The Coconino weekly sun. [volume] (Flagstaff, Ariz.) 1891-1896, 1895-10-17
PUNISHMENT OF cR,M,NA, :

PUNISHMENT OF CRIMINALS
Jast,oe Is Not Always Served bv -.
Methods Now In Vogue.
The criminal code has been con.
ceived through the study ~
crime as an abstraction. 1t mus,
be modified by knowledge of r.
criminal. There should be in :.
no dream of theological exn;.'
tions, which man has no right to i'm.
pose, but it should aim solely at tho
defense of society. The greatest Grim.
jnal anomaly-even insanity-should
not be considered as an extenuatinn
circumstance. Even lunatics shonlS
be arrested in order to protect society
especially the morally insane, who are
a great peril, and the masked epiiep.
tics In the punishment of crime the
tendency of its authors should be con.
sidered. If the author is born crimina,
he must be confined for life, though
the crime itself is not great On the
other hand, a crime committed bv an
honest man impelled by some strono
motive should be punished with much
indulgence, especially political and re.
ligious crimes, which often only antici.
pate by some centuries the thought Of
the people. In our time, when hours
are years and years are centuries. a
political idea which appears to be
dangerous and even criminal THROUGH
its excessive novelty after some time
may appear practical and Just. Such
for instances, were the ideas of Christ
and of Luther. and at the present time
the ideas of the equality of all classes
and of the participation of workmen in
profits.
There was a time when 1t would
have been a crime to maintain these
ideas. Now they pertain to possible
form. Then it must be understood
that for these crimes there should be
no irrevocable penalty like death,
The penalty should be revocable when
the novelty has passed away and the
idea is no longer criminal. Vice versa.
the hand of the law must fall heavily
upon the recidivists, putting aside all
sentimentality, especially if they have
accomplices. And the completely must
not be judged automatically, for
whether there are four or ten they are
equally dangerous. 1t is merely pre-.
ferring formulas to facts to exempt an
association with less than six mem.
bers, as it is done in Italy, and to ig-
more the perils of any criminal asso.
citation. A man who is not contented
to steal himself, but enlists others, is
more dangerous, and must be treated
without pity. Justice cannot be an
from the Eternal Father
sin and disregarding inter-
ests 1t especially should undertake
to compensate the victims of crime at
the expense of the criminal, making
him work in order to pay the indem-
nifty il he is not rich. 1t is blunder
also, when society has lost through
the crime, to compel it to lose still
more for the support of the criminal.
All efforts at reform should be concen-
trated upon occasional criminals.
They are the only ones for whom
much can be done. They should be
from all opportunity by pro-
curing them employment and protect.
ing them from the mischievous inf1u.
ence of alcohol, not only by prohibit
tory laws and fines which are general
" dead letter, but by giving them
mental amusement which will satisfy
that cerebral excitement that is graft
led by alcohol. Above all, the ten.
1ency to crime which appears in in
fancy must not be allowed to continue
IN youth and become habituaL