The record-union., 1897-12-06
LAW, CRIME, PUNISHMENT.
ADDRESS BY DIR. ALLEN GRIF-
FITHS YESTERDAY.
A Theosophist's Plea for hno
Treatment for Those VINO
Go Wrong

DR. Allen Griffiths of San Francisco
addressed an audience in TheosopncaA
Hall. iOl7 Ninth street, last hght oi
the subject OF Law Crime ana run
ishment" Among other Things, ne
said:
Civil law has it's origin and basis In
natural law. The former changes, put
tba ,nttor 10 dmmutable. Human con-
captions of natural law are formulated
Will civil laws That something in
man which is superior to his mere pooy,
that which thinks, plans, executes dAiu
Aeyelops. may be called the SOUL.
Soul expansion yields larger coHcep-
tons of natural laws. EVolutioh Is
soul expansion
In former ages civil laws were more
crude and unjust, proportlonate 10 low
er degrees of soul development IN Iu-
ture times, civil laws VIII De more
lust. The degree OF ignorance or en-
nghtenment Of the people at gwen
time determines the character OF civil
Laws. Education OF the people in knoWl-
edge Of natural laws is desirable.
Hence, the Importance Of the ag1-
tation and discussion Of public meas
ures of vital interest The majesty
of civil law consists in its being true
Interpretation of natural law, and in
its just execution, irrespective or class
distinctions Discrimination in the ap-
plication and execution Of civil law Is
the bare of our age, and from II pro-
ceeds long train of evils. The phrase:
THE greatest good for the greatest
number" is a misnomer. A civil law
resting solely upon that basis is un-
just That law only can be just whlcn
has the welfare of the whole mass Tor
its object. Anything short Of that Is
discrimination, and permits OF civil law
becoming an engine of enormous eVll IN
the hands Of the cruel and crafty. UNI
versal brotherhood was the aim ana
goal of all great souls of every past
age and is the object of all great ones
of the present.
The ideals of the past and present are
prophecies destined for the fullest frul-
ton in the future. Universal brother
hood-the elevation and welfare OF the
whole race-iS a tOcSin tone whose note
now begins to vibrate throughout the
mass of mankind and new and glo-
rious era is dawning. Humanlty-the
Prometheus of old-has discovered ana
is possessing the potent fire which shall
iberate him--the fire of love to all
that lives.
Crime is a synonym for ignorance ana
weakness 1t is also a relative term,
for that which was considered crime in
one age is not SO considered in anoth-
er Then. too, in different times differ
ent degrees of enormity attach to the
same crimes At one time English law
catalogued forty crimes as capital. Sub
sequent enlightment and more hu-
name spirit have reduced the list to one.
And who shall say that further en-
lightenment will not sweep this blot
from off the tables of law?
Every community of every time is
COMPOSED of good and evil, civilized
and uncivilized classes, with interme-
date grades. Each grade has it's own
standard of right and wrong, of crime
and punishment. True, certain stand
ards are common to all grades. Still,
shades exist in each sufficient to practi-
cally constitute different standard
of thought and action. Then, is it not
rational to presume that it is quite
natural for one of a lower grade to
commit acts with a clear conscience,
WHlCH lllOSc VI d iii6 iiCi Aii1SAh, AA ciiA
their view point, condemn as criminal
1t would appear that crime is Vari-
able term One of the most difficult
problems is to discover the real mo-
tive prompting so-called crime, and
thus become qualified to determine the
merited degree Of punishment.
Punishment is also a variable term.
It's popular object is: (a) To protect So
ciety, Coz curb criminals, (c) revenge.
The spirit of revenge is not only a relic
of barbarism, and evidence of our own
barbarism, but unworthy of place
in humanitarian consideration of pun
ishment. Hence the subject Is treated
from its higher aspects.
We submit that the true object of
punishment is the protection of society
and the reformation of the criminal Ii
a man proves himself unworthy of lib
erty, he should be confined for the pro-
lection Of those whom he preys upon.
His term of incarceration should be
fixed by Judge or jury in view Of (a),
the class to which he belongs; (b),
standards of right and wrong of his
class: (c), motive prompting act; td),
previous character: (e), influences SUBJ
jected to during confinement.
The quality of mercy which tempers
justice" should be exercised in view of
the above at time sentence is passed.
The prisoner should enter upon his
term without other hope OF liberation
before expiration Of term than credits
due for good conduct. No official should
be empowered to pardon him. One
principal factor of Incarceration should
be the surety that no release is possi-
BILE short of the time sentenced for The
par1oning privilege is subversive of the
ends of justice, and a premium upon
crime.
Life Imprisonment should be reduced
from ninety nine to twenty-five years
and credits allowed for good behavior
If man is so hopelessly diseased
mentally that twenty-five years in
generation will prove futile of his
reformation, then an asylum, not a
prison Is his proper place. Then, why
deprive a ''life-termer' Of an incentive
for reformation by robbing him of hope
and possibility of reformation? Why