The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-10-30
WHAT TO DO WITH CRIMINALS.

The Journals London correspondent pre-
sented some interesting facts concerning the
expense connected with the suppression of
crime and dealing with criminals. An annual
tax of about $50, 0O0,O 900 is laid upon the peo-
pie of England, Scotland and Wales by rea-
son of crimes of every degree. This is a
fearful burden for any people to carry, and
one which must in time provoke investiga-
ton and remedy. The same condition of
affairs, to a greater or less degree, is observa-
ilized and uncivilized. Without recourse
to statistics or figures, a cursory glance is
sufficient to give a general idea OF the bur-
den the public bears on account of crime.
Every city has its police-station and prisons,
every county its Jail, and almost every town
some place for the safe-keeping of violators
of law and order. Every community has to
have its officers to preserve the peace. These
in the aggregate number tens of thousands
throughout the land. The expense of main
tanning such q vast standing army is enor-
nous, and every cent of it is levied indis-
criminately upon the people. The v~irtuous
are compelled to pay for the lawlessness of the
vicious. This, it may be answered, is simply
the tax that one submits to in order to be
protected from greater evils. While that is
true, it is a tax that shouldbe reduced to the
minimum by the repression of crime and cor
ronfion IF fha -, HIanoao that faad ori mi ole
1t is not sufficient answer to say that some
criminals are such by inheritance. 1t should
be the aim of good government to remove
this cause by correcting it. Vicious tenden-
cies in human nature must be made a study
to devise a remedy. That there is such a
tendency in some people is too appar-
ent to admit of denial. The only
organized plan hitherto pursued has been to
infict punishment for breaches of law. This
works but to a limited and unsatisfactory
degree in the repression of crime. At best
it is an application to developed crime, and
is not an effective preventive. The cures"
effected thereby are very seldom lasting, and
the disorder soon manifests itself again, fire.
quently in an aggravated form. What is
needed to correct inherited v~iciousness is
something that will tend to better the nature
of mankind, and for that reason will be diff
ficult to find.
There is a direction, however, in which
something may be done to effect the desired
object. There are influences for evil that
may be removed. The disposition that feeds
oil pau moraIs ana luxuriates under the
baneful influences of sin and crime can be
shut of, in a measure, from them. To dis
cover such things that have vicious inAu-
ences Upon minds morally weak is the duty
of the age. This is easy enough in many in
stances. The difficulty will be, and is, to
apply the restraining power, or, when need
ed, to extirpate the evil. To do this it
is necessary to enlist public sentiment
to such a degree as to secure the temporal
power to do the work. These are recognized
sources of evil that are, as yet, too strong to
be overcome, for the reason hat there are
too many who cannot see or will not see that.
they are what they are. But a solution Of.
this problem will come in time. AS a meas,
ure for saving millions of money, if for no
other reason, the people in time will place
such Influences beyond the power of work.
ing further evil.