Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1904-06-25

Mrs. John Kennedy. That was mis-.
carriage of justice. If the law is to
be administered impartially there
should have been n conviction. for
John Kennedy was thief. Bullets
he thankful that there Is a humanity
and a sense of appreciation even great.
or than mere statutes; that mems
hearts are so nodded that love and de.
vOtion and self sacrifice touch the ten.
der spot in their breasts and make
them kind. The love of woman Is as
wide as the world and as deep as the
ocean,
Andrew Wermilen. As years old,
could not obtain employment in Chi.
cago. "Sober, industrious and a first.
class mechanical engineer" was his
description in his letters Of recon.
mendation, but all these qualities
counted for nothing with the men to
whom he went seeking employment.
you are too old" they told him. So
Andrew Wermilen committed suicide.
Let us assume that these facts. as we
have them are all the facts. and that
Andrew Wermilen had no other rea.
son than mere age TO lead him to take
his life. 1t Is natural then to discuss
his case from his own point of view.
Should he not have waited longer?
Should he not have tiied himself over
his troubles for u time by seeking day
labOrer's work. or doing odd Jobs here
and there. until perhaps he could find
a place as an engineer? Should he
not even have contented himself with
doing permanently work of lower
grade and smaller pay than that in
which he had become proficient? But
what use to seek an answer? Andrew
Wermilen Is dead. and the discussion
would be mere waste Of breath. There
Is another point of view. however,
from which the case IL of interest. In
this mans death society has lost
pair Of capable hands and a trained
brain. Society is poorer by Just the
amount of productive work that could
have been accomplished by those
hands and that brain. A man Of Al
should have fifteen or twenty years
ahead Of him at the least in which to
make effective use OF the skill he &c.
quired In the early years Of his life
We are apt to spend much breath from
time to time In denOuncing the drOnes
and "spOngers" on society--whether
beggars or Idle rich--and often We use
the very practical argument that they
consume what they do not produce
and that they are consequently waste.
full members Of society. What shall
we say Of the waste that Is involved
when society itself can find no place
for competent men over a.. who are
thus driven either to destitutlOn or to
lower grades Of work or to suicide?
The blame rests on society, which
means on ourselves. The growing ten.
dency. seen In many lines Of industry.
to regard men In the prime of life us
too old to work" IL q spendthrift 80.
cinl habit fully as much In need of
diagnosis and cure as IL even race
suicide IN Its most suicidal forms.
A man 40 years old, stole 80 and two
hats from a butcher shop. lie was
tried, found guilty and sentenced to
life term In the >penitentiary. "Whnt
AN outrageous punishment" many u
reader will say In comment. Such n
feeling Is natural. And yet II Is on.
tlrely wrong. His punishment is--let
us not say just what he deserves, but
rather Just what society owes II to 1t.
self to intlict Oh him. The man II a
professional thief lie has served thir-
teen years In prison since 1881. He
has been convicted three times for
burglary. and under the law OF his
State three convictions for felony
make Il criminal liable to life Impris-
Onment. In other words. his life term
Is not, strictly speaking, punishment
for his last petty crime. 1t Is rather
the fate that befnlls him as a criminal
IA professional enemy Of society. His
State is fortunate In having a law
which makes II possible to treat such
criminals In the only way--short of
their eXecutiOn-whlch makes sure
that they will not continue their trade.
4 careful student Of professional crime
In England. Sir Robert Anderson. who
has In the last two years contributed
number of articles on the subject
to the Nineteenth Century, proposes
that. In addition to ordinary trials and
penalties, professional criminals be
subjected to an inquiry on the charge
that they live by crime. II the charge
IL held true. he would have them. at
the expiration Of their ordinary terms,
removed to an asylum prison, there
to be detained for life as moral luna
ties" He believes that by the time
one or two thousand such men had
been sequestered In England "crim-
inals Of these classes might be made
rs scarce as foxes" There il nothing
In such a proposal which Ii inconsist-
ent with parole laws or with refOrma-
tory methods. Indeed one proposal Is
the natural complement Of the other.
Give the young criminal every chance
to reform. Teach him. IL possible. how
to gain an honest livelihood. Then II
he refuses to avail himself Of It, II he
returns to crime for living at every
opportunity, carefully place him for
life beyond all temptation. The day
when all crime will disappear from the
earth Is, Of course, the day Of the mil.
lennium. So long as men have HOT
passions they will now and then give
| rein tn them I'm criminal wavs Rut