The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-14
PROHIBITION AND CRIME

Compiled from the L. & Census Reports1 Prohibit the liquor traffic and crime will cease" Is the war cry of prohibition. The question thus becomes pertinent: Has the number of convictions for crime decreased in states which have been under prohibition?
 Maine New Hampshire and Vermont have been under prohibitory laws longer than any other states. and continuously, and in them may be expected the fullest fruition of that policy. Referring to the United States census reports, the nuinper of conviots in each of these states at each census from 1850 to 1890 Is found to De as follows:
 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890
 Under license. Under prohibition. Maine .. .. .. .. =. 100 225 261 40 )l2 New Hampshire .. B 193 267 269 S2l Vermont .105 1S9 193 25s 29o Up to 1850 there has been no prohihi- tion in any of these states. In that year there were in the penitentlaries of Maine 100 convicts. or Ill convicts to every mil lion of population Between 1850 and 1850 prohibition became the law of the state, and in the latter year the number of crim- inals had increased to 226. or 35S to every million of population. The number or criminals further increased in 1870 to -6l, in 1880 to 4O5, and in 1890 to 5l2, or to IA conVicts for every million of population,
 There were therefore, in Maine in lS9o, after forty years of prohibition moro than four times as many criminals for every million of population there were | nthe same state before it had prohihl- tion The Portland (Me.) Herald says: "Crime is alarmnsly prevalent Murders have continually increased year by year. Our jails and prisons are unpleasantly full. Robberies and burglaries are occur ring in all directions. Crime of all kinds is inCreasing.'
 In 1850 New Hampshire, under license, had in her penal institutions B convets' or 1O4 to every million of population. This state also adopted prohibition shortly after 1850, and the number Of conNicts increased steadily to l99 in 1860. 2bl m 1870. 273 in 1880 and 321 in 1890. the number of convlcts per million of population m the latter year being S53.
 There were, therefore, in New Hamp- shire. after forty years of prohibition, eight times as many criminals. per million of population, as there were under IT. cense
 Vermont was under license in 1850. She had in that year 105 conyicts, or 8i for every million of population. She adopted prohibition between 1850 and 1860. In the latter year the number of her criminals had grown to 1S9. and this number in- creased to lJo III lct's to -'o iii iR''f 'i'N 200 in 1890. or to 6o2 for every million oi population In Vermont. therefore, the number of criminals per million of population. after forty years of prohibition was double the number under license.
 The steady increase in crime from dc- cade to decade under prohibition, as shown by these figures is most remark able. Unfortunately the figures on thi9 C Ha nf published. but it may be safely asserted that they will show material change in the trend indicated by the preceding census reports.
 Iowa. Kansas adopted prohibition after the census of 1880 was taken. The census reports for 1900. page 127 shows the num- Der of convlcts in those states under li- cense and prohibition was as follows
 1880 1890.
 Under Under
 license. prohibition.
 Iowa m S03 l016
 Kansas :. .. 1295 l9Is
 Number of convicts per 100000 of pop ulation: 1880. lsso.
 Iowa .''' tot ooi
 Kansas q. l5Oo l5Sl
 Crime increased per cent in Iowa and per cent in Kansas in this decade, dur ing half of which prohibition was in operation
 The reports of the auditors of all the counties In Iowa for each year from 1882 to 1sS6 rendered authoratlve by the seal of the secretary of state himself pro hibitionist. show that the number of convictions in that state not only did not decrease under prohibition but that there was an actual and serious increase in crime.
 Prior to July 4, 1884 prohibition was not enforced in Iowa. On that date the Htrin- ent statutes went in effect. The result as shown by the reports was growth in the number of criminals sentenced with corresponding increase In the cost to the state of criminal prosecutions. Not only did the percentage of crime increase un- der prohibition. but the character Of offenses became more degraded and serl- ous During the two years and half prior to the date the law took effect SIS persons were sentenced to the penitenti- ary. Within the same period after the law became operative 9l7 convicts were consigned tD that institution. Under prohibition the auditors report shows an increase of 26 per cent in crimes grow ing out of the relations of the sexes. while crime against property, such as theft. burglary fraud, etc, became 8 per cent more frequent. The total number of murders assaults. etcs.. under the last two years and e half prior to the enactment of the law and the first two years and half of prohibition are practically the same, being 431 and 427. respectively.
 Polk county, in which the city of Des Molnes, was prohibition stronghold. In 1882. with sixty saloons, there were twenty-six convictions for crime. In 1886, under prohibition. ninety-one persons were convicted. Twenty-four of these were for infractlon of the prohibitory law The remaining sixty-seven--more than two and q half times as many as in 1Ss2-were for miscellaneous crimes. The cost of criminal prosecution to the people was less than 320o0 in 1882. In 1886 1t had doubled.
 In Kansas. also. the character of the crimes for which convictions were had became more degraded. appears from the following table taken from the re- ports of the warden of the state pen- tentiary:
 Convictions for two years ending June 3O 1880. 1886. 1888. Crimes growing out of sexual
 relations .... ...... N 4n "A Assaults. murders. etc. .. .. ii5 ls5 l9a Crimes against property .... 625 6n4 627 Miscellaneous