The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-05-13

~ keU0OOA Ill.
II would seem that criminal fore
sight u relying somewhat on the lax
ity Of judicial procedure. It would al
50 seem that there Is growing disa-
bility among those who commit pre-
meditated crime, to have fearful lack
Of appreciation Of the harm which they
themselves, inflict ON the other mem
bers OF society, and to hold that those
who commit crime are to be held OBJ
jects OF pity, when our too ineffective
courts actually do convict and impose
q serious penalty.
Nor is this phenomenon very ia.
from the daily experience Of the police
court reporters and the managing edl-
tors Of papers. Men who get into
trouble, even in petty way, suddenly
become mindful of the disgrace when
they realize that the thing will appear
in type. The higher the station which
they have attained in artificial society
the more these individuals are proyok-
ed II their deeds are laid bare to the
public gaze.
Whether this argues a growing tend
ency for death-bed repentance and abb
solution, it would be hard to tell 1t
probably means that society is becom-
Ing artificial enough for it to make a
difference in the status Of an individ-
ual, whether he is caught or not
caught. man may go on very CON-
fortably as long as the story Is only
repeated In whispers and from lip TO
lip-he may even have the evidence of
his trial spread before the public view
and II he escapes on technicality,
he, and most of the world with him,
regards 1t as proof Of his Innocence,
and he is admitted again into the
highest status with full rights of CON-
munion with his fellow men. But let
that same man be convicted on the
same evidence-let the saving techni-
cality be absent-and the world jumps
down on him with all its thumbs turn
ed down with true Roman joy In the
slaughter of gladiator.
Even II this is the case the fact does
not excuse those mortals who get into
things with their eyes open. with full
knowledge of the consequences who re-
fuse to take those consequences, when
the time comes Even in matters
which have nothing to do with the
newspapers and which are far afield
from the courts-the boy who goes in
to some college scrape knowing that it
means expulsion II he is caught
thinks only Of his family and the pro-
spectiye joys Of college life, when the
day for his dismissal comes and he has
used al his fathers influence with the
board Of trustees in vain.
1t argues lack OF sporting blood in
the nation when we, who boast of our
willingness to take chances-be they
in business or in driving motor cars or
in jumping on street cars-show our
unwillingness to pay the penalty after
the game is lost.
There is a little phrase about TAX
ing medicine like q man'-another
about those who enter into the pugi-
iistic arena must expect to have few
landed on the point OF the chin II
these things were thoroughly learned,
there would be less crime. less negli-
gence. less indignant protest at news
papers and more respect for courts.
There is too much unheeding hyste-
ria in the nation ut present, which re-
solves itself into tears when the game
is played and the judge hands down
4 decision OF guilty"
Criminal hindsight is having great
deal of sympathy shown for it, and a
great deal Of space In the newspapers,
while the essence of wisdom fore
sight, is obtaining very little credit
and may in time, become an extinct
quality.
In the meantime the citizens will
continue to read Of the nervous fear
which attends those who get the linn
1t. coupled with tears of repentance.
Perhaps. by looking on long enough
those In the audience will learn their
lesson from the horrible examples
| which fill the news columns of those
| with copious amounts of hindsight and
no great amount Of consideration TO,
| any things else but their own reputa
tions.
TWINKLES