The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-05-17
WE HAvE roo MUCH CRIME

and danger. A life insurance executive re- gently said that, lon Q basis of population, murders were twenty five times as frequent and Wales" At their 1923 murder rate England and Wales would not kill as many people in a generation as were killed in the United States last year. To argue that utabIe to the newness of the country is to ignore the facts. The older this country the higher the rate of homicides. The rate in creased in one year from nine to ten and two tenths per one hundred thousand popula- tion. Be it remembered, too, that homicide is one symptom of lawlessness, and ire auently culminates from other forms of law lessness-highway robbery, burglary, theft, forgery. assault and battery, and many other violations of the law. Add to these offenses wife-beating, Jesertion of family, drunken ness, disorderly conduct. carrying concealed weapcns. disregard of health and traffic or dinances and dozen other forms of viola tion of law, and the American citizen has something serious to think about
 Since the first responsibility falls directly upon the law enforcement agencies, including the courts, why is it that the American po- lice and the American law are failing 50 con spicuously to prevent crime?" asks The New York World, which offers this as partial ex- planation 'sAs nation we have never yet succeeded in faking the administration of justice out of politics. The general rule for a century has been to treat justice as the patronage of politics. We have asked for and have obtained not policemen, but Re publcans or Democrats; not judges, but Re publican or Democratic judges. We have never cared enough about justice to build up. as the English have built up, police and a judiciary which is permanent, expert and
 ndependent. Until we care enough to follow this example everywhere, we can expect no thoroughly successful administration of jus tice''
 With such a situation staring them in the face, the American people continue to take their politics more seriously than they do their administration of justice, while the former constantly becomes a greater liability and the Iattersa smaller asset Meantime, Legislatures composed largely of politicians with little Iaw-rnaking ability, and still less interest in law enforcement, continue to enact innumerable utterly useless statutes, then on the stump boast of what they have done on behalf of law and order and the public wei fare Were it not so tragic in its results, the situation would be joke. Unfortunately however, it breeds contempt for law and m- creases crime.
 The local situation in this respect IS not encouraging The average homicide record Tn America last gear was ten per one hundred thousand population. Jefferson county record, according to reports from the cor oner's office. was one hundred and seventy seven homicides, or about forty-five per one hundred thousand population, which is shock ing to contemplate. From the same source of information. it is learned that eighty-fiye per cent of these homicides took place With in the limits of Birmingham, which accords this city record of a little over one hun dred and fifty, or about seventy-five to the one hundred thousand inhabitants, figuring Birmingham's population at two hundred thousand. This is seven and a half times the average for the United States, and ten per one hundred thousand population more than was charged to Memphis which led all American cities included in recently pub lisbed comparisons made by the insurance executive referred to.
 Behind the publication of these facts is an earnest purpose to arouse the people of tn's great, growing and productive district to a' realization of their civic duty to improve the depressing condition. With the large and direct interest which Birmingham has in law and order crime should be at minimum here, instead of at a maximum. Protection of life and property should be Birmingham's greatest concern and chief consideration. Law and order are worth more 10 Birmingham than any of its interests. Yet law and order command less concern and arouse less effort than many other things of comparatively lit tie public value or benefit.
 It may be asked how a pressingly needed improvement is to be brought about One fat reaching way is for the citizens who believe in law and order and have definite interest in it's maintenance to induce men of capacity, force and character, to offer for public of- flee, whether administrative or judicial, and then elect them. If this is effectively done' the laws will be better enforced and the criminal element will make itself much scorcer in this district. The people can have as good government as they are determined to have, and they will get as bad government as they are willing to tolerate. Good govern ment is founded on law and order; bad gov ernment is the inevitable product of contempt for law. Good government creates progress nrosperity and contentment; bad government