The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-02-10
Senator Bacon's Pauper and Crimi.
nal Bill.

A bill was introduced by Senator Ea-
con Last year, and is still penang in
the senate of the United States. which
ought to command the attention Of
thinking people throughout the entire
country.
The bill provides for the establish
!nent ~ the federal government CT r
scientific laboratory for the stu1y OF
criminal, pauper and defective classes.
The work is to include no only
laboratory Investigations, but also the
collection Of sociological and pathology
cal Data. especially such IS may be
found in the institutions for the crlmi-
nal, pauper and defective classes. and
generally in hospitals and schools Said
laboratory and work shall be in charge
of a director, who shall be appointed by
the president, and receive L salary Of
three thousand dollars per arIium."
The bill has been bly, reported
pon by the judiciary committee.
This bill belongs to that class of nCn-
political measures in which those h
waite hthe proceedings of congress can
with difficulty be persuaded to take in
terest. 1t deals. however, with a Very
vital question, and one which affects
the welfare Of both the state n The
individual to a much greater degree
than many Of the political bills oser
which there is such heated discussion.
1t is a truism that the study Of man
outranks all other branches of human
investigation. And it has been we'll
said, that a scientific study of man
must be based primarily Upon the in
dividual. 1t would seem that a scien-
tlfic investigation of individual cases
among the criminal and aberrant class
es is as proper a function of govern
ment as the study of seeds n ferIi.i-
zers.
Writing On this subject, Arthur w.
Macdonald, who is a specialist in the
United States bureau ct education at
Washington. says:
LAS in machinery we must first re-
pair the little wheels out of gear, so
in society we must first study the
criminal insane. inebriate or pauper
who can seriously injure both individ-
ual and community. Thus a worthless
crank, by killing a prominent citizen,
can paralyZe the community. The in
jury from such action Is often beyond
calculation. Our government pays out
millions to catch. try, and care for
criminals, but gives very little to study
the causes that lead to crime.
THE study of man, 10 be Of most
utility, must be directed first to the
causes Of crime, pauperism, alcoholism
and other forms of a~bnOrmality. To do
this the individuals themselves must be
luOltu - lIic ScSoS vi evil III uSo-
ally sown in childhood and youth. it is
here that all Investigation should COM
mence. for there is little hope OF max
ing the world better if We do not seek
the causes Of social evils al their be-
ginnings."
France and other European countries
have scientific systems and bureaus
for the study of criminal and aberrant
classes. Where such bureaus exist
they have proven almost without
ception of invaluable assistance to the
administrative and penal branches OF
the government. We fail to see why
the United States should lag behind ir
this really important matter. Proven
ton is better than cure, and prevention
is founded upon knowledge. which is
in turn derived from eXperiment.-At-
lanta Journal.