The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-09-05
Crusade Against Crime

the crime wave that has been sweep
Ing over the country. Vermont In
common with other states has been
feeling this need
I'm view OF all the facts In the case
there will be general appreciation of
the following suggestions Of The Rut-
land Herald:
1t Ia fervently hoped that Cover
nor Mead's commissioners to the third
annual convention of the Institute OF
Criminal Law and Criminology in Bos
ton will bring back some live sugges-
lions for the amendment of Vermont's
criminal statutes. Then II the COVER
nor would appoint an able energetic
commission to revise the criminal law
and procedure OF the state, possibly
the epidemic of lawlessness we have
suffered under could be checked
Theories innumerable have been
advanced regarding the prevention of
crime In Vermont as we'll as elsewhere
but the solution of the problem re-
mains to be determined II is to be
hoped. therefore, that the question
may be seriously taken In hand in
Vermont at the earliest possible
time. Huntington Free Press.
II is probably true that there is
some need OF revision OF Vermont's
criminal law but the Messenger ia
more inclined to believe that the re-
vlsers would find greater need of their
service in the reform of our criminal
procedure rather than in the nature
OF our statutes designed to punish
crime.
Moreover. The Messenger will ven.
ture to renew It's frequent suggestion
that these criminal laws have compar-
atively little deterrent effect, after all
The remedy for crime, the means for
the prevention Of crime. are not to be
sought in any kind Of punitive law
however modernized. Laws are not
the cause Of uplifts in civilization and
improvement In the social order, but
the effects OF them. Effective lava do
not reflect what society Is aiming at,
but only that stage OF advance at
which a people have already arrived.
Hence 1t Is that the restless and re-
sistiess progress Of society FORCES 30
far ahead OF laws that once upon q
time were deemed almost fundamental
and Interchangeable, so that such stat.
utes have to be revised at intervals
In order to bring them on once more
10 express the new order of things at
the new dating point. The difficulty
at these times Of much needed change
In the laws 10 to persuade great
many people that society actually has
gone ahead OF what they once thought
were fundamental laws and that the
laws no longer express the highes,
mind OF the people. Habits of popular
) thought about certain more or less
fixed statutes are hard TO break.
The criminal laws may be changed
somewhat to advantage, In all prob
ability. but the root of the evil liet
farther back. The only way to do any
thing practical toward the prevention
OF crime Is TO cure the evils OF socie
, ty that are responsible for crime. And
they all lie back OF the courthouse and
the laws.
We have poor white" problem or
our hands right here In Vermont,
condition that is breeding ignorance
ldepravity, vice and crime for us nigh
. land day. But some OF our goot
friends do not stop to realize that thil
Is a home missionary problem In III
= nrst aspect, and not merely q question
OF treating these miserable people be
fore the courts and In the prisons
They are approaching the problem
from the wrong end. They will d,
}. we'll to read. among other things oil
Q this subject, an article In the Angus
b number OF The Atlantic Monthly b,
Morrison l. Swift, on "Humanizin
9 the Prisons" Mr.. Swift takes tn
= remarkable work accomplished b
Sheriff Frank II. Tracy OF Washinl
ton county. VT. as his text and exam
pie and discusses the tremendou
u sociological problem presented /
X Tracy and at least partially solved b
|. him, with most interesting detail an
comment Among other things b
says:
How far society should press Il
activities to prove it's freedom froi
motives OF revenge toward the Grim
nal and Its will to raise him to IN
te highest level of manhood does not IA
within the scope OF this paper. She
ne IN Tracy believes that each prlso
should have an officer exempted froi
IN all the ordinary duties OF a sheriff. I
tcI devote his whole time to developln
D. personal relations with the men.
9. studying them individually, 10 lear
J" Ing what forces have shaped the
n lives, and TO thinking out ways 1
VA counteract the tendencies that hay
10 been produced In each to offen
er against society. Such work would /
% extremely arduous. and would requIi
he man OF high intellectual grade an
character, Nevertheless the saving
ep the people would be great. The dee
III, or causes Of crime would be unearths
and published In reports to the cor
w munity, supplying the first essentia
for the prevention OF crime.
- might be found, for example that Il
chief root OF crime Ia irregular or 4
sufficient employment, when the ar
Or. Iduty OF the state In order to emp
lie the prisons would be 10 organize a
mand for labor so that no one won
,ot be idle Nothing should be easier
*, do II society realized It's importanc
on The wealth created by the labor
o. the men would support them and pl
~ all the costs OF organizing the VOL
CT they might do"
Id A work along the same broad gene
m al lines or at least having the san
IN Ideal as an objective, IL also beir
va done for Vermont in another field /
M Supt. ], N. Barss OF the state industl
v. al school at vergennes, and mo
n,s gratifying results have been accol
plished there in the past few years
ap- The trouble is. however, that Il
M state as a whole has not aroused