The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1876-02-24
Great Tenderness for Murderers.

The persistent agitation of the capital
punishment question, and continued pres
entatlon OF arguments, plausible but full
of sophistry, have at last comprised their
purpose, and the penalty Of death for the
crime Of murder exists no longer in Maine.
1t was hoped, by those who resisted this
change, that regard for the sanctity of hui
man life which has been so eloquently set
forth by the other side, while it would not
effect a change in the laws, would so i'm
press the class of men murderous of pro-
clivities that they would cease to kill,
and thus allow the law that was so obnoX-
ious to slumber. In other words, if human
lite is so sacred, then assassins should set
the example They are not likely to do
this now There are men 50 low in the
mental and mora! scale, so thoroughly i'm
bued with the instincts of brutes, that
they are susceptible only to the influence
of fear, and can be kept from murder only
by the apprehension that their own lives
are thereby endangered. The hanging Of
the wretch Evans, and impending eXecu-
ton of III. Page. the girl ravishers and
murderers in New Hampshire, are direct
notice served on all of like propensities
that they must refrain or hang-and as
love OF life is the stronger, they will re-
strain themselves. Such creatures laugh
at a sentence of life imprisonment. that
has no terrors for them.
Human life will be much less safe in
| Maine than under law which prescribed
a penalty that struck terrors to assa5sins.
Woman and young girls who live il I'M
protected houses, or have occasion to pass
through lonely places, are much less Sc
cure since the law pronouncing death to
murderers has been wiped from the statute
book. 50 are those having charge OF val
| uables, like express messengers, collect
ors, and bank officials Imprisonment for
4 certain number Of years is The penalty
| for robbing bank, and there are only a
| lew dNt'itu y tttl iOl lllt lliltluCt u WY
| Waterman OF cashier who happens to be
in the way. This, gentlemen of the Legis-
lature, is making the honest mans life too
cheap, and the rutlian's too precious, alto
gether If the predictions of those who
are in the best situation to know do not
| fail, the state OF Maine will reap a crop of
horrors from this change Let there be ia
any portion of the State a bloody and UNI
provoked murder of the innocent, and the
people will not wait to see the courts
shield the guilty by a verdict Of imprison-
mcnt, but Will take the law into their own
hands Time will show how this is to be
We give below Il synopsis of the new
law
| Sections l ana , abolish the death penalty
! providing in its stead imprisonment at hard
| labor for life. Section provides that any per-
son sentenced to Imprisonment for life, who
1 shall desire pardon, may present written re-
! quest to the supreme court asking that applica-
| ton may be made to the Governor in his be-
| half, therein setting forth the grounds on which
his application is based, and the facts he expects
| to prove in support of the same Section pro-
| Vides that if upon the examination of the re-
quest and proof the court are of the opin-
! ion that new and material evidence has been
| discovered tending conclusively to show inno-
! cence, they shall appoint hearing, ordering
| notice TO prosecuting officers of the county
| where the applicant was convicted. Section )
| provides that no evidence shall be deemed per
| tincnt except such as has been discovered since
| the trial, and >nch relates to material facts
| tending to show that the person was wrongfulIy
| convicted, or that he was innocent. Section