The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1895-08-01
CRIME AND CRIMINALS.

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The above subject has been, almost
uninterruptedIy, the one continuous
theme of MIRROR contributors since
the time of its (THE MIRRORS) lncep-
ton, and to its many intelligent read
ers the subject has no doubt become
monOtOnOus. and in literary sense, |
nauseous and threadbare. While it is
not my purpose to reiterate upon this
much mooted question, want to say
right here, that within the scope OF
the Vulnerable theories, opinions, doc
trines and dogmas thus advanced,
have as yet failed to distinguish a
clear. pointed and satisfactory detinl-
tion of this great question, based upon
natural and historical facts. 1t has
been repeatedly argued that crime is
a disease and criminals class of in
dividuals of unusual, unnatural and
abnormal growth or degenerated from
viscious parentage, mental defect
ives. etc. 1t appears to me that these
penologsts and promulgators of mod
ern theories could not have conceived
more senselesS and absurd set OF
arguments than has been used in the
construction of these ceaselesS reltera-
tlons upon "crime and criminals,
which leads me to the conclusion that
the authors of these alleged arguments
have not been strictly honest and
frank in their writings, and the nat
ural presumption that the same has
been vaunted more for effect than for
any absolute facts which they con-
tanned. All history teaches us that
crime is a natural, not an abnormal
heritage of man which has been handed
down to him since the beginning of the
world. It is, so to speak, natural
science. in like sense, as art, literature
medicine, politics, finance and the
thousand -and-One other natural herlt
ages of mankind, hence, theorize as We
: NAV. the fact remains that crime i:
and must be ranked as a trade, a pro
fession, pure and simple; profession
/. whose membership is far more mum
erous than that Of all other trades ant
: professions combined; for remember
3 in defining the word crime we mus
S embrace the glaring frauds and decep
t tions of the whisky trust, the suga
q trust. the bond steal, beef combines
i leather trust, pine land rackets, adu
e teration of foods, medicines, drugs
r clothing, guarantee loan frauds, lnsul
d ance swindles and the countless mi
l. lions of deceptions, swindles an
7, frauds which has ever been and III
e ceasingly continues to be practice
e upon mankind, in order to give tn
e word crime it's true and proper detin
e ton. Therefore the profession
l. crime. so far as the fact of fraud an
n swindling is practiced, embraces a
n other trades, professions and fOlleI
ic ings. and though it be said to the
everlasting shame, there are few trad
Id or professions extant which did not,
Of lesser or greater extent, add their re
lg uIar quote to the professions OF erin
ir and so far became members OF tn
ne monstrous and ungodly professlo
n. Crime is also the most intricate, dl1
l cult and hazardous of all the know
ID trades and professions, to master.
m practice it successfully, requires mo
ay energy, more brains, more diploma
es and more cash capital than any 9th
re- trade or profession conceived or +
mt lowed by any member of the hum
to race. In the two words, "crime" a
"a "criminal" there is great distincti'
he that is to say, as the two words
cd usually known and commonly used.
it the latter sense person does not
'el come criminal, the disease and
of normal growth theories are
ate advanced until he has been convlc
ers of crime and safely landed in prls
are therefore the true definition OF
,IIy "criminal' as the world interprets,
INV derstands and uses the term,
,m- plainly and purely as follows.
tne A criminal.-A man or person who
artS run made complete or partial failure
his or her endeavors to practice the