The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-07-07
LIVE QUESTIONS.
sA Series Of Articles Contributed by
Advanced Thinkers.
CRIME AMI MORE OF II.

Eho serious attenGtOn Oh tQOCSHt1ts1
people is more and more engaged in the
study of criminality in the United
States. Especially the increase In what
are scientifically called crimes against
the person arrests attention and requires
more consideration. In valuable adj
dress, prepared with great care by Mr.
AndrewD. White. lately our minister to
4 Russia, he has brought forward the
Facts In this matter SO as to startle even
those who thought themselves best ln-
formed. he delivered this address at
large meeting Of gentlemen of standing
IN Boston, who are accustomed to use
the power which they hare for the I'M
movement Of the social condition OF
Massachusetts,. He confined himself,
however, rather to a statement Of what
is and what seems to be the tendency In
all parts Of the United States. He has
left. the solution of great many ques-
stions not only to the men who heard
/ him, but to others who see great pres
ent evil and one which seems to be IN
creaang.
10 cite single details, Mr.. White
Showed that there are more murders III
I the United States, in proportion to the
population of the country, than IN any
other country of the globe. 1t would
seem as If "a certain Indifference accom-
panied these murders. In the year 1895
The statistics Will show that no more
TRAN one IN "a mnrderers was executed
by process Of law. Indeed the total
ramber Of executions under the law
was but 1872 Perhaps it is hardly to be
wondered at that Mr. White had a
I larger list of lynchings, where murder
ems, on people supposed TO be such, had
been executed without the process OF
law The number Of these in the same
gear was III.
gt is very easy to say that this IN
crease mcrims results from the large I'M
migration into the country of the Grim
znaLls Of other lands. But, unfortunately
for those who take this easy solution OF
yesy sad questions, the figures do not.
bear out the statement so far as they
could wish. On the other hand, very
large proportion of the persons who
commit these crimes and proportion
eqaaily large Of persons imprisoned for
other crimes of violence are natives OF
the country who have grown up with
such training as the country has yet
ffo1and out how to give in such matters.
Undoubtedly there are great facilities
gii7en in Europe for the emigration OF
ersminals There have been we'll attest
aed instances in which even the civil au-
thor1ties have been mean enough to send
their criminals to other countries. We
wish it could be said that In no court OF
the Cnited States did it ever happen
that nolle prosequi was entered by the
prosecuting officer on condition that the
criminal should leave the state This is
simply to do what it is understood has
Been done ID some instances by the au-
thorities in Europe who wanted to get
rid of people. They arranged some way
In which these people should leave
their country for their countrys good.
Mr.. White, at some length, showed
the danger which has resulted from the
reckless use of the pardoning power. He
dYelt, however, at some length on
] what he called the criminal education
Of children. The facility with which
cheap newspapers, dime novels and other
literature of sensation are circulated
makes what educational people call a
seminar Of crime. Mr.. White showed,
with sad humor, the effect which is
produced upon boy by the posters and
pictorial title pages which show, apar-
emily with truth, this or that or another
snccess of, the revolver or Of the bowie
knife.
It should not be impossible that, by
scme concerted movement of the direct
ess Of the press, a countercheck might
abe found to this tendency, if proper IL
lus4ration were given of the conse-
caences. Of crime The average street
boy has yet to learn that the way of the
transgressor is hard. It is not simply
that it leads to q bad place, as to the
prison or to some other place Of punish
ment, but the way itself is a very hard
way to,trayel
Mr.. sayles, the director Of the public
library at Pawtucket, in simple way
carried out an excellent system of ed2
cation in this affair. He prepared sep
uate scrapbook for the juvenile readers
In that library, which showed what
happened to boys who had tried the SEN
sationa method of life and volunteered
upon piracy or burglary for the amuse-
uaent of those careers. Mr.. Sayles found
this scrapbook was even more attractive
to the unwashed youngsters of Paw
tucket than were the somewhat stale
picture books which represented mU--
Ger, escape and robbery
The gentlemen who had such matters
in hand in Pawtucket were well salts
fed tEat the mere presentation Of the
simple fact in the scraps from newspa-
pers which were brought together here
had highly desirable effect. What
~,o;,l,+ ,,r>t ho f7oro ~ cO,,ro of o1,r artists