Sunday Washington globe., 1902-03-02

any measure proposed as law IS 1mOueu
with the right spirit--the spirit Of justice,
of liberty and to the Constitution. It is an
easy matter TO let laws come into existence
that strike at the dearest rights of man, or
that are oppressive, despo.ic. one-sided and
short-sighted In character
Along the highway Of life, lying close
alongside the path on which you walk are
more than one hundred different snares for
your feet, pitfalls aud quicksands that may
eugulf you at any moment, especially if you
do not know where and what they are. In
the public park when the lake is frozen
over and there are places where the ice is
thin, notices. bearing the word DANCER"
in large letters, are put up 10 warn the
skater not 10 venture too near. A danger
signal, that he who runs may read should
be put up in all our schools by instrueting
the young IN the laws Of the land in which
they live.
When the youth Of our country shall be
educated ia a knowledge of the laws, they
will be less likely to commit crime, because
in every pigeon-hole Of the brain they will
have stored away statute, with penalty at.
tached, that will admonish them of the
danger they are IN and will say, when they
are tempted. Remember me. Look out,
the gate of the penitentiary is yawning for
you. Think of the years you will spend be-
hind strong walls aud bars if you do this
thing"
Crimes are defined as wrongful actions;
violations Of the rights of other men; in-
juries done to individuals and society
against which there is a legal prohibition
enforced by some appropriate penalty
There IS one important fact that we should
remember aud ever bear in mind aud that
is-that nothing is a crime that is not so re-
garded aud punished by some pc uaity pre-
scribed by lawful provision. Paul, who was
learned in the law, expressed this truth
when he said to the Romans Without the
law sin is dead. For l was alive without
the law, but when the commandment came
sin revived aud died"
The community at large is responsible
to a certain extent for a percentage of the
crimes committed-in its midst, through
neglecting to impart to the youth of the
land a thorough knowledge Of the laws by
which we are governed; especially the laws
against crime. The boy is placed in school
at about the age Of six years. generally, and
from that time until he graduates, his grow.
ing brain 10 taxed to its fullest capacity by
being compelled to master all the numerous
branches of modern education, except that
which most concerns his liberty and good
name. Ignorance Of the law eudangers his
freedom and everything else dear to him
He ought to be put in possession of such
knowledge of the law as will prevent him,
by its warning effect, from falling into its
clutches, as he might do through pure ig.
norance Of its provisions and penalties
Volumes have been, and volumes will be,
written on the development and environ.
ment Of the criminal class. 1t is duty we
all owe society to shed any light we have
obtained from our experience, or from con-
fact with the criminal class. that il may
illunine, be It ever so little, this the dark
side of humanity It is almost universally
agreed that incompetence, ignorance and
poverty are the three principal factors IN
the propagation Of the criminal class and
that these three are responsible for seven
eighths Of the crime committed the world
over. There Is a fourth cause, which,
though not so prominent, is more insidious
in corruphug and debasiug weak intelects
from the age Of puberty to the grave itself,
and this cause IS idleness. II has been well
said that .'the devil always finds work for
idle hands to do. " and il is this generosity
of the devil that society must combat TO
decrease the commission of crime There
are few honest idle men except in times of
great scarcity or distress, and the vicious,
who are idle, necessarily exist by the per
petratiou of crime. Idleness begets poverty;
poverty begets sin aud crime. To iuculcate
habits Of industry and frugaiity in the poor
has been the labor Of the ages, butt is, never
theless, from the ranks of the poor that the
vast majority of our criminal class comes
Then It is in this direction we must look,
and carefully study the environment of the
budding so to speak, criminal ere he is
launched on a professional career of crime.
And what do we and in all our large cities
to be the condition and environment of
what are aptly termed THE vicious poor" to
distinguish them from the honest toiling
aud industrious masses whose sustenance
depends upon the labor of their hauds2 II
is superfous to recite the degradation aud
environment Of the denizeus OF noisome
tenements, reeking garrets and filthy cell
lars which shelter these human outcasts
and where, by the inscrutable designs of an
over-ruliug Providence, the Biblical in
junction 70 increase and multiply has its
most prolific exempli6cation.
Christianity has redeemed niue.tenths of
civilized humanity and if practically ap-
piled to suit the conditions and environ
ments of the other tenth--the criminal and
vicious classes-it will redeem, or at all
events lessen, their number. Christianity
is from God; it is of Divine manufacture,
and all human substitutes pale their inef-
fectual 6res before IT, If we make II the
basic principle, so to speak, in our onslaught
on vice and crime; if we utilize its sublime
teachings in our system Of treatment OF the
criminal in embryo as we'll as the developed
criminal; If our compassion for the fallen
will not revolt at their irresponsible back
slidings, aud we but practice by imitation
the smallest Of the virtues Of its Divine
Founder, we shall accomplish a part and
blaze the road-for our successors to accom-
plish the whole. And many, very many
indeed Of Christian men and women are
hourly and daily, and yearly, in season and
out Of season, devoting their lives to, and
making their happiness in, building up the
fallen, encouraging the weak and minister
ing to, not rebuking, the erring.
When the time shall arrive, which all the
signs, the sighs. the yearnings Of soci ETY.
bespeak as almost at hand, that the cost of
Furnishing the criminal is expended in the