The circumstance that there are more male than female beggars is a proof to the author that economic conditions are not the cause of mendicity, etc., for women ordinarily live under worse conditions than men.

“The only possible explanation of this state of thing is that vagrancy is, to a very large extent, entirely unconnected with economic conditions; the position of trade either for good or evil is a very secondary factor in producing this disease in the body politic; its extirpation would not be effected by the advent of an economic millennium; its roots are, as a rule, in the disposition of the individual and not to any serious degree in the industrial constitution of society.”[8]

After having stated that, in his opinion, prostitution also has little to do with economic conditions, Morrison arrives at the conclusion that 14% of the delinquents under the Vagrancy Acts have been made so by destitution; as such delinquents constitute 7% of the total of the criminal population, these destitute persons form 2% of the whole.[9] Adding these 2% to the 2% of destitute persons among the thieves, we get a total of 4%. Further, the author estimates the destitute persons among the other criminals (those not punished for theft or infractions of the Vagrancy Acts) at 1%. Of all criminals, then, 5% have become such from destitution, according to Morrison.

—I shall not insist upon proving that these calculations have little value. In the first place all the figures are only estimates, [[185]]without any indication of what they are based on. In the second place Morrison has only proved, supposing his estimates are correct, that 5% of the criminals belong to a category defined by the author himself. All this gives him absolutely no right to conclude that economic conditions are not a powerful factor in crime. Just where the writer believes that the question has been solved the difficulties properly commence. If we wish to treat the question of vagrancy in a scientific manner we must ask: how does it happen that with the present mode of production there are found persons who prefer vagrancy to work? This is one of the questions that must be answered, yet for Morrison it does not exist. The causes of professional theft, alcoholism, etc. seem, according to the author, to have nothing to do with economic conditions. I shall show in the second part of this work how far wrong he is.—

The following chapter treats of “poverty and crime.” To prove the slightness of the causal connection between the two, Morrison gives the following table:

Italy 1880–84 New cases of theft per an. to 100,000 inh. 221
France 1879–83 New,, cases,, of,, theft,, per,, an.,, to,, 100,000,, inh.,, 121
Belgium 1876–80 New,, cases,, of,, theft,, per,, an.,, to,, 100,000,, inh.,, 143
Germany 1882–83 New,, cases,, of,, theft,, per,, an.,, to,, 100,000,, inh.,, 262
England 1880–84 New,, cases,, of,, theft,, per,, an.,, to,, 100,000,, inh.,, 228
Scotland 1880–84 New,, cases,, of,, theft,, per,, an.,, to,, 100,000,, inh.,, 289
Ireland 1880–84 New,, cases,, of,, theft,, per,, an.,, to,, 100,000,, inh.,, 101
Hungary 1876–80 New,, cases,, of,, theft,, per,, an.,, to,, 100,000,, inh.,, 82
Spain 1883–84 New,, cases,, of,, theft,, per,, an.,, to,, 100,000,, inh.,, 74

England is six times as rich as Italy, and the figure for theft is greater; hence, economic conditions are not causes, etc. etc.[10]

—It has been some years since Quetelet pointed out (see Chap. II, Sec. II, of this work) that absolute wealth throws no light on the criminal question, because the total wealth of a country gives no idea of its distribution. Yet Morrison thinks that the preceding table proves the correctness of his statement!—

The author sees a second proof in support of his reasoning in the fact that during the prosperous period of 1870–74 criminality in England was greater than during the period of economic depression from 1884 to 1888. (—See our summaries of the works of Tugan-Baranowsky and of Müller, where it is shown that the economic conditions [[186]]of that period do have a relation to criminality. There is perhaps no country where the connection between crime and the course of economic events is so close as in England; and it is surprising that there are authors like Morrison who are so little in touch with the situation, and who yet express themselves so decidedly.—)

In America the immigrants commit fewer crimes on the average than those who are born in the country; the position of these last being better, economic conditions are not causes of crime. (—As if assertions as vague as this: “the American has a better position than the immigrant”, could have any value!—)