The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-11-23
THE HOMICIDE RATE.

0~N
considerably increased the homicide rate
of Utah for 1918 by his murders of the
last few days. While his sensational
fight and battles with pursuers recall
the exploits of Harry Tracy In Utah
and elsewhere in tho West, the murders
themselves again direct attention to the
fact that the homicide ratio In the Unit
ed States Is higher than In any other
civilized nation. We did not murder
as many people in 1912 as In 1911, but
as the Literary Digest points out In its
last issue, quoting as Its authority Mr..
+. L. Hoffman, this situation is "not
conclusive evidence of material I'M
provement."
In the thirty large cities which form
the basis of Mr.. Hoffman 3 figures, the
homicide rate per 100000 population
fell "from s.4 during 1911 to 81 dur
ing 1917 This was an actual decline
of 8.6 per cent in the number Of
murders. This email decline, how
ever, affords little comfort when we
compare our rate with that Of Prussia
and Italy, where life is held much more
sacred than in American cities. In
Italy, for example, the average homi-
eide rate for the five years ending with
1910 was only 3.9 per cent per 100000
population, as against an average rate
of SO per cent Of the registration area
of the United States
In London during 1919 the homicide
rate was only 1.31 per 100000 popula-
tlon. In the old city Of New York it
was 6.s per cent "The available facts
are wanting in accuracy and complete
ness,' says Mr.. Hoffman, in an article
which he publishes in the New York
Spectator, ''but they are sufficient to
disclose what is perhaps the most serl-
Gus defect in the life Of the American
people at this time
For a number Of years American So
biologists and other observers have been
working to find the generic cause for
this high homicide rate. Some have
thought that immigration is largely to
blame, but il has been ascertained that
the average rate is highest in Southern
States where there has been little for
eign immigration. Utah executions dur
ing tho last three or four years do not
tend TO confirm the theory that the for
eign element of the population is to be
held responsible for the abnormal homi-
eide rate.
a unique but unconvincing theory is
that we are reaping what our fathers
have sown: that the continent was
largely settled by people of violent and
lawless stock and that Americans have
less regard for the law and hold life
much cheaper than the people of the
larger European cities. There is prob
ably some truth in this theory Lack
Of reverence for the law in this great
democracy is perhaps one of the pen
alties we pay for the ample liberties
we enjoy, but it cannot be said with
any degree Of truth that the American
people, either by heredity or custom, are
lawless
There are several elements that must
be considered in this connection. 1t is
much easier to enforce the law in coun.
tries like England, France, Germany,
and Italy than in the United States. The
exploits Of z Lopez or of a Harry Tracy
would be impossible in thicltIy pop
ulated rural districts. In the West the
opportunity to escape after deeds of
violence has tendency to increase the
murder rate; but in our large cities also
there is wide opportunity TO dodge the
law. This is due, however to
wholly dissimilar cause and
in this cause we probably can find
the chief reason for the great number
Of homicides. Murder is not visited with
swift and sure vengeance All the tech
nicalities of the law are exhausted TO
save the criminal from punishment.
In foreign countries when a Grim
inal is found guilty and sentenced he
has little chance to avoid the penalty.
but IN this country the fight has only
begun when the jury returns its YER
diet. Once more all the technicalities
OF the law are summoned TO the aid OF
the criminal, and his lawyers usually
feel almost as much hope for their client
after the trial as before H. This is q
peculiar and deplorable condition of af-
fairs, but il has long been recognized as
one Of the vital weaknesses in our legal
system. 1t has been adverted to with
regret by eminent lawyers and even by
Presidents of the United States, who
have urged such reforms as would Sc
cure the better administration Of civil