River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-01-05
MURDER ON THE INCREASE
Growing Contempt for Human Life
in United States Shown
in Figures.

McClure's Magazine, IN recent is
sue, prints the statistics of murders
and homicides in the United States for
thee years 1881-1903 which were gath
cred by the Chicago Tribune, and pub
lished by it year by year, and com
ments on the fact that the statistics
show that in 1881 there was one muir
der or homicide for every 40,533 per-
sons in the United States, and that
last year there was one for every 1866.
Even after making allowance for the
fact that the record for 1881 was not
so complete as those for subsequent
years, it cannot be denied that the
number of murders in the United
States is painfully large when COM
parison is made with other civilized
countries, with the exception of
Russia The figures show growing
contempt for the sanctity Of human life
mong a people who in many ways are
more humane than their fathers were
ere more tender as regards children, i'm
beetles and dumb animals. They treat
criminals more mercifully. Neverthe-
less the percentage of murders to popu-
ation increases.
1t is not easy to explain says the Trib-
une, why that kind of crime is more
prevalent now than it was 20 years ago.
The statistics do not go into details suf-
fciently 1t is impossible to tell wheth-
er the increase is in the percentage of
murders to population is more notable
in one part of the United States than in
another--in the north, the south, the
vest in the large cities or in the rural
districts. The question is asked in the
editorial article in McClure's, comment
ing on the murder Statistics whether
body of policemen engaged in Grim
nal practices can prevent others from
committing crimes?' The question is
rot pertinent unless it can be shown
hat the increase in murders is most
marked in the cities.
If that can be shown the increase may
be ascribed in part to the influx of for
eigners, who are often less law-abiding
in this country than they were in their
old homes, where they were under much
closer police surveillance than is known
here It may be also that the novel con-
| ditions and the intenser nerve strain OF
| life in great American city demoral1ze
some who had led peaceful lives in the
European hamlets whence they came.
But there is no lack of murders in
| parts of the country where there are
| few if any foreigners. The percentage
of murders in the United States as COM
pared with Europe was high before the
| era of immigration began. Americans
were always more ready with pistol or
rife than Europeans we're. The other
day the stepdaughter of a Texas farmer
ran away and married respectable
young man in the neighborhood. The
farmer took his rife and shot down the
young man, his father and hired man.
| There were three murders of a kind not
likely to happen outside the United
States.
Half Of the murders in this country
grow out of quarrels. They were not
premeditated crimes, but were generally
due to ungovernable passion. The po-
/ lice would have had to be omnipresent
in order to intervene Before the quarrels
ended in bloodshed. Men quarrel in
/ other countries, but they do not seem 10
be so ready to Jake life as they are in
this. In England they use their fists
and here they use pistols, especially at
the south, where that weapon always
was appealed to more promptly than
at the north.
Chicago police officers say there would
not be so many murders here if the car
rying of deadly weapons could be
stopped. No doubt that is true, but laws
against carrying deadly weapons are not
easily enforced in most American COM
munities, and will not be so long as hui
man life is held in low esteem. When
Americans resolve to be relentless in the
pursuit and punishment of murderers
there will be fewer murderers in this
country.