St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-05-30
Mitigating Circumstances.

ny tlo>t interested III procuring the
COmmutatlon of the sentence prnnunnc-
ed upon Il convicted murderer in this
city, for demanding executive rlcmen-
cy, we did not see one which WAS really
stronger than amy other. 1t i strange
that this was overlooked hN both the
parties opposing each other ia this
movement. In DR.. Tyng'S lcttrl to the
Governor. We find the statement that
Foster was drank when he inflicted the
fatal blow upon his victim. Granting
that this WAS the c;I>r-tni There, i no
Doubt of il the question aris,.~ iI> tu
the responsibility for this mans drunk
enne>a. To Il great and criminal extent
the responsibility undoubtedly rested
upon him: but has il occurred To This
community which ~ loudly calls tuI
protection against mHrdernus rIItfiau
Ism. HAT II has consented To the exist
cncc of those conditions which all his
tory has proved make murdcrorIS lut-
hanI>m certain There il no rcaSona-
bic doubt that every murderer now
confined i'll the TOOmhs committed his
crime under the direct OF indirect ill
tiuence of alcoholic drinks. Either un-
der the Immediate spur of the madden
ing poison. OF through the brutality en-
gendcred 10y its hahitual Use. the muir
derouS impulse was born. 1t is reason
ably doubtful whether one of these
criminals would have become Il crimi-
nal. if whisky had been beyond his
reach. Does ANY one doubt this! Let
him 90 to ;hc cells and inquire If the
answer he gets is different from what
we suggest. then the cases hc finds will
hr strangely exceptional
Now. WHO i to blame for establish
ing and maintaining all the conditions
of danger Ia human life through mIr-
der! Why. the very community than
complains of the danger. aud calls toI
the execution of the muIdc!cI>. 50
long aS rum is sold at every street cor
ncr. with the license of the popular
vote. men will drink themselves into
brutality. and Il percentage of those
thus dehn>img themselves will commit
murder. The sun i not more certain
t" rise i'll the morning than this event
is to To take place under these comdi-
ti"mS. Fatal appitite> are bred under
thi, license. Diseased >tomach> and
brains are produced under il lay the
Thousand. Wills are broken down. and
become useless toI all purposes nf self
restraint. And all this is done. let it
be remembered. with the consent OF the
community. fora certain price i'll mon
cN. which the community apPrupriat,>
aS ii revenue. Then. when this license.
produces its Legitimate results results
that always attend such license. and
could have been distinctly torc>ccm III
the light of experience community
lifts its head il, holy horror. and clam
0rs tor the blood of the murderer in
order To secure its own safety. 1t mcv-
er thinks nt drli up the fountain. 1t
grog shop. It i easier /" dry up Il life
than IL revenue. 1t is easier to choke Il
prisoner than Il politician.
We are not pleading for amy murder
cr's life. We have signed no petition
for any mans pardon: hut we have
thiS to say that 81 long aS the >oUIrC
OF drunkenness l. kept open. the killing
"fa murderer will have = very little cf-
feet in STAYING the hand of murder. and
securing the safety of human life II
this l. what we are after in seeking the
execution of the extreme penalty of the
law. our object viii not hr reached.
We have this further tu say. that Il COM
munity. knowing that the traffic in al
cnholic liquors Is sure To produce muI-
dcrcrS. and to render society unsafe.
becomes virtually an acc"mplicc before
the fact of murder. and. therefore. re-
spnnsihle fui all the dangers L" itself
that lie i'll the mulderuu~ impulse.
We declare. then. without ANY quail
ticatiou. that the attitude of the com
munitN of the city of New York toward
the liquor traffic, is Il mitigating cir-
rUm>lancc IN the ease of nearly every
murder committed Ia il. Further. il i
Il mitigating circumstance in the ease
of nearly every brutal assault. III every
ease of drunkenness. and in half the
other crimes that are committed. II l.
through the poverty and the shameless
nc>S,immoralitN that come from drunk
cmncS~ that our hcgg;lrs and thieves are
produced. II we could wipe ont of eN-
iStcnre all the crimes and woes ot ON
city directly tr:,ccablc to the almost
unrestricted traffic in alcoholic >timu-
Icnt> to-day. the city would not know
itself morrow. The surprise expert
cnccd 10y MI. SpuccIS ut finding himself
81 respectable. would hc more than
matched 10y the surprise of Il national
metropolis at finding itself redeemed To
virtWc and personal safety.
And now. what will the community
do about it Nothing. The wine
hihbcrs among ON first families will sip
at the delicious beverage among them
selves. feed il to their Young men. and
nurse them into murdcrcI> and de
hauchccS, and vote fuI the license of Il
traffic on which ihrN depend for their
choicest luXurieS. GootliSh men will
partakc of it, for their >tnmarh'S sake
and for their often IniirmltlcS. The
Frenchman will destroy his bottle of
Bordeaux every daN; tie German will
gIIzzlc the lager that >wcll> him into Il
tight->kinncd. Disgusting barrel: and
the whisky -driukcI. under the license
that all these men claim for themselves.
will poison himself. body and soul. and
descend int" Il grave that kindly covers
his shame. or into crime and pauperi>m
that cmdangcr the property and life of
the city. or sap its prosperity. In the
mean time the rutfilm "l the murderer,
acting under the influence of his mad
drning draugh;s. will mlim and kill.
and the very men who helped him tn
the conditions sure t" develop the devil
III him will clamoI for his life.
In the mean time. also. it will com
fort itself 10y the declaration that Scrib-
Hcrs Monthly l. very extreme in it>
views concerning the temperance qucs-
ton. Dr. j. q. HoiIand, !ScrihHe,'> tor
May.
WONDERS OF PHOTOGRAPHY. .-Occi-
dent is the famous trottcr of the Pacific
slope. Governor stanford. the owner