Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-07-17
THE INCREASE OF CRIME.
A Correspondent Who Says Poverty Is the
Cause of It-His Reasons

A Correspondent Who Says Poverty Is the
Cause of It-His Reasons
/ To tie Editor oflls Register;
SIR: We noticed in Mondays REGISTER
Mr.. Wines statement that in 1850 there
we're bu. 800 imprisoned criminals to each
million inhabitants, and in 1880 there
we're ,169 to the million" This, the
REGISTER claims, shows en- alarming in
crease Of crime, and also said there has
been no apparent cause given rs yet"
The increase Of crime is truly appalling.
It is enough to cause every thinking mind
to ask the question, whittier are we drift
ing as nation? The stagnaiOn OF bust
ness. the scarcity of money, the Idle men,
| the poverty and squalOr, the
strikes. and riots, the feeling OF discomfort
| that exists among the masses, the increase
Of crime, &c is quite enough to cause &C.
rous alarm. The deplOrable condition Of
society to-day, is but sn effect There is
an existing cause. There is no way to
reason but from effect back to cause.
] ~ .
every cause produces its corresponding eff
/ feet. II is our province at this writing to
divine the chief Cause OF the alarming H.
| crease Of crime. II is as plain as the hand
writiog on the wall at BslchazzAr's feast,
20 apparent that ne who runs should read
/ IL is not for the lack Of churches, and the
preaching OF Christ, il is not on account of
quiet game Of base ball, on Sunday, it
ID not because of the Infidel element in our
midst No, we must look deeper than this.
We assign the prime cause for the increase
of crime to be poverty. When men are
down in the depths Of poverty, when they
are oppressed, ground down to earth, when
they behold the care worn faces OF TIER
wives, mothers and children, when they
ses the RAGS and squal0r which their chill
drsn are 81 iected to, when they are logged
and harressed for their rent snd grocery
bills, when they are deprived Of their lib
critics, and realize that they are but
"Wsge Slaves" without a ray Of
hops for the lettering Of their condition,
10 is then, they become desperate, and
Lose their selfrespect and manhood 1t
is then they resort to deeds of violence,
which wOald have never entered their
minds If prosperous. While the writer
was residing in NOrristOWn, Pa, a man
deliberately ran his fist through large
glass, and when asked by an officer why he
Gid il, Dc said, 'he wanted TO go ojsil SO
/ be could get something to eat" There
are many instances on record Of like
character. Men, while being tried for some
misdemeanor, have wept like babies, and
implored the Judge to send them 10 jail,
where they would be provided with food.
/ In this great country OF ours, reaching from
ocean to ocean, and from the Northern
LAKE to the placid waters Of the gulf, with
ITS vast undevelOped resources, there is
said 20 be over one million OF idle
men. It is said By some that there is work
for all, and those who are idle are 50 be-
cause too lszg to work. This will do 10
talk TO babes, bnt tell it not TO me. Some,
no doubt, are lille from choice, but the
great bulk Of idle men would glsdly work
/. they could get it. They have muscle TO
sell for fair remuneration, but no demand
/ for it. Many work in the country in win
ter for their board. We heard Of an able
bodied man, not long since, working for
80 cents per day and board. Women are
driven to desperation. They sre making
shirts in cur cities for Z, 9 and 10 cents per
dozen. They can't afford much else but d
cup OF tea and a crust. They become dis
couraged over the miserable existence they
are eking out, and they lose their
woma- ho'd and 90 to the bad and sell
their virtue for bread. Women appear in
a nude state ia "Art Galleries" at fifty
cents an hour to ge. bread Thousands OF
good, honest, industrious women have
gone to the bad, who would have spurned
such a course if they had not bsen ground
down and bound by the CALLING chains of
poverty and degradation, until they care
bat little for what they do or what be
comes of them. II will be said by some
that strong drink Is the chief cause Of
crime. 10 is lamentable indeed to realize
the amount OF money spent for drink, and
the amount of crime committed under its
baneful influence. We claim that poverty
and idleness drives men TO the saloons. In
the proportion that poverty increases, about
In the same ratio does intempsranee and
crime Increase. Thousands wend their
way to the saloons, and take the intoxics-
ting cup TO drOwn-as they suppOse-their
trouble and anxiety, and because they have
nothing else to do. II men had steady
york al good wages, and were prosperous,
they could clothe their families more de-
Gently, have some Of the luxuries of life,
their wives, mothers and sisters would be
more cOotented, and happy; hence, home
would be more pleasant, and thousands
would prefer to remain at home rather
than frequent the saloons.
! 1 close IS began, by saying that power
~ is the chief cause OF the increase OF
crime. A. ALLEN NOE.
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