The Indianapolis journal., 1896-11-25
TO ENFORCE THE LAWS.


To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal:
One does not have to be a pessimist to
say that our laws against crime are not
properly enforced. This may be largely due
to defective machinery in the courts, espe-
cially the courts that are dependent upon
the lawmakers; ii may in some cases be in
part owing to imperfect laws. especially
that class Of law which relates to crimes
to which men of social and political infiu-
ences are given. Crimes against the ma
tional government are less frequent than
those against the State. chiefly because the
national courts are less at the mercy OF
criminals and their friends; and because the
machinery Of the courts is in better work.
ing order. But the chief cause of this de-
fective enforcement is the want of detec-
ton. Burglaries and robberies and every
form of crime are OF daily occurrence yet
the arrests are few. Some crimes have
been almost stamped out through voluntary
associations for the purpose Of detecting
and furnishing offenders. The fish law and
the game law benefit the least possible
number of citizens. yet because they please
a few these few have formed voluntary as
sociations to secure their enforcement and
they are so rigidly enforced that viola
ton of either is hardly ever heard of now.
There has been voluntary association I'm
this county for more than thirty years to
protect horses from the hands of thieves.
and in all those years not horse has been
lost. Some have been stolen. but the de-
tective machinery Of the association is so
perfect that every one has been recovered
and every thief but one has been arrested
and convicted. The result is that for many
years the horses of the members of that as
sociation are not molested. Thieves have
learned to so elsewhere for game.
- lxlII
thousand petty thieves who render every
kind of property insecure. from the chicken
to the merchants safe-not TO mention as
saults and murders and other grave Of
fenses? That these are increasing fearfuliy
everybody knows. and all because not one
in a hundred. II one i'm thousand Is ever
tary association sufficiently ubiquitous to
detect any considerable number of these Of
sufficient. Possibly more could be done in
some directions If the force had a heart
in the work, and IL their positions were not
more or less In the hands OF class OF Of
tenders. We have n large and influential
civic league, but its specially is the saloon
and it's companion crimes. and TO enforce
police force is so difficult that IL remains
almost wholly voters league. 10 be felt
only at elections; but IL never intended
to reach out for burglaries. arsons murders
and the like. II is easy to see that any sys-
tenn OF detection which would embrace all
classes OF crime would be too complicated
and expensive to be effectualiy managed
by n voluntary association Why may we
not adopt a system of detection such as the
government has? The man who passes a
counterfeit dollar or makes or sells gallon
OF whisky unlawfully seldom escapes. A
detective is put upon his track and he runs
him down and runs him in. But IL the bur-
glar who went through General Harrison's
house the other night is ever caught the
general himself must turn detective either
in person or by proxy. and yet everybody
else is as much interested In arresting the
offender as he is. Is IL not possible TO de-
wise a system of detection under control OF
the State which shall be I'm and TO the
State what the governments system Is to
the government? Certainly something
should be done TO stay this fearful increase
of crime. IL is my thought that when such
n case of safe-blowing as that which oc-
Cured the other night. or such a case OF
burgarysas occurs every day and night, or
such a murder or such a case OF arson as
occurs every few days. all the
at once communicated. not to the
police force. but 10 "A miniature Pinkerton
agency, with instructions TO hunt the Of
fender. OF course. the details OF such q
scheme would be complicated. and II might
take many years to perfect them. and OF
course IL WOULD be attended with expense.
but IL IL prevented one crime out OF the
present ten the cost would be insignificant.
Indianapolis. Nov. "A. l.. l.. SIZE.