p. 516 | STAINED WITH CRIME

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Aug 26, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 33.

STAINED WITH CRIME.

WE are passing through a blood-stained summer. It would seem as if the voice of some death-telling seer had sounded out against it, saying: "Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it." Unparalleled as was that sudden calamity which swept thousands out of existence, yet even more significant, if not more startling, is the increase of the murderous madness which daily strikes down its victims. According to the figures furnished from the columns of current statistics, there has never before been such a "carnival of crime" in this country.

The number of murders committed in the United States during the first half of 1887 was 867; of 1888, 941, and of 1889, 1,547! This is shocking enough, but the first week in July was still worse. During those seven beautiful summer days no less than ninety people were stricken down by murderous hands. This was at the rate of nearly thirteen per day, and if kept up, the harvest month will see some 400 people put in bloody graves. At the same rate this stream of blood will sweep more people out of existence in nine months than did the Johnstown flood.

The latter sent a thrill of horror through the whole land, and through the world, because it fell upon a single hour and a single section. But this continued stroke which slays day and night, not even pausing during the holy hours of the Sabbath, and which spares not the man of gray hairs, the wife, the mother, or the little child, has not so much disturbed the public, partly because of one of its worst features, its prevalence, and partly because of one of its worst causes, indifference. But as a fact bearing upon the problem of human welfare it is far more appalling, not only because of its greater and ceaseless destruction, but because it defies our present methods of improving society, and makes a mockery of much of our seeming progress. A repetition of the flood disaster may be avoided by simply refraining from the folly of penning up a lake of water in the air and trusting to loose sticks and stones to keep it there. A sensible body of commissioners or corps of engineers ought to be equal to the protection of any community from such calamities. But this murderous passion, breaking out everywhere, rising with the general tide, increasing with the common growth, and multiplying its victims right alongside of the multiplication of schools, colleges, churches, organizations for reform and all the means and methods for making men better, what shall we say of it? What is the cause? What is the remedy? Is it a natural part of life under "the best government that the sun ever looked down upon," a deep fault of civilization, or only a kind of paroxysm in the process of fusing diverse and antagonistic elements, not only in a new nation but also under a rapidly changing industrial system? Or is it because man is still brother to Cain?

In our attempts to answer these questions it is not difficult to point out some of the more immediate causes. It will occur to most observers that, along with this marked increase of crime during the year, there have been some notable failures of justice. And a significant feature of these trials which failed to convict was the admission that the accused had committed the deadly deed. They could be pronounced innocent only on the ground that a small pretext was sufficient justification for taking the life of a fellow-being. In one case a bad woman had killed a bad man and was acquitted as a matter of mere sentiment, and wretched sentiment at that. In another case the murderer remarked that the community was in the habit of overlooking his little indiscretions, and would probably do the same with his last one. With such sentiment life in communities, it is easy to see why murderers go unpunished. And not to punish one crime is to invite another.

Again, many murder trials fail because it is a part of the business of a class of talented, learned, and distinguished attorneys to make them fail. In the biographical sketch of a celebrated and highly honored attorney who recently died in Chicago there was a list of the noted murder trials in which he had saved his client from conviction, although there was no dispute that they had slain their fellow-men. These victories over justice were mentioned as a part of his greatness. And this estimate of such success is common, but as long as it is common the crime of murder will also be common.

It is also to be noted that here in Chicago, where the murderous disposition was so rampant during the first week in July, the daily papers had for weeks been filled with accounts of a noted crime. The coincidence is significant. There can be little doubt that familiarity with crime through its constant presentation by the press, with graphic descriptions and illustrations, is sadly demoralizing. Keeping crimes and criminals constantly in front makes criminals.

But the deeper question lies nearer the springs of human action. How much of this belongs to the pent up evil of the human heart? Has that new humanity of which we hear so much, and which is to have so little need of the strong beliefs and stern righteousness of the past, really come? If so, would it in a country like this murder a fellow-being every two hours in the day? Whatever the thinkers may think, the humanity against which neighbors have to lock their doors and guard their lives seems very much like the old humanity with which Moses and the prophets had to deal.—Advance.