The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-03-05

say, suffer some one little child. but
all little children, and it would be
pretty hard to believe that the king
dom of heaven was full, of crimi-
nails.
| will quote few cases to show
that the idea of criminality being
hereditary is inconceivable.
In California a man and his wife
were convicted of committing a
number of crimes; they had two
sons. these children were adopted
by woman, who gave them every
advantage. They grew up to be
smart young men, one of them stud
led medicine. and is today considered
one of the best physicians in the
state. The other is general super
lntendent of big manufacturing
concern. Both mems character is
beyond reproach. Here are two
men that are the descendants of a
man and woman with long Grim
inal record. And they are men
respected and honored by all who
know them.
In the state of Illinois in 1910
the son of one of that states leading
and foremost clergymen was con-
victed of committing a number of
crimes, and is today in prison.
A few years back the son of one
of England's greatest criminolog-
lists was convicted of committing
crime.
What Statistics Show
And if you will look up the stat
lstics of crime and criminals you
will find many more such cases, and
the cases | have quoted are true,
for at the time of the last two trials
the papers were full of the sensa-
tion they caused in social life.
Again, look at the number of
men who are high up IN official life
being tried for graft. And crime is
crime regardless of any other name
you give it, and is felony; for a
man who holds some official posi-
tion to steal the money interested in
his care. Or to be bribed, as it is for
working man to steal.
In the early frontier days before
there was much law in the west, a
man who had committed mum mber
of crimes in the east went west to
live in order to keep out of prison.
He married. A son of that man was
elected governor of his state, and is
a man respected and hOnOred.
If criminallty Is hereditary, why
is it that the son of criminal has
no tendency to commit crime? And
why is it that man whose ancestors
for generations back have been men
of honor commits crime?
Then why criminals, and what
makes them? There are good many
reasons given, but l will state but
two. viz. Environments and. posi-
ton. First, environment.
Start with the child in the city
slums. There the child is brought
up surrounded by poverty and want.
AS the child grows up it begins
early to take things from the coun-
ter If the store, when the mer-
chants back is turned, and from
petty stealing he soon gets taking
things of more value, until stealing
has such hold on him that he
thinks of nothing else.
Position-A man with a salary
of twelve hundred dollars a year
will start out to live the same as if
he was getting twelve thousand dol
lars year, and it don't take him
long to find out that his small salary
is not sufficient to meet expenses,
then rather than loose the social
position he has gained, and cut
down his expense account, he starts
to commit crime. And when such
a man starts out on career OF
crime, and is caught, it is not just
to throw reflection on his parents,
for they, no doubt, were good hon
est, people.
And the man who started the say
ing that criminality is hereditary
must have had a beautiful pipe
dream. for it is all a farce.