The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-02-20
AUGUSTA.

Especial dispatch by International Lnel
Debate ON the Capital Punishment CUES.
tiOn---speeshes of Reed and M orris of
POrtland---Oiher Legislative Matters.
AUGUSTA, Feb. 19.-In the House to-day,
Thomas b. Reed, of Portland, made one ofthe
clearest and most convincing arguments yes
advanced on the subject OF capital punish
ment He favored the abolition OF the oeatn
penalty, or, as he said, he was opposed 10 It's
restoration. He remarked that In 1857 the
Legislature abolished the death penalty SO far
as was then possible without making murder
bailable offence. That Legislature also SUBJ
mitted to the people resolve, which resulted
in amendment No. II to the Constitution
Every one who voted for that amendment I'M
derstood that he voted to abolish the death
penalty, and SO for thirty years the Governors
interpreted the law, SO that the question be-
fore the Legislature to-day is not whether we
shall abolish capital punishment, but whether
we shall restore it.
de objected to the death penalty as pun
ishment because it is inefficient. Certainly
not severity is the test of power. Laws may
decree death, but the human heart is always
kinder than laws. Sympathy oiA move juries
and Judges You increase the chances of es-
cape when you endanger life. Men have but
little fear of the chances of DEATH Witness
the readiness with which men engage in all
kinds of dangerous trades with no increase of
wages.
line death penalty is positively bad 1t in
auces men to confess and endangers the inno-
cent. The example is bad; killing will never
teach men not to kill The penalty once in
ficted is irrevocable there. is no provision for
innocence, and as long as human tribunals are
fallible, innocent men may be condemned. The
punishment is unequal. 1t falls lghtest on
the most hardened of two men; death is to
one nothing; to another the sum of all horrors,
and the last is not likely to be the most guilty.
These are the objections to the punishment
of death. They do not apply to imprisonment
for life.
Now is the death penalty necessary to pro-
tect society? All the facts and statistics show
that it is not. Mr.. Reed. then gave the facts
relating to all the places where the death PEN
atty does not exist, showing there crimes has
disminished and society is safer. In conclu-
sion he said the death penalty is verp objec-
tonable in its character, and ought not to be
used, unless society cannot be otherwise pro-
tected. Experience shows clearly that society
Is SAFER without executions, and since society
is at least as safe with imprisonment for life,
there can be no reason for re-establishng CAPT.
tai punishment.
Mr.. Morris, of Portland, made an argument
OF some length, in which he favored the death
penalty, 1t was mainly theological and based
upon the Mosaic code. He regarded capital
punishment as sanctioned by the fundamental
law OF God, which had never been repealed
he cited instances; taking those of the Cali
fernla Vigilance Committees and of Mumford.
who was executed in New Orleans, as exam
pies where imprisonment for life could not
have had the salutary effect which capital pun
ishment did have.
Ihe Committee on the Constabulary will re-
port bill in favor of State Police, consisting
OF chief and deputy in each County.
The Committee on Mercantile Affairs and
Insurance voted to refer Mr. Paine's Insurance
bill to the next Legislature.
N. w. Foster, one of the Fish Commi, sion-
ers, is lying i'll at his residence in Machias in a
very critical condition. Dmrao