Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-08-08

fact Every one that offends Is not an
offender An unusual environment. an
unwonted temptation mny lend tho
most virtuuus TO single act OF de-
llnquency II would not have oc-
Cured It would not again occur IN the
ordinary surroundings OF life. This one
offense does not make the criminal
though II may make II easier for trans
formation into one A criminal Ia he
who in some one line of offence, VIII
offend because II Is In his nature. He
Will break "A bolt, or swipe watch, or
cut throat. whenever 1t Is safe ana
to his selfish advantage just az
swimmer swlms when he strikes water
or the fire horse leaps to the pole at
the sound of the bell. He who has
once fallen. through cruel ctrcum-
stance Is no more a criminal than
you or | who would have yielded be
fore the same cyclone. We must
distinguish three ciasses-entirely diff
fcrent in nature, and requiring entirely
different treatment.
l. There tx the accidental first Of
fender" who would not repeat the Of
fence in the usual course OF his life.
He is not yet n criminal, probably
never will be unless "a savage law shall
confne him with real criminals. to be
schooled under their tuition and grad
uatc on relcnsU, into society as a full
tiedgcd felon. whose hand and aim are
against mankind.
2. There is the professional criminal.
who turns to crime as a blacksmith
10 his forge. and yet who leads this
life, not from a primary nature differ
ent from his fellows, but from an ap-
premiership IN crime. as sure in it's
operation as that training that made
the other boy n blacksmith This de-
velopcd criminal may he restored, even
while he is restrained--and the refor
To- "a
as restraint. A new citizen is added
to It's upbuildinE; and old danger needs
no further Viyileuco.
g. There is the born criminal who
from infancy takes to crime as the Gag
let flies or the gosling swims For
him there Is no real restoration--a
coasoless vigilance and restraint. II
may be disease. but his life is de-
tcrmined by his birth. For him there
is only restraint. with such kind train
ing as will lessen HIS Wgyward in
stinct Yet the very fact that it is
born within him, this tendency to
crime. with no more fault of his than
his birthday or his birthplace, makes
any trace of revenge In his punish
ment more unjust than in the Uther
classes
What is the citadel of safety for the
young, for those whose pure natures,
shrink from crime, and even after Il
f1rSt offence sun SllrlUk from CRIME ana
detest their one mis- step The home, the
home, the home. Where should the
| first offender be sent for safety? To his
home. If that be indeed a home
What is the school ot crime? The
public Jail. with its graduates and post
graduates ready to thrill the novice
with the false heroism of crime and to
skill his hand to tho tricks that viii
make him an adept.
Offenses. in this world " chance,
must needs come. Accident some new
and sudden environment may misead
the best bred child. II his danger is
great how manifest the peril of that
child whose home has mud walls for
bulwarks and ill-barred doors for
castles. How great the hazard-the
sure ruin of the homeless waifl For
him no safety, and until the juvenile
court came, no public provision, IL
caught in first naughtiness, other than
to be sent to school him in a sure
criminal career, to the public jail.
FUNCTION OF COURT.
The function of the juvenile court
becomes at once manifest. II is to see
| that every child shall be kept from
| delinquency that may become chronic,
| by home or the similtude of home
| l may define this negatively. The
| function of the Juvenile court is to
| keep the wayward from n single night
| in jail-nay from the very thought OF
| Jail; to keep the first offender from