The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-06-30
For the Anderson Inteliigenccr.
The Problem of Crime.
find in Case and Comment the fol-

not we are able to guarantee people
protection to life." This is the
startling statement, said by the
american Law Register and RerieO
to have been made not long since by
Judge Parker, Of the United States
Court, in his charge to a grand jury.
While most Of us pay little heed to
the endlessly continued story of MUIR
ders in the daily press, u attention
may be arrested by Judge Parkcr's
statement that the persons murdered
last zeal numbered more ethan our
standing army at the outbreak of the
civil war" A late issue Of the Law
Journal Nondon) comments upon a
new volume of criminal statistics pub
lishcd by the home office, showing
that convictions for burglary, robbery,
fraud and forgery are increasing even
when reckoned per hundred thousand
of the population, and that "nearly a
third of the burglaries are committed
by youths between sixteen and TWEEN
ty-one.'
IF such crimes arc.really increasing,
especially among the young. what does
it signify? Pessimists will assume
solemnly to mourn the %decadcnce of
mankind, and contemplate the increas-
ing solitude of their own virtue. But
healthy, normal men, citizens of every
class who have a thought above their
own stomachs, and constitute the for
ces of civilization, ought to be startled
into earnest Investigation of the caus-
es and the remedy. \ Never
was there a clearer application of the
saying that prevention is better than
cure. Yet our chief remedy for crime
continues to be the punishment Of
criminals, while We stupidity permit
great armies of children to be scared
as criminals without even attempting
to train them for anything else. Be-
fore they reach maturity they begin a
lifelong guerrilla war upon society,"
Our ablest %jurists and writer's are
puzzled as to the best course to pur-
sue to stop increasing crime. How
arc VIC to proceed? I would suggest
that we commence at home with tie
children.
"Wha are the special charactcris-
tics of children?."
Humility-seen in lowly thought of
self.
Modesty-in looking to others IS
wiser and better.
Docility in readiness to he
taught
"Terrible the sin to lead a trusting
child astray.'
"Children are to be honored, not dc.
spised. Why?
because their guardian angels are
near God"
Given a child is known by his de-
ings."
1In the history of individuals, as
we'll as in the history of the human
race. decalogue of Thou shalt nots:
precedes the new commandment that
ye love one another. Thus, law is l
school-master, to hold US by fear only
so long as we need it's discipline.
| Now, use doth breed a habit in a
man."
If children are taught to love and
fear God at their mothers knee there
would be no use of teaching the Ten
Commandments to them in the schools.
But unfortunately some have no moth
ers, and a great many mothers deceive
themselves by thinking that so long
as the child goes to school and stands
we'll in his class that he is all right,
forgetting that the child has been
taught nothing whatever Of his relig-
ion. 1 have often thought that it
would be better to have the graded
schools all over the State, where prac-
teal, to have all the children of each
denomination taught to themselves
for instance, the Baptist children by
a Baptist teacher, and all other de:
nominations in the same way, and
then the children would have the love
and respect for parent or guardian,
teacher, minister ard each other,
which we should all cherish for one
another. A few people who always
speak without thinking, and invsria-
bly, laugh at what they say because
they think that they have said it bet,
ter than anyone else could have said
it, and therefore they laugh. These
people would oppose any such idea,
and give as their reason that it would
be against the Constitution Of the U.
S. to have religion taught in the pub
lie schools. What does the Constitu-
ton say? Article Proposed by
Congress and ratified by the Legisla-
lures of the several States, pursuant
to the Fifth Article of the original
Constitution reads thus: "Congress
shall make no law respecting an estab'
lishment of religion, or prohibiting
the free exercise thereof; or abridging
the freedom of speech or of the press:
or the right of the people peacably to
assemble, and to petition the govern
ment for a redress Of grievances
Is it not a free exercise Of religion
to teach it to children when at home
and in the school house? How can
boys and girls grow up to be God-fear-
ing and sclf-rcspecting without rclig,
ious training? How car the graded
schools be better improved than to
have religion taught as suggested
above? How can we expect to avoid
crime who were never introduced in
their youth to the Great Author of all
good?
Train the youth in the right way
and the government will not be put tc
the painful necessity to reform the
man by making him wear stripes
keeping him under lock and kcy-frc'
%qucntly strapping and sometimes let
ting him die at one end of rope while
the Sheriff holds the other, all OF
which is dcmoralizing, to say the least
of it-particularly so to the Sheriff as
we'll as to his friends, relatives and
acquaintances.
occasionally we meet a bigot who
will venture to explain to us that there