The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-09-24
The Increase of Crime.

The frequent announcement heralded
throughout the country of the commits.
sion of crimes representing all the grades
of violation of criminal law, from the
offender guilty of some minor offence to
the hardened criminal charged with the
most heinous crime is leading to the
general discussion as to whether crime is
on the increase In this country or not.
It certainly must be admitted that one
class of offences, embracing official cor
ruption and violation of personal trust,
has been 30 frequent of late as TO indicate
that crimes of this character are more
numerous than formerly. Officials
charged with the disbursement Of public
money are suddenly discovered to have
squandered large sums in speculation or
extravagant living. Cashiers of banks
and other moneyed corporations are
ascertained to have violated the conf.
dence reposcd In them, and ruined the
financial standing and ability of the
institutions which they REPRESENT. The
crimes attfaot general public attention /;
the high character of the parties involv-
ed, their social position, their friends
AoN AohuJ SouuSSsiOuo) oil dOo w luo
interest and magnitude of the offence:
and the avidity With which the details
are seized by the public press, the ankle
ty of the public for all the particulars,
give prominence to these offences that
leads the public to presume that, for
some reason or other, crime is fearfully on
the increase.
The facts do hot Sustain the idea: The
catalogue of crime and the list of
offenders are not to-day as great, proper
tionately, as in former years, the result,
to a certain extent, of the general i'm
proverheht of the moral tone upon many
vital questions of the entire community,
the prompt execution of the law, and the
effectiveness and ability of police and
detective officers. These defalcations in
official and private relations are the sad
dest of all crimes, for generally the ruin
and disgrace are folt Host keenly in that
society whence the greatest security
from crime should come.
In many cases the criminal is led for
ward by some imaginary gain, by some
confding friend or some plausible mo-
tive, and fails to realize his danger until
public discovery whirls him into the
vortex of irredeemable disgrace and per.
sonal infamy. Society itself is at fault
for much of this. The passion of the
time for e1travagant living, for showy
equipages, for palatial residences and for
all the trappings and display of luxury is
so general that men rush into it heed.
lessly, and hope for some fortunate
relief until hopelessly: lost.
We know of no subject more earnestly
demanding the careful, honest and can
did discussion Of those most interested in
the welfare of society than the admitted
tendency in American life to extrava.
CANT living. 1t has no bound of control.
It has no limit to its demand for display.
The man who has his millions of capital,
and the man on meagre salary, vie with
each for supremacy. It ypermeates.
society; it enters the family scircle lit
becomes the passion of the wife and the
glory Of the children. Dress, display
and extravaganza rule the household,
and in the turmoil and contest in which
the man joins, anxious for success, he
ventures here and preshmes on this, and
dnuhoES up ltOiii uio uoPPy oACouA w
find his family ruined and his reputation
gone. Gould some one call out in tones
of warning that would enter the charmed
circle and warn them of the danger,
many poor man might be saved from
disgrace and infauiy.
Until men have independence enough
to live within their means and cease this
struggle to compete with wealth and
luxurious living, we may expect con.
stant recurrence of these unfortunate
defalcations.
The fault is in our society, and the
remedy lies in a reform, which must be
led by men of independence, of character
and Of reputation. When this is done We
shall have fewer crimes of this character
to notice, aud fewer heartrendering
scenes in connection with them to pub.
lish.-Farn,ers' Aduance.