CROOKED LAW.
A Doran mischief is done by indirect methods of control in mat- ters of plain and obvious misdoing. At Marylebone Police Office, this week, an old woman was brought up to answer charges which imply that she has been a thief, fence, and procuress—that she has induced girls to steal for her, and has enticed them for their own irretrievable ruin. But the evidence failed. The examination took a turn, however, which suggests that the woman will probably be dealt with as a " fortune-teller." Why so ? Better not to deal with her at all, than to " make an example" which inevitably teaches the ignorant and erring that an idle folly like fortune-telling is worse than the crimes which we have mentioned. Fortune-telling is an offence that may safely be left to the schoolmaster ; but it is not safe to introduce even greater moral confusion than is now practi- cally taught to the rude classes of society.
Indirect law, too, especially when it rests upon antiquated forms, may be made the instrument of grievous tyranny : for example, a vague charge of misconduct, private or political, might be prefer- red against an actor, without proof; and then " justice" might satiate its great revenge by treating him as a " rogue and vaga- bond" for performing in stage-plays. It is a bad custom ; as all " practical " expedients are when they systematically depart from sound theory. The hand seldom goes right when it deliberately tries ra do without the head.
Previous page
