The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1924-10-14
Furnishing Crime.

| If the psychiatrist is right in his contention
/ that crime should not be punished because
its perpetrator is mentally or emotionally
without responsibility society faces greater
task than at any time in the development OF
civilization One psychiatrist has declared
that the proper system OF caring Tor crimi-
mails is one OF disqualification and not pun
ishment" He would have the law administer
cure instead OF a penalty.
Any normal person would admit as much
il the psychiatrist could prove his theory. In
deed the law today takes a positive posi-
ton in its treatment OF criminals who are
not responsible for their actions. and who
are known to be thus afflicted. 1t would not
be extravagant to say that the law would
90 further in its effort to be humane
once it could be established that all persons
who do wrong are utterly unable to reform
from 50 doing.
There is this, however, to be said in the
punishment of criminals: Man made law IS
patterned in an extensive degree after that
handed down in the Scriptures Those who
are orthodox Christians, who believe in the
inspiration OF the Bible, who have faith in the
ten commandments and who accept human
conscience as a reliable agent to distinguish
between right and wrong cannot possibly
refuse the divine judgment which has held
throughout the ages against evil, sin and
crime. One could take the psychatrlst and
apply it in all directions. One could hold
that the dishonest man was not honest be-
cause he could not be straightforward, yet
one of the commandments says thou shalt
not steal" 1t could be asserted that emotion
is lacking when morals are violated, yet
commandment declares thou shalt not COM
NIT adultery" Whereas, thou shalt not kill
is held to impose a responsibility upon the
slayer
The psychiatrist who seeks to explain
crime by saying that its perpetrators are not
responsible might just as well apply his
theory to all wrong Is one responsible tor
misdemeanor any more than one is respon-
sibe for murder? The rule ought to work
in all directions if it works in one What the
psychiatrist is in danger OF doing is to create
the impression that the human imperfections
of character, mind and emotion are never to
be censured but always pitied. Gods law
does not go that far, but holds sinners &C
countabe.
The task society would face il the psychla-
trists theory were accepted would be that OF
providing disqualification for an enormous
amount OF the population. If it be wrong to
punish one for one crime it is wrong to I'M
pose penalty for another. If there are de-
grees OF responsibility they should be taken
into account throughout the entire category
Of crime. And that would present the ludl-
crous picture OF organized society establish,
ing standard OF near perfection with treat
ment for all those whose failure to reach 1t
resulted in the violation OF law
The News believes that most crime IS
committed by persons who know right from
wrong. and who should be severely punished
for violating the law. Downright meanneSs
NAV be. in some cases, an attt1chon as OF
disease. but in most, if observations OF hui
man nature are of any value, it should DC
punished with its perpetrator held fully re-
sponsible.