The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1897-06-23
NO. 1926.
The Beginning OF Evil.
Baltimore San.

Tor some purposes of study and
corrective Treatment, but conyen-
lence of classification should not
mlslead any one into the idea that
the criminal is necessarily a GRIM
NAL by his physical, mental or
moral constitution or that those
who do not naturally belong to
the so-cal1ed criminal class MAY
drift into it. Heredity doubtless
plays It's part In inclining men to
wee as we'll as to virtue, but asso-
clatlon with criminals is a greater
tactor IN determining the career
OF young man. Proofs of the
strong effects of criminal heredity
and criminal associations are
abundant, for there are families
OF criminals, just as there are fam
lies whose members are devoted
to certain learned professions.
But there are also abundant proofs
that criminal heredity is small
factor when not combined with
criminal associations. A contrary
impression, where it exists, can
generally be traced to the infu-
ence of novelists, who, with a DO
etc fancy common to all ages of
men, represent that the influence
of birth or parentage overcomes
all teachings and associations, so
that the born nobleman remains
noble though brought up in squalor
and ignorance, and the pauper
changellng reveals his low origin
though clothed in purple. Novel
lists are not scientists, but poets,
and their representations of the
influence of heredity should not be
accepted as true without sustain
ing proof afforded by real charac-
ters instead of the creatures of
their Imagination. AS a matter
of fact, it is SO difficult to isolate
the influences determining char
acter that the question as to the
influence of heredity alone is still
an open one, with the certainty.
however, that it is not q controll-
ing influence. A very large num-
Der of criminals coming from good
parentage drift into crime almost
unconsciously through idleness,
bad associations, inordinate greed
and lack of moral force. Crimi-
nails themselves may be divided
into classes. There are the brutal
criminals, whose crimes are di-
rected against persons; the sneak
ing thieves, who have not courage
enough to rob openly, and the con
fdence men, sTindlers and en-
bezzlers, who would not rob at all
except by indirect means. It is
the latter class 0f criminals THAI
is recruited from the ranks OF Of id lle
young n1en of good parentage.
They do not start out with anv
thought, much less intention, Of
becoming criminals, but they are
led into wrong courses by bad as
soclates, or sometimes by their
business superiors, and finding
themselves involved have not the
moral courage to brfak away from
the beginnings of evil. Clerks in
banks and similar institutions are
sometimes caught in the tolls in
this way. Their superior officer
directs them to make a false entry
which they know to be wrong. and
they weakly obey, without, how.
ever, understanding the full pur.
pose and meaning of the transac.
ton. After awhile they find that
they have been used as tools tc
n 4,
falslfy accounts, and, instead Of
breaking away at once from evi
courses, they attemptby Other
false entries to coyer up the origi.
nal wrong. When exposure comes
as it must some day, the explana
tion they offer isnot sufficient to
acquit them, and, with broken rep
utations, they drift into the Grim
inal class. They might anc
should be objects of pity if tht
world could be made to fully un
lderstand the manner of theil
temptation and fall, but they
could not themselves explain it
SO insidious is the poison of evil
once admitted to the system. TIL,
only safe plan is to resist the be
fginnings of evil. If a wrong steT
has been taken, or one that ap
pears to be wrong, it should be re
tracted at once, even. at the ex
pense of a humiliating confession
Dalliance with wrong is alway
dangerous, nor can any one fino
Esecurity in the idea that the worl,
Is divided into fixed classes of an
kind. The criminal class is. Ger
tainly recruited day by day AIT
year after year, and some of til
recruits come from that other Sc
called class who, by heredity an,