Carson daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1873-1877, 1877-01-10
THE DEATH PENALTY.

The action had By the Board OF Par
dons yesterday concerning the lamen'
table case Of Larkin. the murderer, Is
doubtless a just and consistent recog-
milton OF the statute, the penalty and
the dreadful sentence imposed. But
the question rccurs, as it always will
recur so long as the death penalty re-
mains possible incident of our Grim
inal Code, Is the putting &c death, by
process Of law, Of hun an being, an
oct whose results are sufficiently bene-
ficial to the body polite to justify the
retention Of the statute which directs
its infection? One should be careful.
in discussing this question, not to con-
found his convictions with his senti-
ments; and to restrain precipitate
conclusion les. It be the result OF I'M
FORTUNATE emotion rather than that OF
q iudic;ous and calm reasoning. 1t Is
quite certain that the deliberate hang-
ing Of man until he is dead Is a most
serious and painful, if i: be not de-
cidedly injurious shock to the sensi-
biIities of the community. Familiar
ity with scenes and acts Of violence
aud death, harden the mind and blunt
the nicer senses; and it seems to be
admitted TO he true that in countries
where tho death penalty is in vogue.
murder and :bloodshed are the most
rife. The execution Of o man is, in.
deed, in the nature of a confession that
the law Is at It's wits end. Hanging
Is a knock down argument. Ii Is the
laws Jumping off place; and it Is
most Jagged, ghastly and ugly ending.
We will not stop ID attempt the diff
ncul, task of seIf-introspec,ion to dis
cover and make known why we enter
tain tho decided opinion that the death
penalty Is an indefensible. needless
and huriful relic of the days OF the
rack, the wheel, the stake, the faggot
and the Ak, but We do express the wish
tha, the present Legislature may and
will do away with it as n remedy which
Is worse than the disorders It Is IL
tended to eradicate and ~ In itself
rather shameless self-confession oil the
inability Of the law 10 deal, with eau
dor ard wisdom, with ono of the grav-
est problems known 10 criminal luris-
prudence. The theory of capital pun
ishment is that it exerts Decdiui ana
restraining example. No. any advo-
cato OF the Sibbe: and the rope VII!
venture the admission that the law
thus coniemplates revenge. 1t IS
most. weak and pitiful conclusion
when tho law is forced TO admit that it
must take The very life itself IS insti-
tu,ed TO pro:ec, and sustain. Hang
ing, thcor:>o as we may. means MOTH
Ing short Of the cxtirpation of dan
Rerous man; and this Is TO place man
on level with the beasts against
whom remedial laws are enacted,
whose process is facilitated by the dy-
manic force oe gunpowder and whose !
enforcement is stimulated and ell |
Outraged by the bride and ai!uremeni |
of scalp bounty. We cannot with
stand the impression amounting we'll
nigh 10 belief. that tho shock and
horror and utter gEast!iness of the ex-
ecu;ion Of poor Larkin-abject, shrink
ing and unmaniy coward that he is
will do vastly more harm to the NOR
ais and orderliness of Storey county
than It can possibly benefit that COM
mupity. We hope the day IS not far
off when capital punishment shall be
consigned to the horrid errors of the
past; and imprisonment in solitary
continent, objectionable by any Or
binary process, shall supercede the
gallows. And we beg TO mako the
suggestion that the Com ulittao of the
Assembly to whom has been referred
the matter of pardons, will take this
question under consideration with
view to some conclusions upon the
best and most effective manner Of
dealing with crime and criminals.