The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1902-08-21

The question of how far education serves as
preventive of crime is not that has been settled
ofhand. A generation ago reformers andIothers who
made study of crime and its causes almost
unanimous in expressing the belief that with more
general system of education the number of law
breakers would perceptibly diminish, while with
universal education they would almost to exist
The present generation is not of ITSELF atho
many intelligent still cling to the belief. The
old argument was, that since the average criminal
was person of little or no education it must neces-
sariy follow that lack of education the funda-
mental cause of crime Today the average criminal
is not iterate. Last month bishop of the Catholic
church. speaking in favor of UNCONVENTIONAL schools
pointed out the fact that while almost every young
man in America has at least the rudiments of a
good commercial education, the reformatories and
penitenares of the land require enlargement every
little while. He also called attention to the fact
that the depredations committed by educated men
are invariably extensive in their evil effects
than those committed by illiterate men. It stands
to reason for example, that a person who wrecks a
bank mulcts the public treasury does injury
to the community at large than one who robs the
till of a tradesman.
To attribute the former crime to the fact that
the person committing it is we'll educated is, of
course as illogical to attribute the latter to the
fact that the person committing it is minus educa-
ton. Reverse their positions and each man will act
as the other has done.
MI. Spencer, in his "Facts and Comments" lays
stress the danger of education that is in advance
of moralization. One does not have to agree with
all he says in his chapter state education to find
much food for thought therein. He denies the con-
nection supposed to exist between intellectual cul-
ture and moral Improvement and believes that
society is not benefited but injured by arti6ciay
increasing intelligence without regard to character
AS evidence to support his position he calls attention
the garbled reports the London papers printed dur
ing the Boer war. "And now, he continues "observe
the Implications to introduce which have set forth
these details London daily journals having Cir.
culatons amounting to probably 100000, and
provincial journals having calculations amounting to
at least another 100000 have been daily distribut
ing these falsi6ed reports throughout population
already angered from false statements derived from
the Cape press; thus generating feelings of savage
animosity which presently exhibited all over
the kingdom in brutal treatment of those who
tured to think and say that the right not all on
our side. As before intimated, it is not necessary
to agree with the conclusions drawn by Mr. Spencer
to find the foregoing statement interesting; and in
this the relation of education to crime is obvious
Is there not reason, he asks 'for the opinion that
immense evils may result if intellectuazation is
pushed in advance of moralization?'
To quote once more from Mr.. Spencer: ''We
may with certainty say that intellectual culture in
creases the power which the emotions have OF mani
Testing themselves and obtaining their satisfactions
-intensifes the emotional life Unquestionably, in
average human beings the lower emotions more
powerful than the higher Hence, education, adding
to the force of all the emotions increases the rea-
tive predominence of the lower, and the restraints
which the higher impose more apt to be broken
through
The facts seem to show that experience has
proven that education, valuable it is, is not a
panacea for nor preventative of crime. 1t does
not alter human nature nor change individual in
stincts. Very few men become law-breakers through
sheer ignorance Either they do not think at all, as
is the case when they act on the impulse of the
moment when their dulled by the use
of alcohol drugs If they do think they believe
the risk is worth taking. In neither case would
education stay their hand. What good education
does for man is to give him number of strings
| to his bow. It gives him versatility which may
perhaps prevent him from becoming criminal dur
ing hard times It gives him knowledge which is OF
material advantage in his dealings with the world.
In acquiring it he has learned to concentrate his
mind the subject in hand, which is of inestimabe
value in the struggle for existence 1t tends to make
him take active interest in numerous and varied
subjects It enables him to choose several honest
paths while the man without education is limited
to two. But it does not alter his moral fibre
| 1t does not make coarse man refined, cruel man
kindly, mean man manly, dishonest man
honest. lie mans instincts bad he will be bad
in ninety nine out of hundred, and all the