The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1890-01-03
INCREASE OF CRIME.

of the world, and institutes compari-
sons between this and other countries,
which not only pluck bright plnlon
from the wing of our national pride,
but tend to excite the liveliest alarm.
While our population per square mile
is far below that of England. we
greatly exceed her in the proportion of
criminals we produce. Since 1850
crime has decreased in England abso-
lutely and relatively to the population.
Here it has increased both absolutely
and relatively. In 1850 the ratio of
criminals to population in the United
States was 29O to each million of peo-
Die. In 1860 it was GOT; in 1870 it
was s53; in 1880 it was 1859 to the
million. The population of the coun-
try in 1850 was 23,l91,s76 In 1880
it was 5O,267,519. The population
was: but little more than two and d
half times as great, but crime had
multiplied by four.
This is startling fact. We associ-
ate crime and poverty with density of
population. But here is an enormous
criminal population where there is no
such density. Statistics quoted show
that from II to 50 per cent OF the
criminals are of alien birth or parent
age, but this fact alone cannot account
for the increase. The cause must be
sought in the voluntary or involuntary
conditions to which the whole popula-
ton is subjected. 1t is evident that
we are suffering all the effects of a
crowded population in country where
there is plenty OF room.
Since 1850 there has been an In
crease in the tendency to mass popu
lation in our cities which was not the
custom prior to that time. The move
ment was not seriously present in
1860. but since then it has rapidly ac-
celerated. We have not the data al
hand to establish the fact, but we be-
lieve it to be fact, that the percent
age of criminals to the total popula
ton will be found to have advanced
step by step with the increase in the
percentage of the total population
which has forsaken the country for the
CITY. This is factor which Mr.
Round h S not considered.
Taking the percentage of increas'
in our immigration between 1850 ane
1880. he finds that of that increase
The British Empire furnishes B.!
per cent, Ireland furnishes 3.6 pc
cent, Germany furnishes 3.9 per cent
Norway and Sweden furnish Z pc
cent, Italy furnishes LOS per cent.
While the increase in our prisol
populations:
The British Empire furnishes r.!
cent, Ireland furnishes go per cent
Germany furnishes 4.6 per cent, MOI
way and Sweden furnish a per cent
Italy 2.
Great Britain contributes surplu
of per cent and Ireland 6 per cent O
our criminals out of their share of in
crease of immigration, while German
is 3 per cent below, and Scandinavi
and Italy make creditable showings
Now look at the distribution of thi
population. Ireland and Great Brit
ain crowd our cities. The Ger man
are rural people, fond of the fiel
and orchard. The Scandinavians ar
almost exclusively rural and avol
cities. The Italians are dairymer
gardeners and vineyardists; all of tn
alien nationalities which contribut
below the proportion to our criminal
are in the country, in rural occupation
| The British and Irish crowd int
the cities, and help congest them. w
natives crowd them also, and althoug
the statistics show that aliens and th
children of aliens are in the majorit
, in our criminal population, it is ais
true that the percentage of nativ
blood in that population is greater tina
it was in 1850, We have no douh
that part of this increase in moral dis
order is due to the too rapid increas
= in immigration. We have receive
aliens faster than we can digest an
assimilate them, but these processe
would have been more rapid, if th
aliens themselves had resorted t
, country life and avoided the corrupt
t ing contacts Of the city. The moral
t of the country need revival Of tn
$ gospel of rural life. The rural indus
t tries require more attention. Rnr;
: prosperity should become the first COZ
: Germ of the Government. in so far &
I | IL,