Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-08-08
THE COST OF CRIME.
VA iNITUOE OF THE BURDEN THE
NATION HAS TO CARRY.

some Comparative Statistics-The Ma
tionaI Debt and the Estimated Value
of yIce-AdditionaI Data-A Few
Words to the Wise.
No doubt there are many who think that
interest in the care Of the criminal and the
unfortunate Is an idle sentiment, more credit
able 10 the heart than to the head Of him who
'eels it, or at least that this is a matter with
which men in ordinary life have 10 concern.
The growth Of a spirit Of indifference to the
whole subject is promoted by our system Of
local self-government and divided authority.
II the budgets for the support Of institutions
devoted to the care Of these classes could be
consolidated and the actual amount of the
drain upon the people Of the country which
they involve were known, popular interest in
them would receive sudden impulse. 1t is
pitiable to think that human nature is so gross
that financial considerations have more weight
than any other. But inasmuch as dollars and
cents are a universal language, intelligible to
everybody, we will try TO give our readers
some idea of the magnitude of the burden
which the nation has to carry, by reducing it
10 a money standard.
sOME STARTLING FIGURES.
Four hundred and fifty thousand insane,
idiotic, deaf, blind. pauper or criminal in
habitants Of the United States cost for their
annual maintenance, probably not less, on
the average, than sl75 each, directly or in
directly, or let US say SIS, 900 in the ag-
greGate Seventy-five million dollars is a
per capita tax Of SI.50 on every man,
woman and child in America, which we pay
almost without our knowledge At 3 per
cent. 1t is the interest on 81 500, ,0O0,0O0 And
what is s., 800, ,OOO,0OOi When the census of
1850 was taken the national debt of the
United States was s., l20, 4l5,37 The invest
ment in the debt did not equal the perna-
nent investement in misfortune and crime
represented in the returns of the defective,
dependent and delinquent classes
The total permanent investments by the
railroad corporations, including construction,
equipment, lands, stocks, bonds, telegraph
lines, etc, were IS, 1s2, ~, sos Our invest
ment in crime and misfortune was about half
of that in railroads The amount invested in
railroads Is about equivalent to the valuation
Of the yearly products of manufacturers,
which was reported at s., 500, ,57gl9 "
one-halt ~ H'' - - lowell by manu-
.. -Iers IN any single year to be set apart as
a speciaI'fund for the care of the criminal and
unfortunate, and invested at 3 per cent, the
whole of tine interest received would be alb
sorbed The value Of farm products is not
quite half that of manufactured articles; it
is S2,+4T, SIS, ,G5s The whole Of the farm
products of the United States for one year
would not be more than sufficient for the
creation of the fund suggested.
ADDITIONAL DATA.
The assessed valuation of the state Of New
York in 1880 was 8. COL $40, ,0OO, or no greater
| than the amount Of capital required for the
care of our unfOrtunates and criminals. The
assessed value Of the six New England
states was s2,65a, 10000. All Of New Eng
land, with her cities, her mills and her banks,
would not be more than enough to appro-
pirate to this special purpose, if the capitaliza-
ton Of this expenditure were n necessity.
And yet the men who see these relations are
dreamers, while those who shut their eyes to
| them nre not The world esteems and ap-
plauds him who shows it how to add to its
gains by increased receipts from agriculture
or the mechanic arts, or by diminished charges
| for doing the business. But il has no word
of commendati0n and no hand of help for the
man who points out that a further element
must be taken into the calculation before the
balance is struck between gain and losses,
that the stoppage Of the leak occasioned by
the growth of classes Of the population who
| are, to a large extent, incapable Of self sup
port might prove to be a fresh source Of in
come. Such reasoning is too remote and cir
cuitous; it is visionary, and with that word
it is dismissed But why should students pore
over tables Of figures on every other subject
under heaven and neglect this, which lies SO
much nearer to the life OF humanity Is it
nothing, to seek to improve the efficiency and
economy of a necessary but painful servicei
to labor for the mitigation of sufferingi TO
assuage where we cannot curei and to hunt
for means Of preventing the spread of the
contagion of grief. Record