The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-04-09
LIVE QUESTIONS.
s Series of Articles Contributed to These
Columns by Advanced Thinkers.

'1NOIftEh LESSON Il KUN IHE lIASI CEN-
sUs-THE PRESIDENTS MISSIONARY
ADDRESS AND CRIMINAL STATISTICS.
The duties of a president are onerous
and numerous His responsibilities arc
undoubtedly great. 1t is serious ques-
tion how far his duties extend. 1t is
generally conceded that conferences with
great financiers for the welfare of the
country, recreations in hunting and fish
ing, delivering missionary addresses,
instructing the country on wise or other
wise financial theories, twisting the tail
of the British lion and vetoing sundry
bills are legitimate exercises of the pres
idential prerogative There are those,
however, who think that the president
should be somewhat acquainted with the
conditions and needs of the entire coun
try. That he has an interest in the west
was evinced recently in missionary ad-
dress, delivered in Carnegie hall, New
York, before the Home Mission society
of the Presbyterian church. This was
clear and strong address, and some of
its statements are peculiarly interesting.
The knowledge Of the west evinced by
the speaker is not as thorough as one
would wish it to be. The west is q
great. country, and like all other great
subjects it is complicated and difficult
to understand One cannot know the
west thoroughly by casual observations
from the windows Of flying trains nor
from the perusal Of the Arizona Kicker
A better source Of information is at
hand. Before drawing ON this source let
us read what the president said of the
condition of the west:
"No one charged with the duties and
responsibilities which necessarily weigh
upon a chief executive can fail to appre-
ciate the Importance of religious teach
ing and Christian endeavor in the new
ly settled portions of our vast domain.
1t is there where hot and stubborn war
fare between the forces of good and evil
is constantly invited. In those days the
vanguard of occupation in a new set
tlement is never without its vicious and
hOucCS anu
dramshops are frequently among the first
establishments in new community. 1t
must also be confessed that removal
from old homes and old associations to a
new and more primitive home has q
tendency among honest and respectable
settlers to smother scruples and to breed
liberation of evil and indifference to
Christianizing and elevating agencies.
These conditions, if unchecked and un-
corrected, fix upon the new community
by their growth and expansion charac-
ter and disposition which, while dan
9erous to peace and order in the early
stages of settlement, develop into badly
regulated municipalities corrupt and un-
safe territories and undesirable states. +"
He emphasizes what he presumes to be
faots-viz, that in the west there are:
First.-Vicious and criminal classes I;
second gambling houses and dram
shops; third, the general laxity in
morals consequent ON leaving old homes
and associations. The inevitable result
is "badly regulated municipalities, cor
rupt and unsafe territories and unde-
sirable states. -
The people Of the west are not un-
grateful for the many and excellent
blessings conferred by the east. The
missionary has been received with open
arms and given prominent and honored
place in every western community. The
policy of sending out we'll trained
preachers and teachers into new fields is
wise and right. But when we turn to
the statistics Of crime, taken from the
last census, we are made to ask the ques-
tion whether missionaries are not need
ed in other sections of our country.
One might ask if there are no saloons
and gambling dens in New York and
Boston, whether there is any political
corruption east of the Alleghanies,
whether or not there is any general
laxity of morals" even in New England.
1t has been hinted that there are few
immoral people and few saloons even
in the District of Columbia But, how
ever this may be, brief study of our
criminal census will be both profitable
and instructive TO people in all sections
Of the country. In The Outlook for
March Mr.. F. W. Hewes presents a
careful diagram study of the criminal
population of the various states and ter
ritories. These statistics are the best OBJ
tainable. In each million Of the popula
tion there are 1885 criminals in Mas
sachusetts and 1894 i'll Washington
1921 in New York and l,778 in Idaho
1921 in Rhode Island and 1894 il
Utah, 1875 in Connecticut and l 1886 il
New Mexico, 1869 in New Jersey ant
1919 in Wyoming, 1,234 in Pennsyl
vania and 531 in North Dakota
Below is given the general results by
sections