The mirror., 1915-06-03
CRIMINAL EVoLUTE FROM THE RANKS
OF MEN UNSklLLED IN LABOR
Hereditary Causes Assigned to be the
Direct Cause Of Mans Fall is
Absurd
Bu Sherlock
By Sherlock

When Carlyle said in his haste that tn,
word "king" was derived from the Teuton
ic root of the word s'can" he sinned agains
philology, but he touched mighty truth
The man who "can'' is the man the worlc
will trust. The converse of this PROPOSE
ton is also true. The man who "cannot'
is the man who eventually becomes shift.
less wastrel, from thence the next step lead.
him into life of crime; he has no place ir
the scheme of things, has this man who
Cannot
Men who lack the knowledge required by
the different scientific professions, or the
technical training of some good trade are
the men who commit crimes. Of course
there are exceptions for, whereas you
might find one educated man in prison you
will also find nine others whose education
would not equal that of a school-boy and
who, also, never had trade. This lack OF
a trade is potent and permanent occasion
of crime and it also proves grevous hand
leap for the released prisoner who is resol-
we'd to get back into the ranks of the decent
and self-respecting.
If you will make mental note as you
glance at your newspaper you will find that
ninety percent of crimes aretagainst proper
ty, and were you situated as am l you
would see that the perpetrators of these
crimes were young men. You would also
learn that they were men who have neither
application nor skill to obtain the means of
control qualifications by their honest work
and ernings. 1t is safe estimate to say
that not more than two per cent of the men
sent to prisons have had trades. and the
trades of these, one half of them are the
more common and unproductive kind.
Take the best man in the community, Il
don't care what community and put him
in prison for three years in idleness and l
would mt give much for his morality when
he is released. If he will be able to with
stand temptation he will be something more
than an ordinary man.
Greed and envy, love of pleasure, debau-
cherry, idelness, hate, vengence and sudden
fury are are some of the principle causes of
crimnality. Lombroso says: "a consider
able part of the human race are doomed by
inheritance to life of crime, or born, at
least, with such ineradicable taints and
characteristics that their development will
impel to crime with almost irresistible
force Oliver Wendell Holmes says: "a
boys educatian should begin with his
grandmother" This kind of talk is all
nonsence, even tho we concede the educa-
ton and accomplishments of these honor
able men yet, latter day investigations have
proven conclusively and beyond doubt
that inheritance plays much smaller part
in the making of criminal than inviron-
ment.
There is one phase in this reformation o.
men that society doesn't seem to grasp will.
ingly, they are slow to lend helping hand
to the man who comes out of prison and j:
anxious to earn an honest living by honest
work. When such man is found society
should give him, at least, chance to prove
himself worthy.
Men coming out of prison are at best,
terribly handicapped in their search fol
work because of the fact they have past,
a prison record. No rational or feasible
provision will possibly put them on the
same footing as that occupied with pride
by the poor man who has preserved his in
tegrity thru every struggle and temptation.
Men l have observed, who commit
crimes, expect the penalty and are willing,
so it seems, to endure it; but this foresight
is so dimmed that they fail to recognize
that the brand of 'ex-convict'' is part Of
the penalty and cannot be tossed off as cas-
lily as the prison garb, but which will cling
to him until time has ceased to linger.
honestly believe, and am firmly convinced
that were these careless, rollicking good.
fellows who are daily being fed into
the nav of the state prisons, to stop and
contemplate seriously what the brand of ex-
convict will cost him in happiness and
peace of mind after his release that ten pei
cent of them would be saved before com.
hitting the deed.
Tenacity to honesty in the face of every
discouragement is the sole plank that car
save man just releasad from prison, from
degradation worse than death. But Will,
putting him to the test also feel that soc.
iety owes it to itself as duty as we'll as te
the discharged prisontr, to exercise cart
| and not san the remaining manhood n