The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-11-25
THE social A

The social glass reflects horrid shapes to
those who indulge in it frequently. The
daily papers chronicle two fr;ghtful conse-
quences of the continued use Of this soul dis
torting reflector. In one county there is an
atrocious murder; in another city, a brutal
assault, resulting in the death Of a neighbor
and friend. And yet when the criminals
are brought to trial, it will be found that
neither had any malicious feeling against
his victim and that both, Wien not under
the influence Of liquor, were good ~neighbors
and law abiding. citizens. Sociable habits
and the social glass are responsible for these
two crimes. The criminals deserve punish.
ment for their crimes. They will lave no
effective defence and no excuse will prevail
to lessen their guilt by showing, thai$if they
were in possession Of their senses, they
would have been incapable of their crimes.
punishment must be melted out. Who will
dare advance a plea in e~xtenuation of their
crimes, in favor Of the brutal murderers?
Justice must prevail. We are a law abiding
people and criminals must be punished ttat
the community may be protected. All this
Is true and right, and yet there are
those who think that an ounce
of prevention might be used to pre-
vent the development Of criminal proclivi-
ties Of men when, the provocative cause
leading to the commission OF crime, is known
W IuOSS IL u ouUuO3l LJu w PAONChV phO
commital Of greater crimes by the arrest Of
those whose frequently intoxicated condition
and quarrelsome dispositions ~foretell, to the
officers of the law, what the consequences OF
permitting the violent urunkard to remain
at large, will be. A criminal is punished be-
cause be deserves punishment and to prevent
others from committing crime. These two
objects influenced law makers n law Of
fcers in the past, but we 1atter ourselves
that the prevention Of crime is more to be
desired than the punishment Of criminals.
We do not regard our police officers as ap-
pointed for the sole purpose OF arreStlng
criminals. Theirs is q protective, p%reventa
tive service and we treat them as guardians
OF the public peace, and except in prevent.
ing the influence Of intoxicating liquor from
developing criminal proclivities, they are
quick to detect and prevent other influences
from fostering criminals. II every one
who became intoxicated knew that
he was liable to arrest, this
knowledge would have a wholesome effect
on the drinker. But it may be said that the
arresting of every one VINO became into1i-
Gated would be an odious duty to impose on
an officer; would be too degrading on good
though weak citizens, and too great a huml-
iation on their families. This may be true,
but the benefit to the weak and tao gain to
his miserable family would compensate for
the humiliation. Though we doubt the
goodness OF any man wac sacrifices his ill.,
terests and the happiness Of his family to
the qualification OF his appetite for intoxi-
eating liquor, yet, we would not go too far.
We would only ask that the violent be shell
tered in the county Jail, until the violence of
the storm raised by them has spsnt its force
and they were sufficiently Gained to learn
that they had been a public nuisance which
could be no longer tolerated, and as they are
generally well-msn ling and selfish men,
they would try to SO conduct themselves as
to escape personal inconvenience and pun
ishment, and thus they would gain control
of themselves in time to prevent their GRIM
inal proclivities from gaining control OF
them.-Sacred Heart Reuiem.