Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-05-31
Delawale s ate Journal
wILnIsereS. DxE@'
Saturday, May 81 +. 1873.
A Few words to Netthera Editer'
who wish 20 aCisttlze Detnwsre.'

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Saturday, May 81 1873.
A Few words 10 Netthera Editer'
who wish 20 ssoistiIze Detawsre.'
There are great many people andsev
eral newspapers in this State who urge thu
abolition of the existing modes of punish
meut for criminals. They doubt IN
boosted efficiency of the pillory and thu
lash 10 restraining men from crime o.
protecting our State from outside crimi'
mails, and they urge with force and per
slsteney, that the revengeful spirit wnieb
demands such punishment Is not the
spirit which should animate professedlH
Christian community in dealing with its
criminals.
A great many outside papers profess |
to be horrided at our methods Of punish |
ment, and to be animated by generous
missionary spirit toward us. Hence they
send their reporters to New Castle, the
county seat most easy Of access, to wit
ness the whipping. We know not what
instructions they give to the young Bo
hemians who represent them on sueh
OCCASIONS, but we do know that as rule.
these irresponsible and imaginative
youths. who find in the scene much fewer
materials for sensation than they had
anticipated, lie most sxecrably, and have
not even the wisdom and prudence to
agree upon a common basis of lying.
Here is an instance. Last Saturday
two boys of about IS or 20 years Of age.
we're whipped for larceny. There was a
good deal Of sympathy with them on ac-
count Of their youth, and the Sheriff
sharing this sympathy, the whipping
was a mere form, the Pres repre-
sentative, declaring ln his report that both
Of them had, doubtless, been many a
time whipped harder by their mothers.
He declared, however, that this was en-
tirely due to the presence of the repre-
seutatives of the Philadelphia and New
York journals, and invented a number Of
purely imaginary interviews, incidents
and EXPLANATIONS to support his theory.
The representative of the New York Sun
made reasonably faithful and accurate
report, though colored somewhat by ex-
aggeration, and we print elsewhere what
the New York Worlds man says he saw.
OF course he lies with a recklessness
and abandon which shows he finds 1t an
easy and congenial occupation. We can
not compliment him on his skill, however,
as a people so barren of amusements as
this youth represents us to be, are about
as Little likely to have opera-glasses as
the World is to get honest and faithful
reports cut Of such fellows. The crowds
who assemble In the jail yard on these
occasions, consist of few persons who
are at New Castle attending Court, and
lounge 10 out of curiosity, together with
the boys Of the town and a few coloret
people of both sexes, while the Sheriff
instead of the staggering sort Of fellow
represented, is plain, unpretentious ant
rather good-natured farmer.
But we did not set out to refute the lie
these youths find necessary to enabl
them TO successfully cater to the rehnei
metropolitan taste fol sensations. W
Simply wish To say to those editors witt
conscences who really do desire to brini
some influence TO bear 10 behalf of re
forming our modes of punishment, tha
they will not contribute to that object b
permitting irresponsible Bohemians
come here 10 represent them, and the
20 home and cruelty malign our pee
pie by reckless exaggeration and deiit
crate lying. Instead of doing any goo
It merely makes the task Of those Of
posing the whipping-post here a hard'
one, by nhaming the prejudces Of oil
people aud by bringing newspapers ini
contempt as wilful liars, and just so fl
weakening the influence OF the jonrna
in the State, really opposed to the
modes of punishment. We ask the
editors not to stop eriticlsing our mod
of punishment, if they feel interested
them, but TO send here to witness the
scenes, gentlemen of veracity and intel
geAce who will neither extenuate or G.
aggerate, nor set down aught In maliC