The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-03-31
HOMES REFORMING AGENTS.

The fact that crime in the United States
is increasing is creating considerable dis
cussion throughout the land. In spite OF
all the facilities now at the command Of the
government for detecting and Overtaking
violators Of the law, the percentage OF
criminals every year is becoming larger.
The guardians OF the peace and property OF
society-sheriffs, constables, detectives and
policomen-have been increased much be
vond the ratio of increase in population,
and they have at their command the tele-
phone. the telegraph, the railroads, yet
crime instead of decreasing has a steady
and. indeed, what may not inappropriately
be called an amazing growth. Our en-
nghtened civilization does not check 1t. The
influence of education as received through
our public schools, of which wonders in the
direction of oOlitering crime were expected,
fails utterly to arrest it. Those VINO have
derelded upon education as a preventive
for all our ills have kept it as a word Of
promise to our ears. but stern facts which
there is no denying show how it is broken
to our hopes Though the great republic may
boast a church on every hilltop, still the
church seems as poweriess as the school
in graphing with the crimes Of this genera
ton. Various reasons are assigned for this
phenomenal increase of evildoing, some
claiming that it results from the pauper i'm
migration from the old world, and they
would cure the evil by placing more re
striction upon immigration. Others, chiefly
Roman Catholics, find the cause of the
grievous result in the purely secular char
acter of our school system; they would put
God. as they express it, into the schools
Others still see the source Of all our ills in
our system of indushialism, which they de
nounce because it is a sacrifice of human
beings to capital, "a consumption Of men,
which, by the wasting of the vital forces Of
individur Y the weakening of whole gen
erations, w the breaking up of families, by
the ruin of morality, and the destruction of
the joyousness of work, has brought civilized
society into imminent PERIL tn ey would
change the Industrial system by legislative
enactments, and base the relationship of
capital and labor upon such principles as
would, TO their thinking, relieve humanity
from the mischiefs under which it now
proans. Others see the cause of all sorrow,
noverty and crime in the demon of intern
perance; their remedy would be to destroy
the liquor traffic.
As to the principal cause Of the increase
of crime there may always be variety Of
opinions: as to the fact that it has increased
and is still increasing there can be but one
opinion. The fact is palpable. And the
question is, how can the evils we see grow
ing around us best be arrested in their pro
gress? What is the most powerful engine
for their destruction! Relative to the
causes of the increase of crime it may be
difficult to say that one thing more than
another is the main one; we shall be
nearer to the truth if we say the evil COM
nlained of grows out of a combination of
all the causes enumerated, and others not
mentioned. But whether either of the
above named causes or all Of them
combined are the source Of increased
crime no single remedy advocated,
in our judgment, will be sufi-
Gent to arrest the growth. Since
if doubtless results from combination Of
causes. it viii require combination of
remedies. But the most potent OF all the
of crime, the one power which
will save the moral character of society, |
is. apparently, least thought of, and its
aid less frequently invoked than others
which are not to be compared with it for
practical, efficient service. Reference is
made to the home and the influence for
good. it is capable of exorting on human
character. Better than restriction in I'M
burdened with greater proml-
SEES of good than putting religion INTO the
schools; more practical than any changes
n our system of industry; capable Oh DO,
ng more than prohibition; more powerIul