Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1894-10-13
DEATHS BY VIOLENCE.
EUROPEAN COUNTRIES con-
PARED WITH AMERICA.
'uie,as'' homieides, Accidents. and r,e-
ent'ons Figured IN the Comparison
annual hates OF Foreign sta,.s ~
mArk's nigh Figures.

various tests are accepted among
students and thinkers In moot :,
high civilization, some tayor,n@ ~
ratio Of iliiteracy. some the bigh
average Of the rate Of wages 49,
the surplus savings applicable to DUR.
ehases OF inxury. some the national
expenditures for education. some
the volume Of mercantile transa..
lions, ana others, again. the artistfc
development Of the various coon.
tries Bnt one uniform. suDrefne
ana interchangeable test of eiytliga
tlon Is furnished Ia the estimate nrt
upon human life and probably there
Is. after all. no better, fare. ana
more satisfactory test
One may take. in their order
suicides. homlcides. accidents. and
executions to arrive at an accurate
conclusion on this point In respect
Of suicides. Denmark among oiyIliz.
Oh countries. stands at the head. or
more properly a. the foot Of the
lisl With an annual rate Of 95 per
10000 inha bitants Austria follows
with n. Switzerland with u. France
WIN =, Germany with IA Sweden
wish Z, Belgium With 7, Hungary q
Scotland 4. Italy 3. Holland s. United
States ., Russia >. ireland ]. aud
spain l.
IN the record Of homlcldes the an.
dual average Is higher Ia the king
dom q Italy than elsewhere. being
- 20 t40l1 deaths. very high
figure Spain follows with 23s. lie
United States with 2l5. Switzerland
with i@1. ireland aud Austria with
- each. Franc eand Russia with 50
each sweden with = England with
~. aud Germany With ca
y 70 somewhat Interesting fact
that the ratio 81 suicides 20 the pom.
alailon Is highest Ia ihose countries
10 ahieh murders aea few. and low.
O. 10 those countries ia which mnr
go. are many d wQgid seem as II
lh0ge laellnsa 20 iaFe iheIr own
llges we're reluctant 70 seek the lives
81 others and those who were rock.
leta 10 their estimate Of the value 81
ihe lives q others were scrupulous 10
protecting aud preserving their own.
The extension Of mAchlnory for
manufacturing purposes and tho
rapid utilization ot electricity for
motive powcr And for purposes 81
illumination has largely Increased ia
all progressive countries the ratio
" accidents Al the present time
these arc the average ratios OF tho
number 81 accidental deaths to 10.
Q11 annual deaths from all causes ia
tho countries nsmci England and
Scotland. 80. ireland. IS. France. 10:
Germany. ~; Russia. 6: Austria. 10:
Italy. y. Switzerland. %. Spain. Z
Denmark. y. aud tho United
States. "a
To the number Of passengers car.
rlcd the ratio nf railroad accidents
i greatest ia she United States. and
othur countries thus follow In Abe or
der named puss!a. Italy. Spain.
France, Germany, Belgium. Eng
land aud Switzerland
Tbc accidents attributable 70 con
tact In any form with tho electric
arc most numerous ia the
United States and public experience
In this regard Is very similar 20
vhat first followed the introduction
% steam AZ power Of traction.
With Improvements. suggested by
the practical operation OF railroads
and by utilizing now agencies as
safeguards the number % railroad
accidents has been substantially do
creased ot late yoars Just as the
present high rate 81 accidents from
overhead wires viii. probably, a few
years hence be much less than IL is
now
There Il much variance between
the figures and executions officially
supplied rs some governments and
tho actual number Of such cxecu
tlons. some governments adding the
return Of lynohiugs aud others
giving only figures derived from
court-martialships
Ia the United States capital pun.
ishmcnt Il inflicted in ncarly every
state under the authority 81 the
shcriff ~ tho particular county IN
which Che crime.for whietit Is pom.
atty. Was committed There are
{. 200 counties IN tho United States.
aud consequently 1000 shoriifs. eX-
elusive OF tho solfcoustltuted mohs
oi masked individuals who in certain
districts Of the South and West
usnrp. from time 70 time, the sher
IFS duties Ind prcrogatives.
Tho United States government &C.
onires inrlsdiction la very few CAPT
tai cases. the number including
crimes committed In the District Of
Columbia or any OF the territories,
on tho high seas Ia American vessels.
Ia military encambments, or among
the Indians.
In several European countries cap
ital punishme & has been explicitly
b law. aud the same Is
true Of three states in this country.
No accurate figures, therefore, can
be given on the subject OF cxecu-
tions except such ms are based upon
the number OF murders, punishment
for which Is highest ia France and |
England and lowest in Italy and the
United States
Bnt the fact Is not 20 be forgotten