Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1913-03-20
THE FATAL CRIME GERM
Physical Germs Are Not the Only
Ones to Be Feared, Says the
Mothers Magazine.

Serm origin. A poisonous form of
germ life attacks our physical sys-
TENS. Pure blood and pure living
may unable us to resist the attack.
impure blood and improper living
favor the enemy. AS we destroy the
original source of the germs. so hu-
man health and strength are i'm
proved.
The change in the character of the
milk furnished the babies of GER
tain district in Chicago reduced the
death rate of infants from 81 per
each 1000 to Is per 1000, a won
derful gain for the innocents. A
drastic enforcement of the law re-
garding cleanliness in bakeries and
the adjustment of the basement
bakery in a metropolis is reported
to have reduced the death rate
among the poor fully 5 per cent per
annum.
Destruction of germ adds to the
safety of human life.
But" writes Mr.. John Whitman.
one of the leading prison authorities
OF this country, there are germs
other than physical ones which raw
age humanity; germs which eat up
the fiber of the moral nature as acid
destroys the texture of cloth. These
are the germs of selfishness. glut-
tony, self-abuse passion-germs
that almost invariably end in crime.
In their attacks they most favor
the young, thrive best where he
heart at the outset is innocent.
One of the most painful thoughts
that any prison authority carries
with him is that the richest field of
the crime germ is found today in the
ranks of young gills and boys, they
who most need to be free from
wrongdoing."
Lombrosso, the Italian criminol-
ogist, said
"One of the most fatal crime
germs implanted in the minds of
the young is that extravaganza is not
immoral, that it s to be tolerated.
nursed and petted, and those who
warn of its consequences to be
scorned."
The reports of our commercial
agencies, the Investigations of sociol-
ogists, lead to but one inevitable
Judgment on the most marked char
acteristic of the American people
that no nation is as prodigal with
its resources as we. The prudent
German, the thrifty Frenchman, the
cautious Englishman, look at our ex-
travagance with amazement and
shake their heads when they con-
slider the end.
Corporation and Individual" says
the Hon. Andrew D. White, "since
1855 have been living at million
dollar rate on a Eundred-thousand-
dollar income; the appetite of the
prince rules the purse of the pau
per-"
In this connection a club woman
of national prominence boldly an
nounced only the other day that no
$4,000 girl should marry any man
with an income of less than $4,000
a year." In other words, no girl
with ,000desires should marry
man unless he is able to pay
$4,000 a year for her social enter
tainment.
With such standard set by those
who should know better, the shopgirl
of eight dollars a week income be-
comes the shoplifter of the hundred
dollar bird of paradise plume The
young wife living by the side of the
extravagant neighbor, the neighbor
who starves the home table to cover
the body with fine raiment, is filled
with uncontrollabie envy and the
toil-enduring husband is met at
night with sighs and reproaches.
In his turn, the young man who is
not strong within himself turns
longing eye upon the possessions of
others, and the goad of extravaganza
which Is pricing him on finally
evolves the embezzler, the forger.
the common thief. The inevitable
end of such spirit is ruin for indi-
vidual, family and state The fatal
germ of crime is given rich propa-
eating ground the instant the per-
son determines to have that which
he cannot afford.
In the final outcome of extrava-
gance there is nos the slightest Joy.
An unripe persimmon is sweeter to
the lips than the fruits of extrava-
gance to the heart. The momentary
joy experienced in having that which
the purse cannot pay for passes as
quickly as summer days shower
to be replaced by the anxiety, the
ceaseless fretting over debt, or the
certainty of discovery of the commits
sion of crime.
For every flash of light from an