The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1899-04-22

chnrantas
Ifa man goea into Z I'D and eisaIg :
horse be n arrested ard senf % ia pelfs
lieniiaEy e ~ enemy ~ soeietg, III
man bugRiari1an boane BE a inllsa: II
= mar takes TIE Vie - another dellbeE.
ateIy he D hnnged - eenf 70 prison for
long term 81 yssrs. NHtoRs commlt.
ting snch crimes are tl,f regarded a
ensnies 81 the publie rad they are
properly punished. Public sentiment
sustnins the Judgment Or the law and
people generally unite h ontraeialns he
criminals.
whilc this q true 3 large proportion
~ The psOple apparently have no care
Tor the ofkenss of those who commit
crimes against character. Men who
spend much OF their time undermining
the chaFaetes Of the young think
themselves Just ~ respectable - any
body else. and the public sustains that
estimate. Now. character Il more
precious than mooney or property. a
man may have all Of his property stoien
and suffer far lens than he would from
loss Of character. Itlsa grave question
IL, from the final account, the destroyers
OF character viii not be held TO be more
guilty than many Of those who have
committed crimes. against property
right.
Men seek 20 escape theirresDOnsibility
By taking refuge behind the claim II am
not my brothers keeper," and % long -
the statute law does not interp0se its
mandate they continue In practices and
habits which weaken the characters Of
great Numbers Of those coming In con-
tact with them. They delight In induc-
Ing . young man to break over the rules
OF life which he has been taught 70 fol.
low: II is cause Of great rejoicing with
them when they persuade the young
fellow 70 do something from which be
had previously held alOof. But. in real.
ity. that persuasion IL n greater moral
crime than 10 committed by a man who
steals. when the act 10 performed. the
way 10 opened for discarding all the
rules which had governed the young
mans life. II IL like the small stream
that finds Its way through the embank
ment 1t h bat the forerunner Of q food;
II broadens' and deepens and soon tho
bank Of character 10 swept away and
the victim 10 q wreck upon the tide OF
time.
II 10 moral crime that Is thus CON
mitsed, one for which the preparation i.
not held responsible by public sentiment
lit Il all the young mans fault. Bul
has Il ever occurred 70 persons whS thul
carelessly dismiss such questions that II
70 . crime against the community
When the character OF young man ID
destroyed. the community suffers. fOI
that much Is taken from it-that much
is added to the weight that tends q
drag Il down.
Again, 10 II not the men who havS
thus been led into devious paths who
commit the statutory crimes that On
our jails with fei0nsY It may havS
been a trifiing matter when the lad waI
induced 10 take the lifst wrong step
Il may have been 4 subject for jest; but
when, bnlfeted by the wave OF the tenn
pestuous sea into which he has beer
plunged, he steals or kills. II immediate
" becomes q terrible thing; organized
society deseends upon him, supported
BY 4 unanimous public sentiment. and
be 10 jailed a. = felon and branded as m
enemy Of his feilowmen. But when thu
anal result OF his being led eStray d
thus recognized as being 90 terrible
what must be the verdict respecting thu
part played in his downfall ~ thOs,
who encouraged him to plunge into thu
awful current that has carried him Il
destructionp
There Is nothing that can take thu
place OF a character. The community
Il interested in nothing 20 much a. in
the character Of lie individuals. fOl
this reason the cultivation OF charactel
10 the first duty Of the community n
the individual, and the destrOyers Of
character should be held to that meas
ure Of responsibility which the gravity
Of their oftense demands. Idaho States
man.