Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-07-03
Crimes Against Property and Against
Persons.

Persons.
For some years past it has been the
custom of the London Truth to call the
attention of the British public to the
fact that, in the courts Of that country
crimes against property are punished
with far greater severity than crimes
against persons. Some of the illustra-
tons it gives of this fact are certainly
trif1e startling. For instance man
who knocked down his wife and bru-
tally kicked woman friend who came
to her assistance was fined a few shil-
lings while a man who stole 8 cents
worth of potatoes was given p days at
hard labor, and another who stole 25
cents worth of rhubarb was given IA
days at hard labor in the county work.
house. Indeed, so far at least as Eng
lish justice is concerned, the way of the
thief would appear to be even more
difficult to travel than that of the pug
ugly or the assassin.
While it is true that there is not the
disposition to defy property in this
country that exists in Europe, there
is nevertheless a tendency in some
quarters to make crimes against it
greater offences than crimes against
persons. This fact was somewhat for
chilly illustrated in New York where
chauffeur who took his employers au-
tomObile without permission and went
of grand larceny and sentenced to not
less than two or more than three years
in Sing Sing, while another chauffeur
who recklessly ran over and killed a
child was given only one year!
One of the leading newspapers of the
United States recently declared that
1.-THE law as it is administered today
may Justly be described as a most in
genious machine to defeat and affront
common sense. In the most favorable
instances it is needlessly expensive and
complicated; in the worst it is so out
rageously oppressive and absurd as to
cry aloud for revolution"
While this may seem trifle radical
it unuuestionably represents very
widespread sentiment among the Amer
lean people Nor must it be supposed
that this feeling is altogether confined
to laymen. Nowhere has it been more
vigorously or more pointedly voiced
than at the recent National gathering
of attorneys held under the auspices
of the Northwestern University law
school, 1t was recently emphasized in
a mastery address before the Illinois
Bar Association by Hiram T. Gilbert.
What" he asked "have the lawyers
of Illinois done within the ninety years
which have elapsed since the organiza-
ton of the state government for the
Improvement of the administration of
justice? What have they done to ad-
vance the interests of litigants, to Sc
cure justice to poor persons, to expedite
the transaction of business, to simplify
methods of procedure, or to aid in the
proper and prompt enforcement OF the
criminal laws? Practically nothing"
The greatest force in the life of this
republic, is the mighty force of public
opinion. It rouses itself to the point of
action slowly for it is long suffering,
but, once aroused it is resistless, and
will not be denied. Today it Is moving
for a less complicated. less oppressive,
more ef1icacious administration Of the
law. The present methods have be-
come burdensome and intolerable.
Crime and contempt of law is on the
increase, and the American people will
not be satisfied with anything short of
a comprehensive and thorough reform
of existing conditions.