The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1889-08-22
NEWBERRY. s. C,
THURSDAY, AUGUST p, 1889.
DEGRESS IN CRIME.


7, the human law aud from human
standpoint there are degrees in crime
and different degrees in punishment
are Inflicted in accordance with the
Nervousness of the offence. inns Is
right we suppose. But the heart tnaI
is guilty of u petty offence against the
civil law may be as black Ill the sigh'
Of God as the one that gives up It's llle
to meet the requirements ofthe civil
law. That is always true. Then again
there are thiefs and those who violate
the civil law on a large scale VINO seeui
to be the special pets and are oeai'
with with all the mercy and tehoef
sympathy within the power OF the ma
cbinerv of the law and the man VINO
steals q pig. or horse or 1e" ears oh
corn from the field possibly to SATISFY the
paDgs of hunger is hustled to the peni
tentiary just as quickly as the mach'n-
cry of the law will place him there.
We have no excuse to offer for the
small thief any more than for the one
on large scale, but we sometlmes
think that he is sometimes dealt Wild
in such manner as to defeat one OF the
objects for which the punishment IS
Imposed, while we give the man who
steals millions such consideration as TO
7 be an inducemeut to others to steal on
8 big scale. The small thief receives
no consideration at the hands OF the
world, which, being interpret 4, means
thosc who are in temporary passion OF
power in the avenues of law and society
He isa poor, groveling fool. He lacks the
breadth and coInprehensiveness that
marks and separates the thief Of many
millions and he is consigned to the
work house or the Jail with less con-
: junction of conscience than we consign
cattle to the slaughter house"
An exchange expresses the idea III
this wise:
We of this world like the picturesque,
: tbe novel. the unusual. We like color
and tone and breadth and conipr' ,,
bensiveness. We like rich coloring and
ornate trappings. No matter what the
portrait oflife we are painting may 0e,
Whether the picture OF a Christ or the
vivid nortrayal of q child OF darkness,
NE want the grouping article, tne
coIoriny. rich, warm and sparkling ana
the back ground full Of those bizarre
effacts that lend novelty and Zest to
life.
The elderly friend trusts the young
lawyer almost unreservldly, ana Tue
Young man, in requital "I TINS truSs,
Systematically robs him OF SZto,I ~.
Such man is no common. thlel. n ne
is broad, soulful, comprehensive. we
admire the ethics of the day That VIII
permit a man to clasp in friendship the
hand of another, while 'holdIng MN
up,n as it is graphically described IN
stage robberies.
The picture is not lacking in picTur-
esoueness; either. Thers>9fe charming
accessories-a rich ffher, fond wife
and two beautiful children-a hand
some nCNGeahu OUSSHOAo0o
perhaps in the dim perspective BRIDE
we'll or Ludlow.
The difference between this man ana
the who steals pair OF shoes IS one
of degree only; and the degree IS IN
favor ofthe shoe thief. Yet so oluntSo
has society become that we scarcely
look upon this big thief as man de-
serving of striped clothes and prison
fare. Money influence, social stanoing
viii plead with the law to let the one
90 free, while the other will be nufrled
Off to prison amid ejibes and Jeers OF
the crowd. Tears will flow from the
bandaged eyes of the gofdess OF Justies
asshe BIDS the wealthy criminal 60 and
Elm 20 more, while the poor deVli WIN
out money or influence Will Go oouole
penanee for his sin. - ,.or,
: This is a possible picture anc II very
frequently comes to pass. CRIME IS
crime. no matter how gildco, ana tne
man who plumbers his thousands wnlie e
rolling in luxury is as much at neart Ia a
thief as he who slips in the house oy
night and steals side of bacon or a can
oflard.n