The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1885-02-26
PROPERTY M0RE VALUABLE
nHAnT TVHR


New York Tribune: In some Of the
western states and territories not long
ago public opinfca evolved criminal
code under which il was = capital Of
Tense 20 steal horse, while the killing
of man was scarcely q misdemeanOr.
In this crude way the importance Of
very necessary kind OF property was rec
ognized, and a. men were plentiful and
cheap they received little or no prOtec-
tion from society. Many an eastern wri-
ter has taken a text from wild western
customs Of this kind, and as rule with |
the purpose OF showing the superiority |
Of eastern ethics and criminal admins |
sratlon. But whoever will take the |
trouble to examine the ten
dency OF criminal procedure
in this great and highly civilized state.
and especially in this great and highly
civilized city, may find reason TO doubt
whether In some important respects we
have made any advance upon the west
| ern practice. Such an examination wall
disclose the fact that property commands
much more jealous protection than life,
and that the most striking inequality
exists In the punishment Of crimes
against the person and crimes of rob
berry and theft; though it must also be
said that when robbery is carried far
enough It sometimes ceases to be treated
as a crime at all. The events of almost
any week in the courts will
furnish illustrations IN abundance.
For example, 9 ruf1an stabs out his
Wife's eyes, and gets nine months i'm
prisonment. A sneak thief steals few
cents worth Of property, and gets twelve
years. A man deliberately kills another,
and escapes with seven years, and the
Judge expresses his approval OF the yer
dict Of manslaughter, though according
to the law there was no element of man.
slaughter in the case. Another petty
thief, for taking twenty five cents worth
Of lead pipe. receives 3 sentence OF three
years. A policeman kills q man for not
stopping when summoned to do so, and
the homicide Is justified.
As 70 manning and clubbing and the
infection Of all manner Of physical in
juries, such offences are either passed
over IS too trivial for notice, or are pun
lshed in the highest manner. Nor Is
personal liberty any better protected.
Innocent Witnesses are kept in prison
, sometimes for months, In total disregard
of their rights and Interests. But when
Q watch is snatched, or purse, and the
thief is taken, the terrors OF the laws are
displayed, and maximum penalties are
imposed. At the same time, If thief
can contriVe TO make really large haul /;
: If his peculatIons mount into hundreds
OF thousands of dollars, for instance, he
has little or nothing 70 fear from the law,
and can generally make his own terms
II he fails to put himself beyond the
Jurisdiction Of the courts. 1t must be
ADMITTED that there are Inconsistencies
here which call sharply for reform. and
30 long a. It can be said that property is
better protected than lite, we shall have
. no reason TO boast OF our criminal sys-
tenn.
T Even II the existing practice were con-
: sIstent with itself; that is to say. if all
crimes against property were severely
punished, the comparative neglect of
, crimes against the person would be in
! excusable. But IS it is, the most arbi-
: trary distinctions obtain, and in effect Ii
. Is only the lesser crimes against prop
r erty which are severely punished, while
on the other hand, ruftianism and bru-
1 kaI1fv are noaitivalv encouraOed hv the
, leniency they meet in the courts.