Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1904-05-13
The Prevalence Of Crime.

We have said about all we can at
present expressive of our sentiments on
the governor problem. New features
NAV arise which will call for further
consideration of the subject. The de-
mand of necessity under the constitu-
ton and the law has been made; the
power of choice has been applied, and
the connected machinery of plan and
method has been put into operation, and
everything is moving toward the nomi
nation and election of a governor. We
are content to believe that the final re-
suit will be the choice of man whose
public career thus far, and whose private
life have recommended him to the peo-
pie, and we have no fears that his subse-
quent life will, to any great extent,
cause Vermonters to exclaim, "What a
mistake we did make" Due and care
full deiiberation, honest and patriotic
purpose, untainted by selfish ends, and
thoughtful inquiry should be granted
every liberty in determining our choice.
Then individual duty will have been
performed when we exercise our infiu-
ence.
The outcome of the election for a
President may be vital to some extent,
at least, in those national problems, the
solution of which may withhold pros
perity and bring to us years of adversely.
The choice of a governor may seem to
us very important matter, but of more
far reaching influence is the question of
the morality and the honesty and the
law abidingness of the people. If
American character and citizenship is to
be protected by constitutional provisions
and statutory regulations, there must be
that recognition of the necessity for all
wholesome law which will command its
enforcement to the accomplishment OF
desired ends. In these latter years we
are as great people forced to face sta
tistics proving that crime is on the in
crease, that the criminal class is rapidly
increasing its membership, that property
is more and more under the shadow OF
lawlessness and evil design, while the
person of the law abiding may at any
moment be the object of the murderer,
the burglar, and the rapist. Critical
examinations of the threatening stu
alton are being made from the stand
point of the scientist, the moralist, and
the statesman. The halls of legislation,
the pulpit, the public platform, the
press and the freside all echo the fears
and voice suggestions of remedy. A
tremendous immigration from the lower
levels of foreign citizenship has been a
great source feeding the streams of vice
and debauchery which, uniting, have
produced perfect Niagara of crime.
Its seeds are in human nature asmicrobes
are in the physical system; and these
seeds, if not nightly held in restraint,
will grow spontaneously, needing no
cultivation and no encouragement.
Somehow nature in man seems to bend
in that direction too much. We think
modern society life, with all its numer-
GUS demands upon the energies of both
mind and body, has something to answer
for, as well as to claim an item of credit
The SO called strenuousness of the age
means more than great efforts in the
highways of progress; it means sor-
rowful weakening of some of the forces
which have battled for the religious con-
troll and direction of thought and action.
A great deal is being said in these days
of restless activities about the sacred
ness of personal liberty, and there is
danger along this line which we can but
understand, if we will stop and listen to
the voice of the pendulum which swings
as far one way as the other We are
swinging past the safety line of the mid
die ground out over the abyss towards
the extreme or danger point, and many
fall to destruction on the way. II is
not the rule for men and women to
wait till after the dawn of middle life
before appearingin the role of criminals,
coming into vision like volcanic over