Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-09-28
THEY LIVE BY CRIME.
TO BE CONTINUED.

Half a Million Honest People Sup
ported by Offences Against the
Law.
Not less than 100000 of the good citi-
zens of this broad land live by crimes
which they do not commit. Although
among the law-abiding and often re-
spected citizens Of their several COM
munities. they are supported entirely
by offences against the law and against
right. Their living depends on the en-
ergies of 25O,OOO other persons who COM
init the offenses. Were these 25O,OOO to
suddenly become upright citizens and
cease to break the laws, not only the
100, 900, but four times that many more
who depend upon them would be
thrown out of their livelihood and must
depend upon charity for support until
some other occupation should be found
for them.
If it be true that there Is honesty
among thieves this time cannot be as
far distant as might be supposed. for by
the national census 1t appears that the
country is rapidly approaching a time
when all the inhabitants shall be male
factors, and therefore. according to the
proverb, being honest among them
selves will not longer require supervis-
ion. In 1850 but one out Of every 3,42z
inhabitants was a criminal. In 1870
thieves and other evil doers had In
creasd so that one out Of every LII IN
habitants served term in Jail. In 1890
one out Of every 1865 was incarcerated,
and the proportion has steadily increas-
ed, so that now 1t probably approxi-
mates one out Of every 500.
To look after these evil doors the Uni
ted States maintains a police force es-
timated at $4,000 men, costing annually
more than $5O,OO0.00O for their support.
In So of the chief cities Of the land there
are over $1,000 police, whose mainten-
ance costs over s13,OOO,OOO. In addition
to these police is a great army Of men
who are employed in the machinery OF
trying and Furnishing criminals. There
are police magistrates, trial judges,
clerks, bailiffs jailers and penitentiary
guards, in all amounting to several
thousand more. On an average one
guard is required for every ten prison.
ers in Jail. On the 1st of June this year
there were upward Of $4,000 prisoners In
the jails Of this country. This is taken
as a fair daily average. so that there
must have been $500 guards caring
for them.
This army Of men engaged In catch
ing, trying, guarding and watching
thieves and other evil doers. reckoning
at the usual rate for this country of one
to family Of five. is the support Of
500, 900 persons. The cost to nation In
wages, court expenses and support Of
these men, not counting the civil courts.
is not less than s125,0OO.0O0. All this ex-
pense Is brought upon the nation
through the desire of many people to
break the laws. The exnense Is even
greater than this, for there are the
criminals in Jail to be fed and hous-
ed, which, if the average cost is uut lit
tie more than s1OO per criminal,
amounts to s1OOO0,0O0.
If Bill Sykes" as the English term
the malefactor, should therefore sud-
denly reform, he would save the
nation an expense of $l35,OO0,0OO an
nually, in addition to what he steals
and the damage he does. But what
calamity he would plunge 1t into:
OF the many criminals out of Jail
probably 10000 have no other occu-
patton. Add these to the $4,000 who
| would be released, and these again to
the 100000 honest folk thrown out OF
employment, and the nation would be
left in some such plight as 1t was at
the close of the civil war, with 2OO,OO0
men out of employment to be absorb
ed into various lines Of trade, and these
same persons with all dependent upon
them to be pensioned and supported
until they could be cared for. The eX-
pense of the pensioning and pension bu-
reau would probably equal the present
policing expense for a time, but the
problem Of caring for all the people and
| finding them employment, would be
lgreat.-Chicago Tribune.