Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-14
How Law May Be Enforced

Now, how are we to meet this crisis ?
Shall we hesitate to punish because
| our criminals wear broadcloth instead
of the fustian, or the rags in which
some were once clad? 1t lies entirely
| beyond my province to instruct or to
advise individual executive officers or
public prosecutors, but there is no easy,
royal road in the punishment of crimi-
nails any more than in anything else.
The way to convict is to convict There
are today within the state of New York
a few men who, involved in insurance
frauds, have themselves furnished evil
dence, fairly corroborated on the wit
ness stand, of their own venality.
After long judicial experience and
some study of this question, I say to
you, here and now, that I do not be-
lieVe it would be possible in that great
metropolitan city to draw a grand Jury
which would not indict for at least two
and perhaps three of the most serious
crimes known to the law Still further
it would not be possible. by any change
of Venue. for any one of the men so in
dtcted, If fairly proved guilty, to es-
cape conviction before a trial jury in
any one OF the other sixty counties of
the great state of New York.
This does not smean that the law is
seeking to take vengeance, or that it's
representatives should enter upon
reckless crusade. But it does mean
that in New York, even in greater
measure If possible than in Missouri
its instruments recognize the existence
and the influence of a moral movement.
They will indict and convict, not be-
cause one thief has exposed another or
the newspapers have published charges,
but for the reason that, the law has
been outraged, that trusts have been
betrayed and that palpable, demon
strated wrongs have been done not only
to individuals but to society itself. No
eXtravagant demands should be made
upon responsible officials within reason-
able limits of time, no account should
be taken of hysteria or purely popular
cries, and above all things, unreason-
able or offensive methods of publicity
should be avoided, but the outraged
majesty of the law should be vindi-
Gated; crimes against our civilization
should be punished and the supremacy
of morals should be once more estab-
lished. All this is assured by the hon
esty. ability and courage of those
charged with the responsibility.
How to Correct These Evils
When this has been done and indi-
viduals have thus paid some part of
their debt to society, attention ought
" Dt lulllSl ~ dll lllON eIDGHlS
can insure proper publicity in business,
as recommended nearly twenty-five
years ago by Governor Cleveland.
David B. Hill, when governor of New
York in 1886, insisted in his annual
essage to the legis1at ature that the Sc
curities of corporations should repre-
sent and reflect real values; invest
ment, not prospects: the actual condi-
ton of properties rather than remote
possibilities. 1t was ignored then, but
it is not too late even now, to take his
advice.
At the same time nothing is more in
cumbent upon our people than recog-
milton of the fact that few new enact
ments are needed for the correction of
these giant evils. A single infraction
of the law by a railroad official, un-
covered and relentlessly punished,
through authority already clearly de-
fined. would have been of more real
value than many months of agitation
for new powers. For thousands of
years our civilization has been weaving
the meshes around the criminal until
there is hardly an offense or crime so
small, so hidden or so obscure that it
has not been brought to light, classified
or punished. What has been lacking
of late is the disposition to enforce the
criminal law against corporate law
violators. And the underlying reason
has been corporate political contribu-
tions or other service.