National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-01-28
TIE PROGRESS OF CRIME.

Na4 AsC"ANifS'S W DaN-''
AngeIrs Lecture OH the Necessity OF E'du-
eating the Young in Principles OF HUI
manity.
Mr.. George r. Angel, president OF tho
Massachusetts, $. I. c. A., and also president
of the Parent American Band of Mercy, which
has already about $4,000 members in about
700 organizations reaching from the St. Law
renee river to the gulf, and from the Atlantic
to tho Pacific coasts, leCtured yesterday az
tornoon at the Memorial Lutheran church.
Mn Angel commenced by giving statistics
of the vast increase of crime in tins
United States far beyond the increase OF
population. lie spoke Of his own state, Massa-
| chusetts, first, "whore," he said, crime more
than doubled in the ten years from 1850 TO
1873: it had gone on since with great rapidity.
In the year ending Sept so, 1852, there were
5,S03 more committals to the Massachusetts
prisons than in the preceding year. Maasa-
chusetts." he said, is no worse in this respect
than other States. Most of the criminals are
young men and large numbers of them edu-
Gated. The facilities for committing crime
are largely increasing 4 machine had been
recently invented, costing only 50, with
which the burglar can open the strongest safe
in any vault of our cities in thirty minutes
without noise"
"a nihilist lecturer" no said, recently
stated TO q Boston huulbuCB tllb llltIt NIt
now about 400 schools in Europe whose only
object is to teach the use Of explosives, and
that two ounces of an explosive, thon in his
possession, put at tho entrance of fremont
temple whore he was lecturing, could de-
stroy the life of every person in the build.
ing. The criminal classes of the future are
going to know about all these things. The
churches and Sunday schools do not reach tho
great masses, who never attond them. In
some states not more than one
half of the people attend the churches,
and in some not more than one-tourth. New
measures must BIO adopted" no continued
"or life and property in this country will
soon become very insecure. Tho only remedy
! is to begin with tho children in our public
schools, and that is the quickest way to reach
the parents. Nearly all tho thieves. burglars,
inccndiaros, and murderers of the future are
now in our public schools, and with them the
greater criminals who commit national
crimes and we arc educating them. The
American Band of Mercy was founded in
Boston III July, 1852, for the purpose of
| carrying merciful aud humane education into
all public and Sunday schools of this country.
The most eminent men of Massachusetts,, in
| Guiding the governor, chief justice, mayor OF
| Boston, and the Roman Catholic archbishop,
were among its first members. 1t has now
| nearly 10000 members in Massachusetts in
Sunday schools of all denominations and pub.
| lie schools of every grade, from the primary
| to the college, and over 10000 members out
side of that state. In the bands of mercy the
only pledge required is I will try to be kind
! to all harmless living creatures and will try
to protect them from cruol usage 1t has
beautiful membership cards and badges for
| those who want them but no band is asked
to take them. To every band formed the
parent band sends, without cost, full instruc-
tions, a variety of literature. q monthly paper
for one year, aud to the president a metallic
badge, nothing being required in return but
the pledge. The bands are intended to pro-
| tect defenseless human beings, as we'll as
dumb beasts. from cruelty, and are endorsed
and recommended by tho most eminent
educators aud educational journals of the
country" He also stated that since January,
of this year, 22,400 children and adults, be-
| longing to the public, private, and Sun
day schools of Cincinnati, have Joined
the bands of mercy. Mr.. Angel lectured in
the evening at the Congregational church,
before large audience, principally composed
of public school teachers. who attended at the
invitation of the school board, on the subject
Of 1.-The relations of animals that can speak to
those that are dumb" a lecture which he has
delivered very widely throughout the United
States before legislatures, colleges, union
meetings Of churches, and elsewhere. Mr..
| Angel will return to this city early next
| month and lecture before the school board.
! At, ptgu.pn ppSynpru Of Rristnl ,uhiie