The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-08-13
A REMEDY FOR CRIME
We Have Laws Galore for the
Punishment of Crime,
But None for the
Prevention.
From Good Words


Whether or not it be true that
family physicians are paid by the
year in China TO keep the members
of the household we'll. all periods Of
illness being charged off as deduc-
lions from the annual pay, that the
DRY of practice is sound. Proven
tlOn is so much wiser and more
profitable than cure that the idea
was long ago reduced to an axiom.
But, though the world at large mods
its solemn head in approval of the
theory, only in few instances has it
reached the Intelligence OF applying
the theory to the actual services of
society.
There is no country in the range
of so-called civilization that Is as
lawenmeshed and law-confounded
as our own. The volumes of nation
al, state and county statutes and city
ordinances would bulk equal to the
great Tartar Wall; yet ali these laws
the exceptions are too few to be
cOnsidered--are corrective and pu-
nitive. They are post facto in their
operation. Ordinary intelligence,
semi atrophied fruit of experience,
will declare that to be the necessary
limitation of law, which deals with
effects. Wisdom, on the contrary,
must regard laws of that character
as the futile looping Of tree branch.
es to cure the blight resulting from
disease at the roots.
Legislatures are In headlong haste
to fashion new laws to meet con-
stantly varying aspects of the crime
spirit. Accompanying the spring of
new crimes is the interesting phe-
nomenon Of increase of older crimes
in the calendar. Law makers wax
frantic and the lawyers wax fat.
Between the two society is like a
piece of cloth between the blades of
pair of shears. Any citizen may
wake up any morning TO find him
self criminal. The intolerable
paradox of our present social condi-
tion is the unintelligent notion that
laws and more laws are the guardl-
ans of peace.
The elimination of crime does not
lie in the power of laws forthe pun
ishment of the criminal. After CEN
turtles of blind experimentation pub
lie opinion is beginning to see that
communal welfare and happiness do
not depend on punishment of CRIME,
but upon intelligent measures to
prevent the development of crimi-
nails. While there is still frenzied
whacking at the branches OF the tree,
there has also been a more or less
sane effort 10 treat the roots of the
tree. Education, compulsory edu.
cation, is a greater antidote to the
blight of crime than all the penal
codes that have been crammed into
books. But the remedy is only par
tial and does not extend to the tap
root. Our public school system,
admirable as its results are, is far
from perfect as preventive of crime.
1t is the second stage at best. Edu-
cation must begin earlier.
The starting point is the child at
the mothers breast. That is where
state interest and. if need be, state
supervision should begin. Until
every child born into the state is
recognized as ward Of the state,
its we'll being and proper appearing
the responsibility of the state, legis-
lation for the punishment of crime
must be in the nature of hvpocriti-
cal folly or the expression of impo
tent wrath. If half as much money
as now is sQuandered in the attempt
to safeguard society by the pursuit,
capture, condemnation and confne-
ment of criminals were devoted to
the intelligent care and education Of
unfortunate children, from infancy
to years of discression, the problem
how to eradicate crime would speed.
i1u bo so1uu1