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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (June 19, 1959)
The Inquiring Mind Thi MriM of articles, en many different subjects, results from work by senior students at the school of journalism at the University of Oregon. Each is a con densed Torsion of a full-length thesis written as partial requirement for graduation at the school. ABOLISHING PUNISHMENT OF CRIMINALS Br4 Jack Sweet Public ideas and attitudes are changing all the time. For instance, there is a theory that punishment of criminals even tually could and should be done away with. This is so tartlftg a concept that furth er explanation is demanded. The theory goes something like this: Punishment is noth ing but vengeance, benefiting no one and causing irrepara ble harm to the criminal. The criminal can't be allowed to remain free in society as long as he represents a danger to that society but he should be helped, not further warped by a vengeful penal system. In most cases the law-breaker could be reformed by com petent guidance. If emphasis were on this reformation rath er than on punishment, all that would be lost would be the satisfaction, some people get out of seeing "sinners" suffer. Gradual Drift ' A gradual drift away from punishment as such is taking place now. We have begun to consider a criminal's mental state before we decide wheth er to- try to cure him or to punish him. Psychiatric aid is replacing solitary confine ment, though slowly, to be sure. Under a certain age, crimi nals are called "juvenile de linquents" and every effort is made to turn them into use ful, happy citizens. If we could keep raising this arbi trary age level we might one day consider all people eligi ble for our sympathy, under standing, and help. Removing the concept of in tentional punishment would not mean letting criminals roam free. If it is found that (fc person cannot be reformed, then that person must be seg regated from the society he CDdangers. He need no be locKed in' a barren cell but anerely kept away from the community. This might be ac complished in such a way that the) law-breaker would be re ceiving no more punishment han a person confined in a mental institution or one de ftfhed in quarantine with Dmt communicable disease. Ivery means would be taken & effect a "cure." Punishment is definitely a means of combatting crime. But is it necessarily the only means? Surely society can find an alternative to ven geance. State punishment is an as pect of rule by fear. It tends to make cowardice a virtue, in that fear promotes honesty. If we train our people in fear who will protect our nation in time of war, when cowardice becomes a contemptible crime? We ask too much in desiring a man to fear no enemy but to fear his own legal system. . It sounds impractical, per haps completely unrealistic; to say that moral standards must be sterengthened to re place government by fear. However, much in our society is based on man's fundamen tal honesty. - We must so often rely on cooperation and decency. It is almost certain that some men will refuse to give this coop eration and will break the established laws. But it isn't essential that Justice must draw her sword and revenge society. If the criminal can be reformed into a good citizen, society should not demand some arbitrary pound of flesh. Worse Than Crime The punishment, in so many cases (if not in all), is worse than the crime. If, say, a fit of jealous anger causes a man to commit murder, in his crime any worse than the crime of society which will treat its erring citizen like a caged ani mal for thirty years, or long er? To punish ' wrong seems such an ob'ious and natural rule to most people. It fits in so well with their view of their God's intentions. But is is not also the will of this God to reward virtue, and who talks of a court of justice for that purpose? Why is such a pleasant notion rejected while the vicious notion of punishment is taken for grant ed? Necessary Evil When we get right down to it, the best that some might say for criminal punishment is that it is a necessary evil. But is it necessary? For thous ands of years we have tried the brutal use of punishment for crime. Crime has not van ished by any means. Our sys tem is not perfect. Perhaps we should try a They'll Do It Every Time " t'yyi op My mino.'.'i . tEr DOtf T HAVE TIME J . J MVSH-P OR THE J 1 1 .- I - L By Jimmy Hado"" The mama WITH ONE LITTLE MD TO TAKE CARE OF CAN'T KEEP UP WITH THIN6S- rr's much too MUCH FOR HER r T I Sali ft 1353. Cm Fatur Syndicate. Ink. W Pt aJl But the OF EIGHT ALWAYS LOOKS LIKE A . MILLION BUCKS, AND SO DO THE KIDS AND ALSO THE HOUSE HOWCUM ? WE REPEAT" 70 MUTER AtSMUE., MmsYjMX Bill Isaacs Gets $500 Scholarship Bill Isaacs, son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Isaacs, 1120 Bellview st., Ashland, former Medford residents, has re ceived a $500 national schol arship award by the National Council of State Garden clubs. He also has been named a research assistant under a grant by the University of Washington for work on a bo tanical project next Septem ber. He will be a senior at the University of Washington next year. .' Young Isaacs is now attend ing the summer session at the University of Michigan bio logical station as an assistant to Dr. Alexander Smith, head of the Mycological department at the university. ' system which, involves in sight, understanding, and com passion, rather than punish ment. Such a system, being run by men, would surely not be perfect. But our present system too is unsuccessful. Even if a system without punishment should be no more successful in preventing crime than a system with punish ment, at least we will have a more humane system. If, as individuals, we can not refrain from an occasion al criminal act,, we can, per haps, as a society, abolish the crime of punishment. Quotes From the News By UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL , London-Mrs. Bessie Braddock, Laborite member of Par liament, replying to a fellow Laborite who asked that a select committee be named to investigate physical damage sustained by prize fighters: "No boxer is compelled to box. It is a completely volun tary matter, and if it is a question of looking at the things that hurt people there are many other things that may be looked at to more advantage that kill people off much more quickly.": . : Little Rock, Ark.-President Everett Tucker Jr., of the Little Rock School Board, after a federal court killed two Arkansas anti-integration laws which Gov. Orval E. Faubus used to close four Little Rock high schools last fall: "I see no alternative but to proceed with some plan of integration." New York-The appellate division of the New York State Supreme court, in a decision holding that a person who used a coin-operated laundry machine on Sunday was not violat ing the Sabbath: "Committing one's own wash to the automatic laundry machine is labor-saving and is not inconsonant with the pur pose of Section 2140 to promote rest on the Sabbath." Denver-Chairman Thruston B. Morton of the Republican National commtitee, telling a group of young GOP party workers to attract more young .people to the Republican party: "I am convinced that literally millions of young people do not participate in the political activities of either party for the simple reason that no one has ever encouraged them to do so." , ' ." PEEPER' NEARLY BLIND Milwaukee, Wis. - (DPD - El mer Mueller was fined $25 Thursday on conviction of be ing a "peeping Tom." Mueller is blind in the right eye and has very limited vision in the left. New York-(DPD-Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller announced Thursday night that he had effected another $500-a-year saving in the state budget, by eliminating state payments for calling cards for deputy superintendents of the state Department of Insurance. You 11 get the best deal right now during Buick Bargain Days FINEST DEALS - V Now is the time to see your Quality Buick Dealer. YouH find the best buys of the year during Buick Bargain Days, the big sales event going on right now. And now is the" time to buy. . BIGGEST SELECTION . Our big Bargain Days stock of '59 Buicks means an unusually wide choice of models and colors. Take your pick from among Electras, Invictas, and LeSabres, with a wide choice of optional and accessory equipment. - ' : ' FASTEST DELIVERY You needn't wait to start enjoying the pleasure of driving a '59 Buick. You can take delivery right away from our Big Buick Bargain Days vacation stock. Come on in and look 'em over. NEW award-winning clean-winged style NEW exclusive aluminum brakes Jet-Smooth Turbine Transmissions NEW higher gasoline mileage (Owners report 15-18 m.p.g.) , NEW Easy Power Steering NEW high torque Wildcat Engines Safety PLATE Glass in eveiy window NEW Magic Mirror Finish LUXURY Ride of all-coil springs SEE YOUR BUICK DEALER TODAY AND SAVE:.. Medford Man In Plumber Contest Ronald Bertram of local 418, Medford, was one of four plumber contestants in the sixth Oregon State Pipe Trades Apprenticeship contest at Oregon State college re cently. The event is planned by the international union to assist in "the making of all-around, better qualified journeymen for the plumbing and pipe fitting industry." . Eugene Halverson, local 51, Portland was winner in the plumbing division and Terry Lee Howden, local 235, Port land, was winner of the pipe fitting division. They will enter the interna tional contest at Purdue uni versity Aug. 10-14. Shady Cove Youth Arrested by Police A 17-year-old Shady Cove resident is in the juvenile de tention home today charged with burglary, state police re ported. The teenager is charged with burglary on Medford Corporation property about a half mile west of Butte Falls, officers said. Property stolen was valued at $92, but most of it was recovered with the youth's arrest by state police last night, police said. The property included miscella neous hand tools, fire extin guishers, some gasoline and a five gallon can of oil. The property was reported stolen about May 23, state po lice said. Ashland Council Adopts Amendment Ashland - An amendment to Ashland's city zoning ordi nance allowing owners of non-conforming properties in residential areas to install parking lots was adopted by the city council Tuesday night. Attorney Sid Ainsworth, representing landholders in the area of Beach st. and Sis kiyou blvd., opposed the move. Market owner Everett McGee is planning to install a parking lot adjacent to his business in the Beach st., Sis kiyou blvd. area. Ten Area Boys Are Named to Offices Corvallis - Ten boys from Southern Oregon schools have been elected to offices at Am erican Legion Beaver Boys State at Oregon State college. More than 450 high school youths are attending the week-long session in citizen ship training. Among those elected to city offices were Kirby Fox, Med ford, mayor of Applegate; Ray Konopasek, Medford, recorder for Whitman; Jim Schmidt, Medford, and Nathan Parrish, Crater High school, Miller councilmen; Pat McLaughlin, Medford, and Burton Deakins, Medford, Lewis councilmen. Trip Hammer, Cave Junc tion, Astor treasurer; Sam Knudsen, Talent, Meek coun cilman; Jerre Randolph, Med ford, McLoughlin mayor; and Tom Tomjack, St. Mary's, Mc Loughlin treasurer. Eads Is Meimjei Of Allied Lines Eads Transfer and Furni ture company, 123 South Front st., has been named to membership in Allied Van Lines, Inc., the firm an nounced today. ' As an Allied member, Eads will be able to provide world wide moving service. Richard LaBelle, Allied -president, cit ed the new membership "as another in a long series of service improvements by the company over many years of service to Medford." Eads, founded in 1904, is headed by Leon L. Evans. MAIL TRIBUNE, MedforW, . f Fricay, June 1, 1959 MATES ON JURY New York - (UPD A hus band and wife were picked on the same jury Thursday, (6 circumstance which involved their coincidental selection in four separate processes from the entire New York county jury list. It had never hap pened before in the memsrf of court attaches. EASTMAN HEAD DIES Rochester, N. Y. - (DPD -"Wil-liam G. Stuber, 95, who -was chosen by the late Georgp Eastman to be third presi dent of the Eastman Kod$ Co. died here Wednesday. 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