Evening journal., 1897-03-08
CONTEMPORARY OPINION.
Is CRIME pECREAsING7 G7

There prevails a comforting belief
that the standing army of crime is
steadily diminishing, and that, with the
aid of school boards and reformatories,
we are making sure, If slow, progress
in combating the enemies of society
who fill our jails. Douglass Morrison,
in a paper read the other day before
the Statistical Society, tells us that this
belief rests on no sold foundation, and
that when the facts are analyzed it be-
comes highly doubtful whether there
has been more than a nominal decrease
of crime. There is no doubt that the
figures generally quoted in support Of
the view which every one would fain
believe do not substantiate it. The eX-
PLANTATION of many Of the facts which
seem at first sight to justify optimism
and self-congratulation lies in a move
ment which influences, consciously or
unconsciously, all persons administer
ing the criminal law-the growth of a
feeling of distrust of the efficacy of Sc
we're sentences and of a conviction as to
their mischievousness in many cases,
and pity or tenderness towards a large
class of criminals as the victims Of cir
cumstances.
II has been said that Victor Hugo's
picture of Jean Vatican, the fOrcat with
noble instincts, who tries again and
again to extricate himself from a coil
of misfortunes, and who again and
again succumbs in the struggle, pro-
foundly influenced the administration
of the French criminal law and for
many years that spirit of pity and toll
Grafton which the French poet depicted
in LES Miserables" has been every
where in the air, and nowhere more
than here. 1t is therefore right to eau
tion the public against confounding the
diminution in the number of offenders
detained in prison in consequence Of a
wise mitigation of the severity of the
criminal law with a corresponding de
crease in the amount of crime. 1t is
just possible. however, that in avoiding
one extreme Mr.. Morrison has pushed
his point too far, and has given cOunte-
nance to a despondent viewas little JUS
titled as the optimism which he con
demns. In interpreting the only avail
| able figures the increased vigilance O
the police Is an element scarcely to b'
l over-rated. A scarcely less impOrtan
element is that of publicity. Every of
tense is Noted. The chances of detec
tion are probably greatly increased il
these days, when every household be
comes aware of the person wanted
for any crime of magnitude. To know
that crime generally is increasing o
decreasing is to know very little.
, may mean no more than that certain of
fenses against pelice regulations hav
increased or diminished. The moralit
of the country may be steadily rising
though the convictions for breaches G
education acts are increasing.
There is a sensible diminutiOn of Gel
! tain offenses most indicative of a Il
centious spirit. Property is respecte
more than it was: and some crime
connected Herewith and productive {
d others-for example, receiving stole
= goods in some towns-bid fair to di,
4 appear. On the other hand, there Is 4
!. sign of reduction in certain oth'
crimes which appear to come in II
q train of material prosperity. The r
port we get is both of good and of evi
OF the real causes Of crime and Of Il
n extent to which il can be prevented
e practicable measures. Mr.. Morrison
. figures tell one little that is positiv
!, More than 1000 years ago Euripides e
- pounded the theory of the criminel-l
/ which Lombroso. Mario and Ferri ha'
n, lately labored. The Greek writer pu
Of into the mouth of one of his characte
NJ the reflection that. whereas land ma
. urally barren may yield good harve
IL the season he good. and fertile lal
u be sterile II the season be unl1indl
IN men are always what they are; {
So good always good, even in the pinch
ar hard circumstances, the bad always b
=. the criminel-ne certain to be in [
~ dock, however carefully the chapla
1e and the philanthropist look after hi
ce What truth there is in tins view, he
far the standing army Of crime co
sists of this element, how far of peoT
not much worse disposed but le
lucky than others. statisticians do n
tell us-perhaps they never will. B
he in that direction lies the interest of I
s. present and. still more, that Of the
As f,lro II OndOn Times