Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1872-05-15
CAPITM. PUNISHMENT.

Capital pnnishmeutha had Just as well |
be abolished. 1t is becoming dead |
letter i'll the statute books, for no
matter how agyravating may be the
crime that is committed, the guilty |
party generally escapes on the plea
OF insanity: and when i law is thus !
evadcd or disrcgardcd time after
/ time. it loses its moral power, and
: evil docrs no longer fear or respect
/ it. 1t is better to have no law ut all
| than to have the best of laws and not
enforce them. for while there is law
people depend upon 1t for protection,
but when there is no law they take
measures TO protect themselves.
The plea of insanity, upon which
SO many mnrdcrcrs escape. is bu. the
weakest kind of Suhtrriu"c. for
how many of such lun",ics are sent
to an asylum to be "@rcu tor, and
kept out OF the way of committing
any more OF their crazy Ic0d. They
are proven to -bo- bo-Asneesa,..ly- -iu.as.c,
tll't tiltii tui tCN lopSC w ItSN ulSh
society.
Gcmera!ly, the lawyers get all tie
blame for this condition Of affairs.
when III fact they have uothin" TO do
with it. \ LAWYER is paid to defend
his client, and i hounl 10y the rules
OF his profession and he teachings OF
- M tn do t,,n iN,. Ia.
For the time being he represents the
criminal in his own person. He i
pleading for his own life or fihcrty. H.
the case may be, ani the laws oi self
preservation compel him to resort TO
the most etirctuul means for gaining
lis point. The determination of the
matt4ri left to tho discretion OF
twelve jurylucn, and il j. To them
that the hlam- should BE- attached.
But Just here is where the difficulty
comes in. 1t is L fearful thing for a
man, free from the influence ofpa>sion
or strong excitement. to decide upon
the life or death of II fellow creature;
lcspcriallv when his sympathics and
, Supcr>titious have been worked up
-, on by the eloquent plcadings of the
. best legal talent in the country. We
couple superstition with sympath!
here because all juricS in Il murder
. ease must. from the nature of things
be ignorant, and superstition. To
v greater orlcss degree. is always !ollm,
" closely connected with ignorance
The reason for the ignorance of iuric
in murder cases is owing to the fac
that the law requires them To b,
selected from such persons rs hav
not read or heard anything tha
~ would prejudice them against tn
interests OF the defendant. and in thi
age of newspapers and cnli%htcm
rIcut. the man who does not real "I
|. hear Of Il murder committed in hi
vicinity must be lancntably ignor
= ant.
" Bat there is another caUSr for tn,
II nou-rnturrriu.ut of the death penalty
Whatever may be said to the contrary
IL. there IS 4 growing an,l wild, Sprca
IL rcpugnaMcc among the people agai. S
1T. - ~ we become more civilized an
g. cnli~htvurl, the old doctrine of iii
o. fer life seems harbarou-. People al
more practical, too, ihan thry use
to be, aud they rraSoa with then
selves that if one man kills anotht
~. from a feeling of in>an" haired, ,
ne even does the deed cooily anl deli!
Ut cratclv. what good will it do to ki
him in turn: Will it not be mcrcI
to CRAFTY Il spirit OF revenge: hi
,c- would it not hc much better to rlat
TT thc criminal in confinement, whc,
his labors will benefit the public All
X. hc can have an opportunity 10 rcpri
-. of his evil deeds: People ave gcttii
to tired Of the harba:ous custom
N. hanging. and this of course has i
llr Influence on iurics. Let Us repeal ii
ur capital punishment! laws, enlarge OF
pcui.cntiurics. and when murder
lr- committed send tie criminal the
Of for life. We SHOULD either do tlii
or else have few healthy. old-ia>l
:, ioucu llanwing+. for as matters no
:; stand there i, practically no penal
for the crime of murder. and >oric
-. has 10 protection eXccr; i'll the ioI
49,, Of moral power.