The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-10-27
THE MARRIED man
Is Less Criminal Than His
Single Brother


An INVESTIGATION. conducted Nulsus Il
with regard to criminal statistics. re-
veals certain facts concerning the re-
spective relations OF married and OF un- |
married men to- different classes OF
crime. These facts may be epitomized
briefly as follows: Property rights OF
all kinds are more generally respected
by the married than by the single. The
graver offenses against property-rob-
berry, eXtortion, fraud, etc.-are COM
mitted by the married man with COM
parative infrequency. When he Is
driven to the unlawful requirement of
wealth or OF material goods. he gener-
ally chooses some OF the less dangerous
methods of so doing. Receiving stolen
goods, breaking OF laws relative to-
trade, commerce and public health. for
chile detention OF pieces of property.
bankruptcy, etc. are the forms which
offenses against property usually as
sumo among married men. Among
those married at an extremely early
age us to 25) treSpasses against the
rights OF property are much more COM
/ mon than among the unmarried of a
| corresponding age. This Is probably
explained by the fact that in such mar
| riages poverty. III not n concomitant Is
| frequently a result. Incendiarism Is
most largely found among the unmar-
ried, the greatest proportion falling to
the account of widowers and single
men between the ages OF 80 and 60
| years. Apart from pimping. bigamy
i and incest, the unmarried far outrun
the married in the commitment Of Of
l lenses against morality. In the sphere
of crime and offense against human
life, the unmarried are greater sinners
than the married. though not 50
| markedly as in the offenses against
property rights. Only in the matter of
careless and negligent killing and
wounding do the married surpass the
unmarried. The difference in the GRIM
inality of the married and the unmar-
ried grows less with advancing years.
Between the ages of 90 and so years II
is small; after that period II IS still
less.
The criminality of widowers de-
creases with advancing age. Their
share in crime between the ages oi
80 and 30 is notably greater than that
OF either OF the other classes men
toned. Their share in such crimes as
murder, incest. false accusation and
false witness at this time Is especially
noteworthy. Ii has been said. in at
tempted explanation OF this fact, that
widowers are, rs rule, ill-sttuated
financially. but there appears to- he nc
/ satisfactory evidence that this is true
Statistics do not prove that widowers
belong to- the poorer classes In any
unusual degree. Widowers are cSpe
cially prominent in offeuses against
property; but they also stand first II
the series OF those guilty Of Other
classes of crime. The loss of the wife
/ 10
rangement. and 1t is probably true. n
well. that certain types OF selt-Coutro
are peculiarly difficult for this class e
exercise. In general. there is n greater
decrease in criminality of the married
the longer they have been in the mar
ried state. This conforms with th'
fact that the larger share OF the births
together with the large outlay inciden
thereto. fall within the first decade o
married life, and we observe furthe
that ii Is the offenses against property
which most rapidly fall away with ad
. vancing years among the married.
Among the restraints which marriage
places upon the .crIminality of tn
married man is the fear OF bringing
disgrace upon the family and LASTING
shame to the children. The temptation
of the married man to indulge tr tn
pleasures of the public house Is les
than that of the single man, for tn
family demands too large n share o
the mans income to allow him q
spend any considerable sum elsewhere
With the need OF defending and sup
porting a family, there comes, too, In
creased respect for religion, law an
property-the defending and support
ing institutions OF society. and last. bu
not least. to be mentioned among thes
deterrent effects of marriage on tn
married male is the influence of tn
constant and intimate association o
the man with member OF the sex. tn
criminality OF which is very low whe
compared with that OF his own.