The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-02-15
ANTIDOTES FOR CRIME
Pointed Out by Prof. White I'm an
Interesting Address.

interesting ADDRESS.
"Criminology in the United States"
was the topic upon which Andrew D.
White Interestingly spoke to a large
audience last evening at Plymouth
church.
The speaker commenced with making
the statement that the United States
was the country in which the crime
Of murder was most common. The
daily items as chronicled by the press
and a careful research Of statistics
would establish this fact.
Speaking Of crime in general" said
the speaker lit might be said that in
many of the greater cities of the cour-
try there is g. certain class of men
whose profession is crime. This GRIM
inal class is preserved with much the
same care as wild beasts are in India.
Jungles are prepared for them from
which they go forth. Legislatures show
strong disposition against eXtermi-
mating them. Statistics show that
crime has increased in the past five
decades from one to every 1000 to one
to every 500. In this time the increase
or the percentage Of murders has been
5S, While the increase Of population has
only been % per cent. That there is
widespread feeling of dissatisfaction
over the way justice has been meted
out is shown by the way people return
to first principles. The records of the
year show that the number Of lynch
1ngs greatly exceeds the number of
legal executions.
1T is deplorable, but true, that homi-
eide is increasing more rapidly in the
United States than in any other civ
flized country in the world. I believe
that the cause for this is an encourage
ment that the criminals receive. There
are different causes for this. It seems
that a man likes to go into the head
lines or a newspaper mentioned as be-
ing daring, nervy and the like. This
and similar show has been made o.
murderers, and what wonder then that
the class has been growing
About the middle Of the present century
the French novelist Balzac complained over
the fact that murder was made poetical. Even
IN IN our own country there has been a growing
lad that society and not the individual is re-
sponsible. For this reason society has no
right to punish, but only to reform. From
this there arises sentimentaity in favor of
criminals. From many places comes the
aphorism that the worst use you can put man
TO is to hang him. 1 say that there are many
men that the best use you can put them to
is to hang them.
In the middle ages laws were concocted to
protect the poorer man from the tyranny Of
those above him. These same laws have
during the trend Of years become the safe
guard or scoundrels, especially regards
murder. The system Of today is to make the
chances in favor Of the criminal and defeat
the ends of justice. Another cause that has a.
tendency to increase criminality is the aug
mented power Of the pardoning boards and
weakness with judges. There is too wide
spread tendency on the part of judges to
grant new trials. l remember case where
new trial was granted, where the jury had
Deen unanimous In the verdict. The fudge
granted it on the point that the jury had
had claret with its dinner. In criminal
cases there should be no appeal. I believe
that a jury is as much to be trusted as the
appellate court Much is. however, done to
fhn iI1rxy
strations on the part of the prisoner, or his
relatives. Many have been acquitted on this.
Still another cause is the zeal of mem
bers, of the bar to win. 1t has been record
ed that Henry Clay. during his first year Of
law practice. cleared two men from the
charge OF murder who were considered indis-
putabiy guilty. We have been too wont
to glorify the lawyer who frees criminals.
This often occurs through the selection as
county attorney Of too young a man.
Still another cause is the altogether prevail
ing system of men and women to sign nett
tons for the release Of criminals from the
penitentiary.
Among the lesser elements that are the
cause of crime can be mentioned the criminal
education of children through literature and
plays. Heroism is connected with the killing
Tor small offenses. This process Of education
is also carried on in saloons and such places
and even in jails.
Mingled with this is the sloppy, gushy
sentimentalty to glorify murderers He be-
comes hero, plucky, nervy and lighting
against odds for his life. Flowers are brought
to his cell. Men who three days after the
murder would have helped to lynch him will
three months later sit on jury and acquit
him."
AS an antidote for this growing tendency
the speaker advocated a better instruction in
elementary morality in the schools and in the
preaching OF righteousness from every pulpit.
Vigorous laws should be made, which should
be speedily enforced. In the universities
there should be special sSudIes where insanity
and lnebrfety, as pertaining to criminals,
should be followed. In the prisons the older
and and younger, elements should be kept away
from each other. The corrigibiity of Grim
inal should be passed upon by experts.
better public sentiment should be built up
that would affect judges, attorneys and juries.
Inc procedure in criminal case should be
simple and the penalty speedy. The speaker
considered 1t as Of greater Importance that
the punishment be speedy than severe There
was zoo much tendency to show condemned
man mercy. Everything has been done to
eliminate pain from the execution. From
hanging step has been taken to eectrocu-
ton. after which it had been proposed that
choroform be given the criminal. Recently
murderer had spent his last days In hotel
In New York, from which the speaker drew
the inference that the next step would be to
feed him 10 death. or tire the life out Of him