Evening star., 1924-01-21
IN TODAY's SPOTLIGHT
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS

, among the greatest evil causes OF re-
turns to ways of tho underworld, When
a former convict has been hoping 70
regain an honorable place III the worio.
!: \ u r
Love of country Is one of the finest
| virtues of u citizen. but blindness to
| the country's shortcomings is not
proof OF depth Of patriotism.
Chief Justice Taft declares: ''The
administration Of criminal law in the
! United States Is a disgrace to civili-
cation" Again he says: The trial OF
a criminal seems like game OF
| chance, with all the chances in favor
| OF the criminal. and il he'escapes he
| sporting public"
In a report for 1923, of a committee
/ of tho American Bar Association. to
| Investigate the enforcement of law
| in America. 1t is stated:
while the general population of
! tho country, from 1910 till the year
1922. has increased 14.s per cent. the
criminal population has increased
| 1876 per cent
From correspondence with the
police officials and clerks in the GRIM
inal ,urts. in 48 leading cities of the
| county, %e ascertained that the
| growth Of crime in the country was
| steady and almost re gular ap to the
time OF our entrance into the world
! war: that during the war crime de-
creased greatly, but upon resumption
| of peace criminals resumed their
| depre edations with increased activity
| all over the country"
| The report OF the committee shows
J that while prohibition has added to
/ the burden of law enforcement as to
| Of violence 10 to 20 per cent, and has
decreased prison population by about
90 per cent. But In the report OF a
similar committee for 1922, this
statement was made. and 1t Is now
| reiterated by the 1923 committee:
| The criminal situation in the
| United States. so far as crimes of
violence are concerned. is worse than
any other civilized couptry.
| I'm many states the efficacy of
ment of law and as deterrent of
| crime is under investigation. Eight
states have abolished capital punish
ment. In Ave other states where 1t
had been abolished it has since been
re adopted"
(Other authority indicates that
twelve states no longer have capital
punishment)
| A comparison Of states which have
no capital punishment with others
4
Of the death penalty as a deterrent
Of murder.
Maine has abolished the death
l penalty. and in 1904 its arrests for
| homicide were in the ratio Of 0.3 per
100. 900 population. In 1910 the ratio
was 1.3. Committed for grave homi-
| cides, none.
Pennsylvania has capital punish
ment In 1904 its ratio OF arrests
/, for homicide was 1.9 per le0,o 900
population; In 1910 IT was Is. Com
mitted for grave homicides 0.2.
Similar comparisons between states
lproof that capital punishment deters
crime. but there is wide divergence,
when other conditions are compared.
mississippi has capital punishment
per 100000 population and AS, of
grave nature. Arizona has capital
punishment. yet has 1872 homicides
lper 100000, and 10 grave murders.
iper 100000.
, In Chicago alone there wer. In
city $50. while the same year in all
of England and Wales there were
only sixty-three murders.
We often hear II said that the effect
life and so increase murders. In
all Of France. the seat of the war.
there were IN 1919-the year after
only 5S5 murders. while the same
year in forty-eight cities Of the
United states with a total population
of 21.0o0.0o0. there were 1862 mur-
ders. At the same ratio for the rest
of this country, there were five times
that number-7.s50 murders, to which
must be added 600 cases Of man
slaughter. Compare our 1860 kiii-
ings with the sixty-three in England
and Wales and with the 6S5 Of
France.
| Not one in ten OF our murderers
are convicted; about one in six Of
the convictions are executed. Juries
are blamed. Technical delays In the
courts are more blamed. Judicial
methods would seem to be as Chief
Justice Taft has characterized them.
copyright. 1923. by Paul v. Collins)