The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-07-31

nictions are interdependent, the world
would be aroused to the recognition OF
it's great error, and society would be
compelled to admit that it should no
more Stay the moral than the physical
leper. The day will, the day must, .
come when crime, like disease, will be
treated curatively rather than punitive
ly, but that day is not yet, and we live
in the present and must meet condi-
tions as they are. How, then, shall we
criminals, we CROOKS fashion our
lives?
81 have pointed out to you the great
error made by society; but, my friends,
we ourselves have fallen into the same
mistake, and it is of more Importance
to us than to society. We also over
look the fact that our criminal propen-
stiles are born and bred in us, that we
are not solely responsible for what we
are, that we are morally and ofttimes
physically diseased and that we are
congenitally so. Yet such is our de-
plorable condition. Moreover, no help
ing hand is outstretched toward us.
The hand that beckons holds scourge,
and the index finger points the way to
prison. The world will not help us.
We must help ourselves. How?
''Why not by cooperation, as in this
society? Thus we erect community
in sympathy with our position and con-
dition. and by learning to live in true
harmony with all the members of this
smaller, diseased community we can
not but progress in ourselves and in
our progeny toward a right to claim
a place in that wider world which
holds us now as enemies-enemies
without claim on Christian love.
I'm physical disease the most impor-
tant step toward cure has been made
when the presence of the disturbance
is recognized and correctly diagn0sti-
Gated. So it must be with crime. Once
the individual crook realizes his true
condition and the danger he is in be-
cause of the unequal warfare which he
wages with the world, then surely he
is better armed for the fray.
ITO make an end of my preaching,
then, I will advise the individual as
have advised the whole society pres
ent. Let each man, as l have done,
study out his own heritage. Let him
analyze his birth and birthright and
weigh the necessity of his leading a
criminal life. Some will find the her
itage so slight that it will be not diff
cult to effect cure in themselves and
to live honestly. These owe it to them
selves, to society at large, but more
particularly to their children, to strive
toward that end.
'The other extreme will be the man
whose heritage and whose youthful as
sociations have been such that crime
is inevitable. He is the moral leper.
Let him remember that not the laza-
retto, but the hangman, will be his
fate if society should discover his con-
dition
There is law, however, that every
man has the inherent right of self pres
ervation. The rule applies to the moral
| leper as well as to the spotless virgin
The right being his, let him obtain
the means. Let him first acquire knowl-
edge, the wisdom of the world, the
learning Of books and, above all, the
knowledge of himself. Let him be-
ware how he commits a crime. If he
must defy the law, and it will be in
evitable that he must, let him plot and
plan, be patient and cautious, cunning
and wary, so that, having yielded to
| the impulse of crime when he can no
longer resist, he may yet defy detection
and that punishment which blind JUS
tice will mete out to him. Let him, in
short, live as live, criminal by force
of heritage and diseased moral centers,
a born criminal, yet committing crime
so seldom, so carefully and so cunning
ly that he may escape not alone pun
ishment, but even suspicion. Above all
things let him obey the one greatest
duty of his being. Let him not become
the father of other criminals. Let his
vice die with him. And may God pity
such men, as men do not"
He ceased, and there was profound
silence. There was no applause, yet it
was evident that those present were
much moved. They wore thoughtful
countenances and seemed oblvious of
their companions, as though all were
preoccupied with retrospective specu-
lations.
Mr.. Mitchell himself was deeply STIR
red. He had never met or heard of
such man as this. A born criminal he
called himself, yet from all outward
appearances man of culture and re-
tinement. He was a paradox If he
was truly the terrible criminal that he
described himself to be. how wonder
fully well he had benefited by the adj
vice he had just given to others! He
had truly acquired knowledge of the
world and of himself, and in his great
battle with the world he had armed
himself with the best weapons with
which to defend himself against sus-
picion.
Yet if criminal. guilty of crimes vet
unsuspectcd, what a problem to dis
cover in what he had offended! On the
other hand, if his protense of criminali.
ty was merely assumed-if his associa-
ton with the prison chaplain had made
him in some sort fanatical crank
who preached for love of preaching