Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-09-23
FINLAND IN RELATION 10 CRIME.


SOME Of the public journals are com.
menting upon the terrible sentence up
ON a young married woman In Finland.
Her chief crime was the murder OF her
husband. In addition to this sho had
several times forged his name to pa
pers for tho purpose OF obtaining
money. For the murder she has been
sentenced to be behcaded. Before dc.
capitation her right hand will DO cut
OF, a. a penalty for forgery. These
punlshmens are inflicted under tho
provisions OF n medieval law, which
has never been repealed.
The comments OF the press upon this
case are mostly confined to condemna.
ton Of the judgment on account Of liz
batbarity. The subject Is, however,
suggestive o. some thoughts In another
direction. In animadverting upon
the fact that Finland IL behind the
times in preserving such statute on
It's books, the cause Of it's not having
been repealed ought 10 be considered.
II Is evident that that country has
not advanced at tho same rate Rs other
nations In law reform because stalu-
tory changes have not been go neces.
sary there rs elsewhere. This partlcu.
lar case Indicates that n Finland has
not kept abreast with other countries
In changing Its laws, 1t has been be-
cause she has also been behind In the
march toward a criminal vortex In the
direction OF which the world 10
Fastening. The balance OF the nations
have been compelled to modify punt
tory processes In some glasses OF
olieuses because OF The Increase OF
crime.
This time when stealing and other
minor oiionses were In Great Britain
capital otienses Is yet within the
memory Of men. This was when
honesty was more largely the rule
than now. As crime iuprea sed modi.
fications OF tho criminal statu ties were
demanded and conceded. The same
development has been going forward
Ia the other nations, Finland being
evidently notable exception to the
rule.
Asa matter Of course the enlarge
ment OF population accounts, to an
extent, for the appalling increase OF
crime, but only TO limited degree.
The proportion OF orimlnality to the
populati on OF seventy-five years ago
and now would, We believe, make
an exhibit favorable to the older
times. This Is q result OF tho selfish.
ness Of modern civilization, which
differs In It's expression from that OF
barbarism. Tho former is, however,
the same conservative unohristlan
instinct ~ the latter exhibited by dit.
ferent methods. One OF tho most nota.
bic tendencies OF the times ~ tho decay
OF human sympathy in the world.
This OF course Ia but another way OF
stating that seltlshnoss Is being dovel-
'p'h' anu - hH'Vho VI TINS hltuhtlOn
bubble and boil at every exciting
cause, no matter how comparatively
small, rs, for instance, In the recent
brutal resistance to the landing on
Fire Island OF the "Normanih" pas.
aengen. The In crease OF selfshness,
which Ia antl-Christ, must DO cocks.
tent with clashlng, quarelilng and
violence, because II meana 0ommotiJn
resulting from men seeking to gain ad.
vantage over their fellows.
In view OF these considerations It
will be well to give Finland its due
credit Tor morality, VIII ilc commenting
ON the barbarous character OF some OF
its penal statutes.