The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-12-06
Drunkards ana Crime.


One Of the most cbieyous and immoral
decisions ever pronounced In court 10 re-y
ported from Philadelphia, where q judge
hes declared that drunkenness is o compe3
tent defense against the charge OF embeBiE
Element. The particular case which gave.
riseto this amazing dlctum was that of. q,
man who had taken the collections he had
made for the firm by which he was eu,y
ployei and spent them on liquor. More,
rational in his sober moments than tho
Judge, he had admitted his crime and
pleaded guilty. But the court ordered him
to Withdraw the plea and to enter one OF
not guilty, and then said:
"Where firm intrusts with money -;
person whom It had reason TO suspect ols
Incorporate habits, and he does not approFs
pirate the money 6t his own use or makg
Of with It otherwise than to indulge In thds
gratiacation OF his habit, employers must
whether the crime Of embe1zlement can beh,
made ont under SUCH rcircumstances.s =
Bad in law, bad in logic, bad tn morsls III
the nonetoo sweeping condemnation w1ichE
the wholly indefensible opinion calls fcr9
The law has always been that dfunkeu-
ness isAo excuse for any crime, and 20 faT5
as we know 1t has never been seriously dlsS
puted. Asentimental plea OF palliatton ~
sometimes put in Tor the druukard who id
.pathy, when what he needs most ~ discff
pIine and punishmsnt. But this is quite a
different matter from absolvin9 HIN eft1
tirely.
As for the logic, the judge contradicts
himself by an utterly impossible dtsttne.ft
tion. Headmits tIle definition OF embezS
element when he speaks OF the spproptiR3
tton Of another's money for ones own USE
and then says that embezzlement IL notS
embezzlement II tho embezzled funds arr
devoted to the particular use OF purchas5g
ing whisky to crafty q worse than beastly1
habit. II, then, the embezzler Will Begin
operations by going about with a. whisky
breath and will celebrate his crime hy NJ
glorious drunk his escape from the pent4
tentiary Is assured.
Morally the decision Is an outrage which,
should come as shockto the community
In which It was rendered. II " were gen;
orally followed in principle and the drunk
ard were considered absolutely frre9ponsti
BILE there is NO crime which he might mot
commit with impunity. he should haye.
no such encouragement, but should b. held
rather 70 greater accountability than has
ever been demanded Of him.. One great
defect OF the temperance crusade hithertos
has been that It has given him its tearsAndS
against the saloonkeepef. We are not CON-.
cerned with the latter's defense, but the
coddling of drunkards Is grlevous and
fatal mistake. It pute them IN q mood to-.
excuse themselves and to calculate on
further indulgence. No one appreciates
50 shrewdiy as they the tendency OF thel
pleasing doctrine that they are not re--S
sponsible.f y: 8 8
We speak for countless thousands 0fss
suffering families, for distracted, despaitys
Ing women, for shamed and hopeless chill
dren when we say that the drunkard
should be judged as strictly for his o1enses
las though he had never tasted drop Of
liquor. He to great extent the prod
uct OF that misplaced sympathy which re1
LAKES the ordinary rules Of human conduct I
In his favor and substitutes petition foIF;
a command which should ring out with ai1
the authority 9f the 7decalogue .--E ditoriall
, In the Chicago Tlmes.Herald. - 8