Evening star., 1923-02-09
Crime Pinned Down.
Dope Ring Proposed as Final
Search for the cause"


To the Editor Of The Star:
1t seems to be an elementary scientific
principle that before a disagreeable or
unsatisfactory condition can be ade-
quately dealt with the cause or causes
producing that condition, must be dis
covered. The existence OF crime as an
accompaniment Of human experience
picture writing down to the present. but
the causes have been so variously re-
ported and so imperfectly presented
that we have had. until recently, no
very real conception Of them.
Many of us, it is true. have been
taught that lin Adams fall, we sinned
ALL and we are still constrained to
believe that the very devil is at the
bottom of most forms of human
iniquity. Nevertheless. recent develop
ments in various fields Of scientific and
pseudo scientific research furnish food
for thought, and give comfort and sue
cor to many an ili-restrained criminal
| impulse, Some years ago, il murder
| was committed, the deed was attributed
| to revenge, lust or the desire for cash
| if man were forcibly despoiled Of his
| goods the despoiIer was looked upon as
| a common thief or robber.
Then came the scientific era. and
with 1t allsthings were changed. A
good-looking woman caught shop
lifting became merely kleptomaniac.
If a man committed murder they
looked for a bone In his head, or in
voked the 'unwritten law" Alienists
| could be hired to swear a criminal out
| of the hangman's moose into padded
| cell. Justifiable homicide became the
order of the day. and the victim was
| rarely other than a ravager OF
hearths and despoiler ot homes.
| In view, then. of the discovery Of
1 the causes, it was to be presumed thai
the crimes would rapidly be eliminat.
| ed and that the millennium would
soon be ushered in. But. alas anc
| alack. the more causes uncovered, the
| greater the wave of crime. Evidently
the ultimate cause had not yet beer
discovered.
And then, almost overnight, We
knew! Dope! Yes. sir. that was JUS
| what 1t was. The doctor gave yol
| paregoric for the tummyache, or the
dentist jabbed hypodermic in your
gums to pull tooth, and from thai
| moment you simply had to have your
| dope.
OF course, it didn't stop there. DR.
! Bunkum wouldn't sign a prescription
| for less than SO. even though yol
| offered him $9.ss. and so you chloro.
| formed him and forged the prescrip.
| ton; or the corner drug store raised
its price, whereupon you black kjackeo
| the proprietor and filled your needle
1t even invaded the courts. Every
| time a white faced prisoner appeared
| before the bar of justice to plead tc
| robbery or manslaughter, assault oil
arson. he turned out to be a dope
victim, and not criminal at all.
! How fortunate 1t Is that we discov.
| cred the cause before it was too late
| Now. il we just get rid of that mast,
/ dope there will be no need for jails
! or judges, police or patrol wagons
J The reckless driver will be a thing
of the past, and the wife, -beater al
| extinct as the dodo. move you
| gentlemen, that committee be ap.
pointed to investigate the operation,
of the dope ring and to draft a. Law
prohibiting the shipment of dope il
interstate commerce. Meanwhile LEI
US start drive for the collection o.
funds to pay organization expense
and hire>a secretary.
! ARTHUR VAN METER.