The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-04-29
kCoRBEsFs8I@aIl555.Gg
GA 49, ,;5.2i.zl!Mn-
capital Punishment.


To The Editor If Tic Democrat
Zone Of he most pressing ari c1gcn
reasons with ,ne for the aholshmcut Of tli'
Death Penalty Is so long IS it remains upor
cur statute books md Is enforced, the ,nno
cept are rs liable to be put to death as tl'
guilty"
Tho above Il the foundation upoS which
my adversary cndcavorcl 10 build In hii
las, production. maintain that llii, prop,
o5jlioa bears upon iiI tlce palpnblc alb.
grdily. Tia; an innocent nan Il rs lial !e
to bc'arrsigncl before court Of justice and
pnt to death rs he who isguilly Of murder,
aver IA most certainly incorrect. OuE law
IN NJ wisdom declares that prisoner WHO
Is brought before . Jury for itial shall he
presumed BY that jury innocent an'll the
contrary is clearly and positively established,
Not as in ciTil trials, If n prcpOndrrAncc Of
evidence lie against him, shall he be found
guilty but il dcyolvcS upon the State to
prove beyond the shadow Of doubt the
guilt Of the prisoner, Ii II iiil 10 DO til!
the law cannot inhici the penalty Of death,
Better thgt niaeiy and nine guilty persons
should cscnpr han that one innocent man
should suffer- is the maxim Of criminal law,
and yet, in the face Ofthcsc facts, | hehrny
friend CSclnim 1.-THE Innocent are as liable
to bc put TO death as the gailly" In sup.
pert Of this he tells US that in England more
Than ten thousand men and women haze
been executed who, with their ;ast breath
protested their innocence. And In America
the number Is rising three huEdrcd. We're
these persons executed for murder II not,
his illustration lRs no bearing upon the
question; It Is for murder alone that de.
icnd the Penalty Of Death. The number
above cited were executed for almost every
crime known TO the law; and When We re-
member the thousands who were e1"Calcl
for numerous crimes, and the hundreds who
were s;ranglcd rs witches, we are only Sur.
prised that our opponent did not sum up a
lar more numerous multitude who died pro-
testing their innocence. But Is iinJt sig
nigcant fact TINT out Of this vast number he
fails to give us single instance Of mn limo.
ceut victim who suffered for .hc crime Of
murder. We Admi, that The picture lie
draws Is indeed q pathetic enc, but IL 1t not
also illu.ory Ny friend loves to take the
exception for the rule. lie loves 10 parade
before our readers single iSOln ted case Of
innocence, and upon It's merits asks them 10
judge generally the effect of Capital Punish
mcnt Losing sight Of the great evil that
the gallows alone Is able 10 check, he asks
for It's abolition because this institution Is
not 'iniallible." All morta, institutions
are flliblc. Human law Is made aud exc.
cupd in weakness Then far he II from US
10 say that the law sfthe galIow5 Is perfect
one. But we do maintain that there i less
evil attending aud more good growing opt
oft than any other punishment instituted 70
prevent the commission OF murder. "liui
says my opponent, because the innocent
may possibly sniler, this monstrous laT
should be abolished On the same ground
he might contend, with better reason that
every penal law upon our statute book,
should be swept awa,, and ye, It Is apparent
to all that tie evil consequent upon iii.
would be the total ruin and destruction Of
society.
liercaftCr 60 mot propose answering ans
argument my opponent may make touching
Capital Punishment for my crime other
than of murder Tic work Of French nubs
without any regard to law or autl orily,
donot codsidcrus coming lesiiiHatcy under
this head. respectfully,
CnOEEg.