The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-05-07

| from an impulse beyond control, or from
fear of his life. or what, unfortunately
| Is most frequently the case, while undel
the influence of liquor; or, if theft, com
mittcd from want, or temptation. OF
what not is thrown in Jail to await trial
There he is surrounded by vicious, bru
talizng environment, huddled, perhaps
with II lot Of filthy negroes and MeXicans
all hardened criminals; in fact made tC
breathe an atmosphere fatal to every i'll
] stinct of self-rcspect, and calculated tC
crush out every atom of manhood. When
brought to trial the fact that it was his
| first killing, that he was drunk at the
| time, and for the first time in his life,
| had not even Il knowledge of what he
| had done that, realizing the situation
| he is deeply penitent, and would give
worlds to undo it and make restitution
does not in the least qualify the Offense,
except, perhaps, it may secure for him
the minimum term of imprisOnment-the
ightcst punishment that goes with that
kind of crime; it is II definite term, and
carries with it eternal disgrace, social
and business Ostracsm and disfranchise-
mcnt. Could anything he more unjust
Why. what would be thought of a doc
tor, for instance, who, having all his
cases diagnosed for him, should treat
every one of class exactly alike, with
the same dose and without regard to age,
soy tnnncromrnt ar environments Here
IL ~ cosn If fever. here is n formula for
fever for all corners. Here is IA case Of
rhoumntism. here il the treatment for
rheumatism for all ages, sizes. sex, color
or previous cOndition"-the book says so.
Failure would be a foregone conclusion.
And so with our classification OF crime,
win its ncnolty attached. without a cor
rnsnnndinp Classification of the criminal:
if Is. ms we have seen. lamcntable fail
rrc
..,,.;.,. ,,o.l,d, .ho ,+,+o
ASain' u! uA'aI'ls ,,u,,o IS ,nn;ot,, h,.
cssass ~ pu'ns ,nr Inv, o.;,'n THO In ~
PIP ...de /" IN w, LII ;, and fnrtbwith
snys .iou sl"it , no NJ, Hin lii and il,
sit1' -, IN I"'f ,ri ,'mntomt fnr nntt;ng a
uolu pio1u a. NV ne nrntoot soc;aty con only
mai ~ ut ~ ~ i,,,nI ~. born cr;uinniE
apI I' ~ , tmu t'' tha ands con ha accom-.
a,ii =, 1 ,',, ' .m Inss rovn,tino
p''neu ny "'e""'
The inadequacy OF existing statutes 10
meet the requirements IS an exceedingly
grave matter, and should cause deep con
Germ to all thinking ana patrlotic men.
Not only that they FAN TO repress CRIME
ana protect society. ana, as we nave
want of confidence on the part of the
mhlic engenders n feeling of insecurity
which drives them to the commission
of those acts of lowlessness for which
they are so severely but unjustly CEN
sured Self-defense and the protection
Seriu' 'eni.ue .h "mu nv IN ppt; Tn nf
W no,''. ~ -, m, ,'ap,in &c irnxos ma
nu'i nun i'"., 'l nJ pI;U' oA arn 70 ho
as loyni nmd lnWiup t liz "S h n,e r ao
that the methods of dealing with the
rnpist and murderer. and the double
crime. rnne md murder land that. too,
most freducntly. of tender Young chill
drcn), are not cffcctuar to put a stop to
il. even when the law is swiftly executed,
Inf on the contrary. that an execution.
nven in the borrid form of the stake, ac-
tually appears to incite others to the
crime. il simply drives them to madness.
The horrible execution of Henry Smith
nj Paris must have been known to every
negro in Texas: but it did not deter an
other negro from committing n similar
outrage n short time after at Tyler. and
he met n similar fate. Nor have the sew
cral PROMPT hangings for rape been at
tended with more salutary results. Rape
is notoriously on the increase. not only
in Texas. but in other states, and lynch
law is brought into execution.
T., srnnort of +bo osoortiou that an ov-
~ oupioat ", ' ntm go nrinnn instond
W nn,,; dotourn,,t orroot mon the OWL
~ II" ,IS ,nL - tio thoor 81 our svs.
uiSloSeu Va t";i - to ,m IN lie soul" md
'tNl W S'lih' W. i'i ~ "iS ~"