The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1873-06-12
OPPOSED TO THE SCRIPTURES.


ing the abolition Of capital punishment by the
Legislature Of Iowa as opposed to the Scrip
lures and sound policy, and impairing the safe
ty of human :ife" Now, as an individual. we
have never been inclined to accept the Scrip
lures as authority quite so blndly as some peo-
pie do. We believe that whatever is good in
the Bible is az good as it would be if found
elsewhere, and that whatever is bad is just as
bad as if printed in newspaper-in other
words. that good and evil are dependent for
their existence or non-existence. upon inherent
properties. or qualities, which are good or evil
intrinsically, and not upon any accidental con-
ditions, localities or surroundings. We had
also believed that the rules of Justice and Of
right, and standards Of morality observed by
Moses and his followers were obsolete, or nom
authoritative. except among the Jews; that
the doctrine demanding an "eye for an eye and
a tooth for tooth" was set aside by authori-
ty Of the Man Of Nazareth, as inhuman and
barbarous, as it certainly is. This being so. il
the Congregational clergymcn, or anybody else,
will tell US wherein the abolition Of capital
punishment is opposed to. or Inconsistent with
the Scripture of Christianity-the New Tesla
ment-we will be much obliged to them; as
we will also be il they will tell US wherein they
discover "sound policy" in adhering to q
practice SO at,varance with all the better sen-
timents Of human nature, practice which has
not availed to prevent murder. after trial ex-
tending through thousands Of years. We have
always believed, too, that il punishments were
made more certain, instead OF more severe,
the safety of human life, instead OF being ''m-
paired" would be greatly enhanced. doctrine
which has been held by not few men in all
ages Of the world; but no adequate expert
ment in that direction has ever yet been made.
BY inaugurating this policy now, the Congre-
gational clergy OF Iowa can show that they
have, at least, humanity in their hearts and
that they in some measure understand and ac-
cept the creed Of their Master, who, both in
theory and in practice, abjured all punishments
in this life. The law Of capital punishment is
revolving to the conscienccs Of even ordinari.
ly enlightened jurymen, circumstance which is
taken advantage Of by every murderer who hap
pens to fall into the hands OF the officers Of
Justice; and they usually manage to escape
punishment. either by false swearing, now
grown into common practice, BY legal quib.
bles and technicalities. to the employment Of
which most lawyers are too ready to resort, or
BY appealing to the rude and uncultivated SYM
pathies Of an ignorant jury. Failing in these,
their next effort is to "bring the Governor
round" and they seldom fail in all. All these
things should be changed; and our idea is to
make punishments so just that juries will not
hesitate to iniict them. Devise some means to
lessen the frequency Of perjury; so amend the
law as to make the jury box accessible to men
who can read and have common sense; make
convictions follow the commission Of crime as
q rule, instead Of such result being the rare
exception as now and when criminal has
been convicted, let net Governor, who may
be over.sympathetic. imbecie or corrupt, have
power to pardon him; but let him servo out
his sentence. or be discharged by Legislative
enactment or judicial decree, and there will be
less need Of hanging Not only are humanity
and sound policy opposed to severe and unreas-
enable punishments. but they are condemned by
experience and the teachings Of history. There
was time when the death penalty was inflict-
cd upon ever pretense. Criminals were hung
in chains, drawn and quartered, dragged to-
death, drowned, stretched on the rack, and
every means Of torture which the ingenuity Of
barbarism could invent was called into requisi-
ton and used for the putting to death Of offen-
dcrs. Yet there was no appreciabls abatement
of crime until an advancing civilization began
to interdict the rigorous horrors Of punish
ments. From that day to this punishments
have grown gradually less and less severe, and
bad as we still are, surely few will deny but
that we are better on the whole than any who
have preceded us. And much Of our improve
ment we claim 10 due to the more humane
spirit of our laws: to our habit Of practicing,
a. we'll az preaching. some Of thsl merciful
tenets of the son of the Bethlehem carpenter.
What say the gentlemen OF the cloths"
~ e------ - ---- rs
Nor ON Ir-Quite large number Of the
honest and respectable members Of Congress,
including Senators, have returned their back
pay, under the grab bill. to the Treasury. but
MA don't hear ANYTHING abOut Grant returning