Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-08-24
STANDARD OF CRIMINALITY.

Referring to the fact that man, once an
ordained minister Of religion, had become
involved in a difficulty, in which he killed
his antagonist, the 4Ha was led to say "a
man upon whom the Chrism has fallen in
ordination ought not to have so great and
consequential a crime on his SOUL"
Whereupon the Colusa SIM exclaims
We protest against the doctrine of the last
sentence of the above from our usually logical
contemporary. A moral mara preacher if you
will-has as good right to kill as the bum and
the blackguard II is too often the case that
such absurdities enter into the minds of the com
munity as well rs into the minds of the jurors.
notorious bully is brought up for some offense,
and some mitigating circumstance or sham, and
people say, why. that was not so bad-t0r
hin" They expected that he might do some
thing worse The man, on the other haud, who
has been a model OF uprightness all his life
makes one misstep. everybody IS shocked. and
il goes hard with him. We maintain that the
acts shall stand before the law on the merits Of
the acts without regard TO who does them.
And the Sun is right. There can be no
Two standards of Just judgment in such
matters. Where the public mind is 50
educated that it views the moral man
less mercifullv, when once he errs,
than he who all his life has given rein to
his passions, it indicates an unhealthy con-
dition of public thought. Every vicious,
vulgar man has his own ideas of just what
is justifabe and what is wrong hsI-. ...eea,
ures human motive Ly>a private standard,
based upa11Hs low estimate of duty, of law
an3-sfnuman right His ambitions are of
q character not easily comprehensive by
those not in his atmosphere. But the up
right mans aims, desires and hopes, all
men know Society understands precisely
what is the actdating motive of a life that
has built character upon its long years
Of usefulness and peaceableness. The
good maaAs-4 staasdla4rd is net A HIS
own, it is that of society at
its best. OF his man we expect certain
eosI-s-eS action; we forecast it; we rely
upon it. 1t is natural that rude departure
from it should shock us. But when, as
private ministers of justice, we come to
measure accountability, we cannot hold
this maa, once erriag, 10 any greater re-
sponsibility. His action must he Judged
by the same standard we set up for the
offender whose life has been a constant sue
cession of crimes. 1t is possible that the
Journal giving the text for the SUMS crit
icism does not mean to be understood that
another, on whom the Chrism has not
fallen, may with less weight have so great
a crime as the taking of human life upon
his soul. However that may be- it is true
that the disposition is frequently manifest
to which the Sun refers-to judge more
harshly the one-time offender than he
whose brutal career has been one continu-
Gus ofense. If there is to be any excusa-
tive sentiment for crime at all, let it be
exteaded TO the upright man who is I'M
fortunately led into it, He at least is more
likely to have Invested his act of brutality,
passion and reconciliation. Seven times
ont OF ten when the man of a lifetime of
uprightness takes human life, it is because
he has been brought face to face with mon
strous injustice or EXTREMIST provocation.
But the least sentiment of forbearance, if
there is to be any division of its bounty
whatever, should go out to the brutal fell
low who takes life on slightest provocation,
and whose activity has been mainly man
ifest in a vicious field. Before the law, in
public sentiment, in the judgment of men,
hold both to the same standard, require Of
each the same strict account" where is
thy brother ~