Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1896-10-07
n CRIME.

ALCOHOL n CRIME.
The court Of appeals, through Justice
Morris, recently pronounced a most
wholesome doctrine of criminal Law IN
passing on q murder case that involved
the question of how far a crime may
be excused because of the lntoxication
the defendant. There is perverted
sense Of charity in some quarters that
pleads for mercy for a man who robs,
shoots, cuts, assaults or otherwise Of
tends while drunk. 1t is urged that
the drink habit is a disease, that the
influence of strong liquor is to make
a man an irresponsible agent and
therefore that intoxication must in
criminal matters be likened to insanity
and must be extended quite the same
as a palliation Of the offense. This
doctrine is plainly dangerous, tending
at once to increase both drunkenness
and crime. 1t has obtained a certain
vogue in some of the lower courts, and
this, it is urged, has spread a belief
among the criminal classes that liquor
is regarded by the law as an excuse
for all sorts of offenses. The holding
by the court of appeals is of such force
and expressed with so much certainty
that it should be spread abroad as
widely as possible to check the unfor-
tunate tendency that all too plainly
exists. Justice Morris, in upholding
the action of the court below, said:
1--WE hold emphatically as the law
of the District of Columbia that volun.
tary intoxication is neither an excuse
nor a palliation for crime. Voluntary
i%ntoxication is itself a crime, at least
e in morals, if not always in law. 1t is
always at least a vice. And it wonld
be subversive of all law and all morals
if the commission of one vice or crime
could be permitted to operate as an ex'
cuse or palliation for another crime
This is definite language that may
be understood by all, whether verset
in the law or not. 1t is an eminentl!
wise decision, and it gives the court
of inferior jurisdiction in the Distric
ample ground for some effective re
formatory work. The process should
begin in the police court, where drunk
enness and petty crime commonly e
hand in hand. 1t should follow tn,
course of justice through the CRANE
jury to the criminal courts in specia
term. and so on up to the tribunals o
last resort. When men are brought Il
a clear, definite understanding tina
int~oxication is held by the law to az
committed under the influence o
liquor, they may be less easily tempted
by the bottle, Washington Star.
YOUNG WOMEN RESPONSIBLE.
In a past issue Of the Union Sigma
appeared an article in which u clergy
man is quoted as saying that the wo
men are resonsible for the low STANDARD
of morals among men.
l have studied this question long ant
carefully and under exceptionally ia
vorable circumstances and long ag,
came to the conclusion that unless tn,
young of this land take a de
cided stand we will never reach on
Paradise of pure home life. | coul,
quote many cases in point but two viii
be sufficient: An eminent minister
son, a member of the church, had con
was INDUCED, guardedly, of course, bu
it grew until his afianced heard of il
She promptly informed him he mus
choose between her and wine. II
wisely chose the woman and eschewe
the wine and o they are blest wit
o family and prosperity. Again,
young woman, a member of the ten
perance crusade, well acquainted wit
the habits of young men and abunt
antly able to detect any lurkings
the monster, married a man, of who's
evil habits she could not be ignoran
who has since, more than once ,brougl
her to deaths door. Many times ha,
! asked myself why did she marry hin
1t has been abundantly demonstrate
that if q girl can not convert her Low,
she will never be able to convert h
husband. If the Y's will take up til
cry for their w~atchword and cling to
like grim death" they will do unto
good.
The young women Of this count
hold the destiny of the young men al
of coming generations in their hanC
How will they discharge the respun
bility.-N. w Merrill.
Man WA Hmy