Evening star., 1925-09-13

earth less beautiful to their fellow-
men. and have spread broadcast in
the land the devastating influence of
fear. Who can measure the harm
done by such a crime as that of the
murder Of the Franks boy by Leopold
and Loeb? The influence of that
crime will be exerting its baneful ef-
fects when all of the actors in that
tragedy are in their graves, though
they live century. Children. unborn
when the crime was committed, Will
mirror in their nervous Affections the
fear that clutched many a mothers
heart as the tale OF that ghastly
crime was spread broadcast over the
land, a fear made doubly great when
the decision of Judge Caverly made
Nation feel that not only was such a
crime possible, but that the law was
impotent in the face of 1t.
If II was sound sense to put the best
of Americas manhood in the muck of
Flanders trenches, to die by the thou
sands to emphasize that wrong should
not triumph. there would seem to be
no reason for completely reversing
that policy at home and making the
safety of the tens of millions of hon
est, hardworking people, completely
subservient to consideration for the
welfare of the very small percentage
of the population, who for the sake
of unearned money. keep the whole
Nation. in turmoil and unrest.
Criminals Keen Witted.
Those who argue in favor of moral
suasion paint the criminal as one of
low mentality and usually one of life's
unfortunates, who has never had
chance. Nothing could be further
from the truth. The ranks of the
criminal classes contain some of the
keenest wits in the country. Accord
ing to one of the professors of Johns
Hopkins University, a survey made
by him discloses the fact that there
are at this time 1000 "college-bred"
persons In the penitentiaries of the
country and that 40 per cent of these
fall into crime after reaching the age
of 40. Further, according to survey
reported to the Chicago Crime Com
mission, nearly 20 per cent of the in
mates Of penitentiaries are what are
known as "repeaters," or those who
have been convicted upon more than
one occasion.
The moral suasionists aver with
pride that IS per cent of paroled
prisoners make good" Then by the
same token Is per cent of those turned
loose promptly renew their criminal
activities and resume preying upon
their fellow man. They proclaim from
the housetop Prison does not reform"
and thereupon conclude that there is
nothing to do but turn the criminal
loose. Well there is nothing else to
do if reformation of the criminal. who
may or may not reform, is the ne plus
ultra of the matter, but the safety
and welfare of the whole social mass
demands that the criminal be taught
that If he violates the law he will be
punished. There are too many loose
thinkers who appear to hold that the
disgrace connected with a criminal act
is all in paying the penalty and none
in the wrongful act.
Nervous Disorders Increased.
The medical profession comedies
that the greatest menace to the
health of the Nation lies in the enor-
nous increase in nervous disorders.
There is no influence so potent in
the creation of such disorders as
fear. Women, reading accounts OF
crime after crime of violence, are
rendered fearful and If left alone
after nightfall frequently become so
terrified that the most harmful effects
upon their nerves and upon unborn
children is produced. What reason
Is there, then, for permitting a con-
tinuation of such conditions? 1t
would seem more sensible to about
face and to say that from now on
the law abiding man and woman
shall have first consideration, that
their homes and highways shall be
made absolutely safe. to such an ex-
tent that the man forced to be away
from home after nightfall may not
have to feel that his wife is wait
ing in nervous dread until he gets
back; that the mother may send her
child to school secure In the knowl-
edge that no brute in human form
would dare to lay hand on 1t. from
either lust or greed. If we are not
men enough to insure these things
in our land then we are indeed
degenerate sons of noble sires" and
are not keeping intact for our chill
dren the heritage left us by Wash
ington and Lincoln.
To every man and woman to whom
the teachings of Christ mean any
thing the tendency to listen to the
appeal for clemency is almost ire
sistible. We feel mean" If we urge
any other course. The admonition to
forgive again and yet again rings
in our ears and will not down. The
trouble is that we do not properly
make a distinction between the re-
pentant man and the hard guy"
who makes no secret of the fact that
the only thing he is sorry for is that
he got caught. Suspended sentences
should be conditioned upon a first
offender establishing a previously
good reputation.
No Biblical Precedent.
We should remember that there
came a time when even Christ
scourged the money changers from
the temple and. while he forgave the
hnc l,ln ln,, II,
sisted in sin, but only after repent
ance. There is no warrant either In
holy writ or in good sense for Glenn
ency to the man who has set out
to get his living by his wits. with
out work and at the expense of his
fellow man.
If some frightful pestilence threat
ened the land, how quickly would we
resort to drastic measures. How
promptly would the individual suffer
ers be clapped into contagious disease
hospitals, under the doctrine that the
welfare Of the individual must yield to
consideration for the safety fsof the
whole social mass. And yet no pesti-
lence could possibly be as harmful as
the present criminal conditions in the
country, because when a pestilence is
over 1t Is over, but If a nation has
grown 30 soft that t cannot or will
not control its criminal element it's
recovery, If at all, is likely to be very
slow and only after bitter lessons.
The following remedial measures
would go a long way toward correct
ing the situation.
l. The enactment of legislation
providing for the automatic appoint
ment of additional judges or prose
cutting attorneys or both whenever a
court docket becomes so congested
that criminal case cannot be reach
ed in 80 days.
Parole Laws Opposed.