The New York herald., 1921-01-09


reading your editorial article entitled
Buried Alive" and, in fact. during the
last few weeks 1 have wondered why
some one did not look at the cause OF
the "crime wave"
The British and Continental Euro
pean peoples have less crime than we
here in America, but it is not because
they have analyZed the cause. Cen
turies ago they established customs
and. rules regarding the punishment of
criminals which accidentally produced
results partially similar to those which
we could accomplish to very great
degree if we would recognize a few
simple and what seem to be self-ap-
parent facts. These facts are:
1. Criminals are of three classes:
(a) Accidental. Those who with
average environment. average moral
standards and average mentality make
a mistake because of some temporary
condition or sudden impulse.
Cb) Defective. Those who are either
mentally or physically defective ana
cannot control their acts and have
very little or no possibility of develop
ing wifi power and character.
(c) Deliberate. Those who are too
lazy to work and deliberately plan to
live their lives without working and
to obtain the necessaries and luxuries
of life from the efforts of others by any
means necessary to attain their ends.
2. The court that tries and sentences
a criminal is not per cent. quallned
to determine an appropriate sentence,
and neither is any other existing pup-
lie agency as we are now organized.
2: A definite or indeterminate SEN
tence will never 'set the day upon
which It will be safe for society to
have the prisoner released. You might
as well commit insane people to
definite period in the asylum or dis
eased people to fixed stay in the
hospital.
A. It Is more dangerous to society
to release a defective or deliberate
criminal from prison than to permit
persons infected with smallpox to min
gle freely in subways and hotels.
5. Very few criminals of the defec-
tive or deliberate class ever become
safe, and as long as they live they will
be a menace to the community.
G. Crime breeds crime and criminals
usually marry women Of the same
mental and moral standards as them
selves, and they will undoubtedly breed
children of the same calibre.
Pardons and combinations are very
rare in Europe; they are the rule,
more or less, in the United States.
European periods of confinement are
usually longer than ours in America.
The result is as indicated above; that
is, Europe has accidentally approached
closer to the solution than we because
it keeps the criminal in confinement
longer than we do and therefore gives
him less opportunity to repeat his
crimes or influence others.
But there is very little intelligence
at the bottom of the European system
and practically no scientific study or
development of the problem. There is
more in America, but the public does
not take much interest.
Regardless of our sentiment in the
matter, it is a fact that the reason for
criminal courts and prisons is the pro-
lection of society. The punishment of
the criminal is a secondary considera-
ton. Fear OF punishment has failed
to deter for thousands of years, and in
America 1t seems to be having less and
less influence.
There Is a way to stop crime, and
crime can be eliminated in direct ratio
to the extent to which that method Is
adopted. That way seems to mo to be:
1. Honor your Police Department.
Pay it well. Protect its members and
their families in retirement or widow
hood In a manner equal to that in
which your~army is treated.
When a man like Lieutenant Horton
dies honor his act and memory as you
would a war hero. Set up a statue to
him and care for his family. No SOL
dier ever deserved more of his country
than the police officer who dies to pro-
tect society. The quality OF service is
the same.
2. Relieve the courts OF the power
and duty of awarding sentences. Con-
fine them to the determination of the
fact: Did the accused commit a crime?
If he did. then require the courts to
commit him to the State prison with
out regard to time.
8. Honor and respect your prison Of