The San Francisco call., 1910-02-27
NOT ALL ARE CRIMINALS

NOT ALL AXE GRIMM AIS
II the students name had been pub
lished. although he was entirely guilt
less, il would have done him the great
est harm" declared VOllmer. This is
one OF the fine points about the golden
rule system. in that only actual GRIM
ina Is or persons on whom the strongest
suspicion is focused should be publicly
branded as criminals, that every one
viii know them and be on his guard"
The golden rule movement Nollmer
went on 10 explain. is largely devoted
TO the small offenders against the law;
20 that class Of persons who break
law without being criminal in the strict
sense of the word.
OF this class Of offenders there are
many records at the station which have
never seen public light Cases where
publicity or arrest would have broken
up homes which are now united, sent
boys who careiessly shot their neigh
borsr cows TO the reform school. or
nave disgraced petty offenders, have
been reported TO the police by the hun
dred and the golden rule found effect
i've in every case in healing the minor
breach Of the law
one case was that Of a gang of boys
- and girls, none over the age Of "A
years. who were the sons and daugh-
Uers OF fashionable Claremont resi-
dents but whose wild spirits caused
the neighborhoOd in which they lived
all kinds of trouble.
The children had a habit OF break
ing into the kitchens Of their neigh
bors in the afternoons while the oc-
cupants of the house were away and
riaing the pantries.
The children We're caught in the act,
confessed to a series Of like misde
nean0rs. but none was sent 70 the re
form school, or booked for theft They
golden rule method. and with q strong
.feprimand were sent TO their homes
they have not since repeated their
acts.
hilarious college students. in an
after game celebration, have more
luan once been in the tolls of the
Berkeley police In many cases pre-
,.ious to the adoption Of the golden
f.5le names Of scions OF prominent
families adorned the books at the po-
lice station. Some Of the Offenses were
Of a grave nature, but done in a stu
dent spirit.
since the operation of the rule none
Of the students Of the university has
heeu taken into custody, although the
nolice have been called to investigate
several alleged thefts and other acts
~ students In one case a number OF
ne members Of a fra ternity in Ridge
,oad were caught destroying conduits
81 the Home telephone company. The
.+,,dents were in such a condition that
thew knew little Of the gravity Of the
,ffense They paid for the damage
done, u4lich amounted TO large sum-
-6 we're turned free with a warning.
TAKEN HOME BY POLICE
Al kinds and classes Of intoxication
er in dry Berkeley" come under
~ oneration OF the golden rule. 1t
tas heen established as a general rule
- the system not TO arrest intoxicated
,,eo unless their condition is detri-
,,,enfal to the public welfare. Many
have been taken to their homes by po-
licemen and otherwise hihuiy Teateo. .S.
The police. station is now a night
7o6.Jinp house for worthy men and
vvcmen. and they are well provided for
hv the department. These night
1oopers are allowed to sleep at the
station and in one case man who had
a position but no money, stald at the
e+stfon for over a week Friendless
and financially embarrassed men have
been materially assisted by Nollmer,
and he has found positions for several
dozen in the last two months.
..Tbe business Of the police depart
ment." said Vollmer. in summing up
the work of the last two months, lis
not TO punish nor to disgrace, but to
,,reRent crime We have made this
our aim, and only in the cases Of the
real criminals have we attempted to
punish Our principle is to give a man
a chance, if we think he is worthy of
il. and set him on his feet for the bat
tie Of life.
This is the beauty Of the golden rule
system The petty offender against So
ciety is often the one who violates
law through carelessness, or because
he does not think. These are not the
real criminals. and / believe that the