Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1883-08-16
INDIFFERENCE TO CRIME.

The worst phase Of modern society
is not so much the prevalence or in
crease of crime, as its liberation. -
Crime is yet confined TO few indiyid
uals, as compared with society at large.
But the criminal. as such, is related to
the whole community, and to each in
dividual in particular. His act may
involve immediate pecuniary loss or
anguish of spirit to but n single family
or person, but it is a matter that con
Germs the whole community. The
criminal has deliberately alienated
himself from the common brotherhood
Of society, and with piratical aims. set
about sustaining and gratifying him
self in defiance of law, decency or hu-
manity. If allowed to have impunity
byl all but the injured, h, can prose
cute his nefarious business without
fear of detection and punishment, -
The probability of bringing him to
justice is increased in proportion as the
whole community is aroused, as if it
were personal matter. But if allow
ed to attack and plunder individuals
and falDilies as SO many detached and
separate interests. he may defy sue
cessful pursuit. The case may be illus
rated by supposing that a foreign in.
VISION is threatened or actually occurs.
WHO does not zee that all are interest
ed TO repel such an assault? With
VII It Vigilance would their spies be ar
rested aud executed All who would
not prem pity contribute, by Whatever
meal IN their power, to stop the pro
gress Of the common Zoe, would be de-
Hounced and hated as traitors Bur
which il more formidable an army o,
one hundred thousand Foreigners Il, o
our coast, mvaging with ire and sword ,
or an equal army OF criminals dist iD
uted through society and continually
engaged in theft, robbery, arson and
murder1 Such an army actually ex-
lists and is ruvagng society, and no one
in all the land is permitted 10 retire
without the thought, and perhaps the
fear, that his midnight slumbers may
be disturbed Ly some murderous vii.
lain seeking plundOr. Yet we read the
daily record Of this terrible campaign
of crime with az little sense of our re
slonsibility or duty in the premises, a.
for the ravages of tornado. The press
! which serves up the account as daily
IIe,tst ,U Simu,at. aud to deader the
scnsiJiltes or The reading puOlic,
seems intent only upon creating a sen.
sation, not TO arouse virtuous indigna-
! ton and to secure ST. rn, uncompro
missing Justice Occasionally some bar
; 1.IlC O.,I--t, .r 0iEV He-.al &. lu
pounding oil crime, will sur the public
pulse and produce indicative rotalia
ton or a wholesale exposure of rotten
ness of our constabulnry system, when
all Will again fall back into its sluggish
channel Legislatures meet and while
away months without graphing with
laws are securely sheltered under the
purview of our costly police force, and
the agencies and resorts Of crime are
maintained and protected by the Off
GERS of justice! Such farce as Jus
tice Miners court il allowed TO exist il
constitutional term, unimpeached, and
to be succeeded by another equally de
testable; for, as some one has said ol
New York, Detroit "is government
of the saloons, by the saloons, for the
saloons" But this apathy to Grim,
and Indifference to the travesty of jus
tice, is no local disease, but the mora
epidemic of the age.
The result of this cold, phlegmatiC
disregard of crime is to develop bra
zen impudence, and desperate venture
someness which isalmost heroic. Grim,
- ldSt bNtOlhilib Oiit VI thC iNuiht'
professions, and to the minority whC
constitute its central and intermediate
ranks, more honorable than labor. Th
saddest phase of the question is th'
opportunity and temptation which thi
Indifference presents to the idle, I'm
prnclpled ond vicious, to become Grim
inals. The apathy and non-committa
position of society at large in respec
10 crime is bearing its worst fruit il
/ the class of youthful criminals whicl
are being fostered by our saloons, the
aters and vicious literature. There ]
an nlnrning increase of youthful va
grants who become hardened in vic
long before they attain manhood. =
These facts ,nd tendencies must be re
caiCLl, I'D nCrfr niCfal, religion