The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-06-30
LIVE QuEsT IONS,

IA Series os Articles Contributed by
Aayarced Thinkers
{ WHAT SHALL We DO WITH OUR GRIM
MAILS?
What IS criminal9 Ore who has
committed crime. What is q crime: The
law makes illegal crimes: Of some
things that are right. For instance, the
law makes it a crime to bring goods
into the county without permitting an
Official to take away from you part OF
their value
We should change our laws SO as to
abolish merely legal crimes. Nothing
should be a crime in law which is not
also crime in morals This class Of
criminals would then be abolished. But
there is another class Of crininals-men
and women who violate the moral law.
who agrees in some way on the rights
of others. What shall be done with
thema This question relates to the sole
function Of goverprent-viz, the pre-
ven5ien of aggression.
The first thing to be done is to rid the
public mind of the idea that q criminal
should be punished; that be should be
made to suffer SO much or so long III ex-
piation of the evil he has done. sSVen-
geance is mine; I Will repay, saith the
Lord. . And we may safely intrust that
matter to his hands. 1t is not our busl-
ness TO estimate man guilt and meas
ure ont punishment therefor. 1t is our
business to see to it that no one invadss
tie rights Of others. No matter what
tie motive, no matter what the degree
Of responsibility, if man aggfesses On
other individuals or on society, society
should confEe him, not to panlsh him,
; but simply to prevent him from invad-
ing the rights Of others, and this re-
straint should continue olong, and only
Sc long, as may be necessary to accom-
plish this object. The term of imprison-
ment should bear no relation to the
gravity of the crime committed. The
idea Of punishment should be entirely
absent It should relate solely to the fit
ness or unftness of the criminal to be at
large. It is absurd to let man loose
who IS certain to aggress again. It is
wrong to restrain a man Of his liberty
after he has become qualified to enjoy it.
But there is another thing to be
thought Of Under present conditions,
eyen IL our prisons were reformed in ac-
scordance with the above ideas, it would
still be exceedingly difficult for dis
charged prisoner to lead an honest life,
however much he might wish to do so.
Natural opportunities are nearly all
mono7olized and many held out of use.
On those free to use he could scarcely
make living, if att all, and no one is
likely to be willing to employ him ana
run the risk Of his not being sincere in
his desire to reform. He is therefore al
MOST compelled to return to his evil
ways.
But with natural TAX in force this
would be different a discharged con-
vict would not need to apply to any one
for chance to work. He could employ
himself on free land and make q good
living until he had earned a reputation
for honesty. He would then have no ex-
case for relapsing into his old course,
and there would be no need of his doing
50. In fact, hea would not so often be
tempted to aggress on their fellows as
now, and real criminals would be few.
What we should do with our crimi-
mails, ther. is, first, to abolish law made
criminals by aholishing the laws which
make them; second, to adopt the natu-
raj tax on land values, thus opening to
all equal opportunities TO make good
living without aggressing on others and
to criminals who desire to reform a
chance to do SO, and, third, to abandon
the idea Of punishment and substitute
that of protecting individuals and so.
ciety.
While in confinement criminals
should be deprived Of as little freedom
as possible Neither work nor instruc-
tion should be forced upon them, but
both should be furnished if desired by
them, as in most cases they undoubtedly
would be. Thus their treatment would
be an object lesson TO them i'll respect
for the rights Of others, and prisons
should be made true reform schools
where the evil disposed or the insane
could be fitted for an independent and
honest life. EDWARD D. BURLEIGH
A GOOD WORK.
The ladies Of Belleville, Ills, are do
ing nobly in providing work for all idle
men in cleaning the streets. There is
plenty of money in al! Of our cities TO
employ all the idle, and there is always
plenty of work that ought to be done.
Let US lay aside a spurious charity and
inargurate simple method of justice,
Il is nothing but just that every map
should have work and every child re-