm Their Depravity!
from the indianapolis Herald,
Life may be IA sacred and precious
now as ever. But is it not also more
uncertain? Pick up daily paper any
morning and you will find that man
here. and woman there, have been
murdered dnring the last twenty-four
hours. Sometimes We are asked to reAd
the CHASTITY details of q whole family
murdered Is there really any increase
in the crimes against human life? Are
the causes for the crimes more numer-
Gus, or is life less sacred? In looking
over the causes Of the murders, the
three leading motives assigned for these
acts of violence are malice, jealousy and
resistance to burglars and. robbery.
Now il would appear that reasonable
man ought TO restrain his malice and
subdue his jealousy TO the point that he
should not take human life III order 10
crafty the one or to satisfy the other.
When man has q mad fever of the
brain, or is fired by the hot bloed of
jealousy, he should take counsel of his
better elements. 1t is easy to say to the
angry forgive" and to the Jealous
forget, But men who have been
caught mp in the whirlpool of the pas
sions do not readily accept the advice of
the disinterested. The flame burns.
On some point it consumes the brain.
Then we read of a tragedy. Investiga-
ton of the cause is made, and it is dis
covered the man who fired the revolver,
or plunged the knife, had executed his
malice, or satisfied his jealousy. In
murders for these causes, usually both
the murderer and victim are of the lower
order. AS men advance in sense and
civilization, they learn better how to
control the evil passions of resentments
for whatever cause. Then great num-
bers of murders are occasioDed In the
operations of burglary and robbery.
The night prowler who goes out to
break into your houses does not enter
the house expecting or even desiring to
murder But, neverthele ~, he goes pre-
pared TO kill He makes his entry, and
the inmates are aroused by his stealthy
march. The burglar is discovered.
He has been cornered He is at
tackled by one frightened, unarmed
and scarcely awake. The burglar is
alert and thoroughly awake. He has
the advantage, and whether he he brave
or coward he quickly avails himself
of his superior defensive position. He
is reckless OF the consequences. 1t is
not one step from the thief to the muir
derer. In certain conditions they are
one and the same The burglar would
not hesitate to kill but for the conse-
quences the act might entail upon him.
When resistance is made to the house
breaker, the family must understand
that he is prepared to murder without
moments warming. The same "honor-
able impulse controls the actions of
the highwayman. He finds his victim
upon the road and attempts robbery.
If the victim assents and peacesbly sub
mits, life is preserved, but property or
money lis taken. He prefers to keep his
life and give up his chattels. He usually
knows that If he resists he can not es-
cape with his life. These sorts of crimes
against life, of which we have been
speaking are disagreeably frequent of
late. The cause of them is apparent,
but what are the remedies? These
startling questions are asked by the St.
Louis Republican Is it because men
are growing more desperate and daring
in their depravity? Is it because the
ancient restraints of religion and NOR
ality are becoming lessened. and are
failing to exercise their former infiu-
ence over the minds of men? Is it be-
cause the masses of the people are so
absorbed in the individual schemes of
business and pleasure that they neglect
the high claims of government and the
common interests of society. or is it be-
cause our penal laws are so defective in
their provisions, or their administra-
ton, as to have lost their moral terror
to criminals?" Crimes of the murder
Gus sort are frequent. They are so hu-
merous that we may well ask for the
cause, and seek for remedy Society
is deeply interested in the case