Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1909-07-02

''''N '' = ''NN ~ y litiN liif
crimlnality which it deserves. and
which produces by means of It's geo
graphical and social conditions such
quantities and qualities of crime as
correspond to the development Of
each collective human group.
The professors who had taught the
tenetS of classic crimino!ogy. many
of whom were lndividualiStS of an cX-
trcmc type. immediately took issue
with the votarieS Of this new philos
ophy. Truth the eternal Years of
God are hers. \ truth cannot be
oblitcrated by persecution, those who
oppose 1t frequently give it the bcnc-
fit OF their tillagc which CAUSES IDEAS
founded thereon to take deeper root.
History is rcplete with numerous rX.
amples which sustain this position.
I.ombroso not only studied the an
thropological condition of tie cul-
prlt, but also took into consideration
" the organic and psychological per
sonality of the criminal - lndividu-
ais perSonify in life certain organic
and psychological combinations that
either remain normal or develop into
criminality or insanity. 1t is be
coming more emphatic every hour
that the psychology of individual life
constitutes an important factor re-
garding the manner of considering
human conduct. An able Italian
scholar who is an adhcrcnt of the
new school, asserts three elements of
crime at least must be considered.
l. The anthropological condition of
the criminal, viz: the history of the
criminal man. =. The telluric con-
ditiOnS surrounding the malefactor in
which he happens to be east and
lives. and & The social environment
in which he was born and bred.
by singular combination of cir
not too thoroughly UNI
derstood even by those learned men
upon the ground, it appears that
crimes against life with slight varia-
tions augment in intensity from
Northern to Southern Italy, while
the reverse is the case with respect
to crimes against property. 1t is
claimed by Italian scientists that the
tendency in certain dis
tricts and localities in Southern It.
ally and in the island of Sicily, was
occasioned originally by the admix-
tu-e of native and Saracen blood,
wherein the crime of enforced moth
erhood was of frequent occurrence,
that the vicious tendencies of the off
spring have been handed down from
one generation to another, till we
find the people of that nation are
reaping that which was sown by the
of different races cen
turies agone Then there is the ele-
ment of social environment to be
considered whereby men and women
are prompted to commit crimes cs-
pecially against property. also de-
grade, pollute their physical frames
and pervert their moral forces by
vicious practices.
France in 1892 adopted the cxpcdi-
ent of eXtenuating circumstances.
The Judge trying the case condemns
some forlorn wretch, then grants him
circumstances which
would seem to be middle ground
position between that of the classic
and positive school of criminoogy
The administration of criminal law
in the State of Washington as well as
in other localities presents many
A man is convicted of a
crime, after a tedious trial, having
raised all sorts of technicaitieS in his
defence; he is sentenced to prison.
The trial has entailed a large bill of
expense upon the taxpayers of the
county. Thereafter, in a compara-
lively short time, efforts are made
by the culprit $ relatives, and friends,
for pardon, ofttimes with success.
Such proceedings are not calculated
to inspire respect in behalf of our
Courts or the executive granting the
pardon, because if the prisoner were
really guilty of the commission of a
heinous crime, he should be punished
for his wrong doing in the interest
and protection of society; and the
granting of clemency in snch a case
is hypocricy; whereas if the accused
had been unjustly convicted it is a
reflection upon our methods in deal
ing with alleged law breakers; it fur
nishes an object lesson demonstrate
ing the defects in our procedure in
the administration of law. 1t is not
a wise policy to 90 ahead and convict
a man and then afterwards find out
by learning his previous history and
social environment that he has been
more sinned against than shining.
that he was not naturally a bad indi-
vidual, that with more favorable
environment he would in all human
probability have Deen a different per-
son, in the trend of his characteris-
tics. a person is born into this
world with a certain environment for
which he is in no manner response