The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1897-02-25
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any of the various professions and ex
pect the same result. Because a mans
parentage is of low origin and shows
traces of criminal career, it would be
foolish to expect that his children will
become so. If man is a minister, that
is no indication that his children will
take to the ministry, even if placed
under the most favorable circumstan-
ces. Soldiers on the battlefield kill the
enemies arrayed against them, but we
cannot produce any evidence to prove
that this deadly hatred toward each
other is transmitted to their children.
Abraham Lincoln and James A. Gar
field were both born and raised upon a
farm in poverty and without the means
of getting an education, but they did
not become farmers because their par
ents happened to be farmers. These
are only few illustrations out of a
multitude which show that the germ
theory is inconsistent and has no
foundation in statistics or science.
If the origin of criminality has not
its source in the supposed hereditary
germs, it must certainly exist in en-
virOnment or force of circumstances.
All recognize and admit that in en-
vironment is to be found the origin of
70 nffo 1u
progress, the law providing COM
pulsOry education should be strictly
enforced. This environment, which
is responsible for producing nine
tenths of the criminals that war against
society, is not strictly confined to the
poverty stricken inmates of tenement
houses in our large cities, where more
religion, sympathy and kindness exists
in one single block then is to be found
in mile on Fifth avenue, but to that
environment caused by the neglect of
parents in sending their children to
find employment instead of attending
the public schools in acquiring an ed
ucation and knowledge of the duty
they owe to society.
Another prolific cause of criminality
is when crime is committed under cir
cumStances in which the individual,
for the time being, has no control over
himself; for, when the mind is influ-
enced by anger, the man is incapable of
realizing the enOrmity of the deed
he commits and it's final consequences.
Crime of this nature has no legal
remedy, but rests solely with the in
dividual. What 1 mean by circum-
stances is this: Two friends meet up
on the street, one is utterly devoid of
the power of self f-control; the other
possesses a temper that is ungovern-
able; discussion begins, difference
of opinion exists, blow is struck and
a crime is committed which no legal
restrictions could prevent, however
severe it's punishment may be. While
environment and circumstances are
acknowledged to be important factors
in crime, we must not forget the fact
that within the boundary of these two
sources of crime the so-called pro-
fessional criminal is born. From the
time of his conviction until he again
enters the world, the methods that are
supposed to effect his reformation
only tend to develop keen hatred
which hypocrisy justly deserves.
The hereditary theory is nothing but
mere subterfuge, used by the weak
and cowardly in order to shift the re-
sponsibility of their wrong-doing upon
the shoulders of their parent. Crimi-
nality principally has its origin
and development in environment and
circumstances, and these two con-
ditfons, in their various forms, exist
among all classes, rich and poor alike.
JASPER.