Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-10-28
Crime and Society,".

| worthless character has been muir
dered to attach less Importance to the
crime than would be the case If the
victim had been a more useful and
honored member of society. Out Of
this feeling is apt to grow disposition
to condone the offense of the assassin.
How many Of us have not heard, when
some such criminal was brought to
trial, the careless expression, "Well.
they shouldn't be too hard on him.
He really did the community good turn
when he killed Poortool." This spirit of
viewing crime. and this disposition to
| find excuses for a man who has been
ing a fellow-man cannot, in our judg-
ment, be too strongly condemned. 1t
| is natural that community should
not feel the same sense of bereavement
| in the loss of worthless member, as
| it would of one who had lived an up
right and worthy life; but crime
! should not be estimated by the in
| dividuality Of either the criminal Or
his victim. The scales of sentimental
| ity should not be used for the weighing
of offences against law and social or
der. Justice should be clear-sighted
| and cool-headed. 1t should make no
distinctions between men. Before the
law all men are equal, and the life of
one should be held as sacred as the life
of another.
The spirit to which we have alluded
which seeks to make morbid and senti-
mental distinctions not contemplated
in the organic law, which aims to Sc
cure to all men the rights of life
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, :"
is, in our judgment, a mischievous one.
and should be frowned upon by the
sound sentiment of the community.
The fact should be clearly recognized
at all times that upon the equal rights
of all men under our form of govern
liiSilL AColo tiAV PCioOiie cSSuilIy VI
each individual member of the COM
munty. The spirit that would make
fallaciOus distinctions between men, in
their relations to the State, is the spirit
that would undermine the foundations
of society.
And yet the tendency to such distinc-
tions is the worst handicap against
which prosecuting officers have to con-
tend. And what are prosecuting Off
GERS? They are the attorneys selected
by the people to see that the rights of
the people are properly looked after in
duty of seeing that offenders against
the people. those whose acts not only
invade and violate the just rights of
others. but render life or property less
secure in the community; those who
wantonly disregard and break the
peace of society, should be brought to
justice.
Without such provision for the re-
straint of lawlessness no community
would be secure in the possession of
the civil rights which are guaranteed
it's citizens under our form Of govern
ment.
The duties of a prosecuting officer
can never. in the very nature of things,
be pleasant. He must find inspiration,
in following the stern paths of duty, in
the reflection that he is acting as the
representative Of the people and for
the people. AS such he deserves at all
times the sympathy and support of the
community in his efforts to prevent
offenders against the law, from going
unwhipped of justice. 1t is difficult to
realize how much the safety of every
man, woman and child whom he rep
resents depends upon the just success
of his efforts, and how strongly mis-
carriages of justice, or inadequate
punishments. may operate to encour-
age crime, and render society less Sc
cure. IL the. pnSnC OF the criminal
sometimes tends to provoke our SYM
pathy, it should not blind US to the far
broader sympathy due the community
whose laws he has violated, and whose
rights he has outraged.
1t is right that we should desire JUS
tice done to every one who may be
charged with offences against the law;
but it is we'll to remember that such
justice involves. not merely the ac-
cused, but also the community whose
rights have been violated; and that
scant justice to the one may easily be-
come injustice to the other.
While we are aware that the fore
going views are not unfamiliar to our
readers, we are led by some things that
have lately come to our ears to repeat
them here. While the Journal has al
ways been strenuous to see that parties
charged with crime in this community
were accorded just usage in it's COL
umns, it has constantly commended
against the tendency to underestimate