The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-05-03
NOT A COLLECTION AGENCY.


as to what the people want
NOT A COLLECTION AGENCY.
An interstate complication exists
between the states of Michigan and
New York which shows the two con-
f1icting opinions held as to the nature
of the criminal arm of the state and
it's proper and improper use, in which
we are bound to admit that New York
is right and Michigan, represented by
the ever-fresh Pingree, is plainly. indie
fensibly wrong. The facts are simple.
A Michigander vamoosed with some
money belonging to other persons in
his pockets. Suspecting that he was
York, the authorities in the metropolis
Of that state were requested to look
out for and apprehend him, which
they did, with that promptness which
has characterized the force since Ted
dy Roosevelt reorganized and reformed
it. A Michigan sheriff, notified Of the
arrest, went forthwith on, armed with
a requisition under the great seal Of
the state and the signature of Pin
gree, governor. It was duly honored
by Gov. Black, and the prisoner was
turned over to the man from Michigan.
To the establishment Of the New York
police the prisoner was found on the
streets of that city the next day,
without the sheriff from the state Of
peaches and ague, who accounted
for his freedom by saying that he had
settled the claim against him, paid
the sheriff the money. and that the
latter had thereupon released him and
gone back satisfied that justice had
been done. In other words the Mich
igan man had construed the criminal
law Of his state after the liberal man
ner, too prevalent in other Western
states, as being proper instrument to
use for the collection Of debts or the
restoration of embezzled money, which
being accomplished, the arm might be
allowed to lapse again intola state Of
rest But this seems to be a view mot
taken by the New York authorities
They insist that crime was commit
ted in Michigan; that their law had
been invoked to secure the arrest Of
the criminal; that once set in motion,
the criminal arm must be kept NOV
ing, with the prisoner firmly in it's
IT., %oI to-
conviction or acquittal. They hold
that a crime cannot be Settled" that
condoning it by accepting money and
allowing the prisoner to go free is a
violation of their law; that the sheriff,
in SETTLING" with the prisoner and
releasing him, committed felony under
the laws of New York, and they de-
mand the surrender of the sheriff for
trial on that charge. At which the
governor of Michigan laughs heartily,
as If it were a better joke than the
funny man of the Free Press ever
cracked in his palmiest days. If New
York acquisitions the sheriff, Pingree
will not honor it, and thus the atti-
tude of the two states becomes fixed.
We agree with New York. We do not
believe it is the function Of q sheriff
to convert a warrant into a civil
process, nor to accept return Of sto--
len money as condoning the offense
against the peace and dignity Of his
state The civil arm Of the state Is
designed to collect debts, among other
things, and the criminal arm to arrest
and punish thieves. We are aware
that the Pingree idea prevails alto
gether too extensively over the West,
but it is bad one and should be re-
pressed everywhere. Its bad effect Is
the premium it places on fraud. If
the doors Of a penitentiary can be
evaded by simply returning stolen
goods, they lose their deterrent power
on the viciously inclined. If all the
risk run is one Of capture, and pun
ishment can be lodged by simply sur
rendering the plumber, it adds an i'm
mense impetus to the thieving dispo
sition If it is understood that not
only will the stolen goods be returned
to their rightful owner, but the thief
will be punished also, that premium
on fraud is converted into one on hon.
esty. Gov. Pingree may be very sound
on potato patches and Scent fares, but
he Is as far from right in this case
as he could possibly get.