The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-04-09
Liberal Viewpoint
by DIR. HARRY ELMER BARNES

N/E nave pretty definite conception of the
w nature and identity of the so-called pub
Tic enemy since the Department of Justice thus
designated Al Capone, John Dillinger, Harvey
Bailey ct al
But many have suspected and some have al
legged that there is another group of public enc
mics who are in many ways quite as dangerous In
deed, if judged by their economic depredations
they are more of menace to society, for they
get away with much greater "Swag" More
over, while most of the conventional public enc
mics are ultimately captured or shot, the other
type are rarely arrested and still more infre-
quently convicted. In the books by Courtney
Ryley Cooper and M. R. Werner we have excel
lent presentations of the two varities.
In his "Ten Thousand Public Enemies" Git
tie, Brown Mr.. Cooper gives an excellent ac-
count of the war of the government on the more
colorful of our recent eSperadoes-Capone,
Floyd, the Barrows, Hamilton, Dillinger, Bailey
Karpis, Machine Gun" Kelly and the like
While the book is dominated by the detec-
tive point of view, it is by no means based
wholly on shoot them down" type of reason
ing. Mr. Cooper makes it clear that most of
the desperadoeS and racketeers are made by
society.
They are rarely adequately educated-Ieast
Of ali in civic idealism. Their public education
also fails to prepare them for good and lawful
job. But they are able to read and thus they
learn of the millions in easy money taken
by the political and financial racketeers. The
fectively attained.
THE career Of crime usually starts with some
l. petty or borderline offense which brings
conviction. Once in prison the process of moral
degeneration and criminal education gets quickly
under way and proves very efficient. Prisons
degrade and demoralize the personality and
generate an attitude of bitterness and resent
ments toward society. Association with hard
ened and experienced criminals provides
seminar in criminal methods. Once released,
they go from bad to worse, planning more deS=
perate crimes and creating organized bands of
deSperadoeS.
The implications of all this are crystal clear
We should so alter our social set-up as to give
these potentical criminals a decent education
and provide them with job. This would not de-
liver them from a criminal career in every case.
but it would do so in many instances.
Our conventional prisons, which are factories
for moral degradation and criminal methods,
should be abolished and in their places we should
have curative institutions nationally and direct
ly devoted to reformation. Pending the estab-
lshment of such institutions, it would be wiser
to keep desperate characters in segregation for
lifetime.
An important step has already been taken in
the elaborate scheme Of classification Of prisons
and convicts instituted in our Federal prison sys-
TEN by Sanford Bates and F. Lowell Bixby.
In his excellent work on Privileged Char
dCG6TS NN1CbIlQSJ NIL. WeIIlSI FeyS C1lS OCPAC-
dations and destiny of those who fitch millions
or billions through political and economic graft.
1t is the best single volume respectable loot
ing in modern American society. 1t lays before
us the inroads of political and corporate gangs.
THE book portrays the conveyance of the
l. major political gangs of the country in
Washington during the Administration of Hard
ing and describes the Teapot Dome episode, the
Veterans Bureau scandals under Col. Forbes,
the administration Of the Department of Justice
by Harry Daugherty, the Shipping Board graft
in disposing of our merchant marine, the closed
corporation air contracts, and the antics of. fl
nance capitalism through the medium Of the
various Wall Street rackets.
Werner makes it very evident that for every
$4,000 bank robbery haul, the political grafters
and predatory moguls get away with 100000 or
100000 Of money or property that righnully
belongs to the public or to honest individuals.
It is literally true that the public enemies" col
ect pin money" compared to the Doodle OF
the political and financial grafters. And the
latter are rarely convicted and never sentenced
to long terms. Indeed one of the foremost
shysters described in the book received dis
tinguished service medal" after his release from
his short prison sentence.
We shall never end crime so long as we rely
upon represSive laws urged by f1nanciers and
passed by politicians whose relatively safe
swindles and gougings are far more disastrous to
society than what is conventionaliy regarded as
crime. If we are out to get" our public enemies,
then let us declare war on the privileged char
acters" as we'll
Further information on this latter class is
presented in T Swain Hardings The Popular
Practice of Fraud" Oongmans); and j. B.
Matthews and r. E. ShallcroSs'S Partners in
Plumber" (Covici, Friede).