The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1920-05-22
CRIME DECREASE IN S. C. IN 1920

Coiumbia.-The State board of well
fare, through its secretary, G.. Croft
Williams, has completed its analysis
of the crime statistics of South Caro-
lima for the quarter ending March 81.
These statistics are only approximate,
as they are based upon the jail COM
mitments. However in so large a num-
Der Of commitment there is a clear
indication as to the character and
amount of crime in the State. The
board has received to date reports
from all the counties, with the excep-
ton of Anderson, Calhoun, Grenville,
Marion, Oconee, Pickens and Rchland
"a per cent: Of the counties, therefore,
reported over against 81 per cent. of
the preceding quarter.
|. The analysis Of crime gives reas-
suring results. The report of the
preceding quarter was extremely dis
heartening. There was no special
reason apparent for the steady ad-
vance OF crime, so it was feared
that there were resident anti-social
forces that were here to operate with
deadly vigor until they could be elm
mated by the slow process cd educat-
ing the coming generation. But the
quarter ending March 81 showed re-
markable decrease in all crime.
For the first time since the board
has kept statistics on the causes of
commitment the number of homi-
cioes has gone down. During the
quarter ending December 81 there
were 94 homicides in the last quarter
there were only Sd. 1t is still pathetic
for us to use the word only before the
number of 81 persons killed in three
months in peaceful State that boasts
itself as free form the agitations and
turmoils that infect other parts of the
world. Larceny deprecated from 3O4
to go, burglary from SO to 60. for
gerry from 80 to 10, assaults from 139
to 90, violation of the prohibition law
from 245 to 1877. In all there were l.
O97 commitments, against 1,765 of
the preceding quarter.
Jail population at. the end of the
quarter, was the smallest that it has
been since March 81, 1915. Perhaps it |
represents smaller percentage Of in
to the population since
the civil war. If this kind of thing
keeps up long jailers will have to seek
other fields Of employment. AS they
are good set of men, South Carolina |
has many doors of opportunity swung
wide open for them. -
The diagnosis of cause of crime
is difficult. Before prohibition came
in every advance was attributed to |
intoxicants; then tho country went
dry and South Cardinals crime sta
tistics mounted up like thermome-
ter on a dry August day. Prohibition
csrnot be charged with this {. scon-
certing fact, for no one would be SO
bold as to claim that intoxicants are
creators Of virtue and that the bar
room or dispensary were engines of
uplift. Doubtless the real cause of the
advance of crime was the reaction
from the war, which reaction Is slow
ly spending its force. From other
parts of the country reports show that
crime and poverty are rapidly de-
minishing. With the general pros
perity of our country, with national
and State affairs in better condition
than in any other part of the world,
and with bright outlook for fu. ther
progress in both physical and spirit
ual achievements, there is no reason
why both crime and poverty and all
other attending woes could not be
banished from among us.