New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-05
4 COMUON-SENSE VIEW or CRIME.

1t is refreshing to come across writer who
deals with criminals as men who have gone
wrong and avoids both scntimcntaity and the
overdecate science which tends to regard them
as psychologist freaks. Such a writer is Josiah
Flynt who in the current number Of THE
Forum discOurses most entcrtainlngly ana
sucgestivey on "Thc Criminal in the OPEN
He complains that most studies Of the criminal
have been made behind bars, where the subject
is not his natural self, but n person whose i'm
pulses are restrained whose spirits are i'm
paired and who conceals his intelligence and
moral conceptions with view TO his own adj
vantage Mr.. Flynt has spent years associat-
ing with tramps and their friends the criminals.
has gone TO Jail more than once 10 learn their
thoughts and has lived with them in their free
haunts He knows both classes thoroughly. and
he saws they ere entirely different from the
creatures of the prison Observers statistics.
Mr.. Flynt's primary position is that the
crmnal-that is. the professional criminals
not either a physical or a moral degenerate. He
is. until prison life or irregular living ruins him,
n strong man. He is neither feeble minded nor
insane but is generally keener more intelligent
and better balanced than the average Of the
class of society from which he springs. Neither
IS he morally Obtuse. He has scale Of morals
which is perfectly normal in his relations with
his own associates and is full Of sympathy for
honest people poorer than himself He is not
cruel. he does not like to take life and he con-
slders the death penalty his just due If he does
take life as an incident to his profession. The
bulk of the criminal population is composed of
men who spring from the poorer classes of So
ciety and their crimes almost entirely crimes
against property. They are not driven 10 this
by hatred OF wealth and by SOciastc notions,
or by want. Most Of them could make an honest
living If they had a mind TO. But they want
Injuries as well as necessaries. They are am
bilious. They look upon crime means-an
Legitimate means, it Is true-but n means 10
gain money and ease. They calculate on paying
for their wealth by a certain amount OF imprison-
ment. and consider themselves successful II they
are able to make their 'hauls' compensate for
their punishment. They all hope to save enough
Of dishonest gain 10 settle down in comfort after
n while. If they get too much Imprisonment
they become discouraged and join the tramps
and avoid lawbreaking.
This is different picture from thar of the
crminologsts. who pick ont specimens with re-
treating forehcadS and projecting ears and argue
that crime Is a disease. Mr. Fynt says that
in the open criminals compare favorably as 10
forehead and ears with other men. They know
right and wrong and choose 10 get what they
want by doing wrong. and take the risks in
v0lvod They themselves SAggcSt 10 him the
remedy for their ease. Discourage them. Teach
them that the gain is not worth the cost. and
then, when they turn Ia tramping. teach them
the same lesson and make them discouraged
vagabonds. This certainly Is sensible advice
Cruelty is the last thing we want in our prisons
but we are in need of n system that. while thor
oughly humane and reformatory in tendency
will operate from It's first contact with law
breaker 10 convince him that the odds are
against him, that crime does not pay, and make
of him a discourage! criminal. Then we want
10 offer him something better to do than become
a tramp. Take that resource away from him
and give him chance TO Use the energy and
brain he has 10 good purpose