The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1877-12-01

TO oAy IN fAvoR OF II.
Chicago rimss.l
A morbid sentimsntality, en-.
courged by various lecturers aud
writers . few years ago, caused
the abolition Of the death penalty
ss = punishment for crime in msny
Of the States. This diseased opin.
ion assumed that criminals were
persons to be pitied rather than
punished. and did much toward
converting jails and prisons into
institutions for petiing instead Of
furnishing their inmates. At pres
cmt there are few persons who hold
that the inmates of these insti.u-
ti0us should receive pay for the
little work they do in them. They
take the ground that criminals are
not responsible fpr their acts. nev.
er having received an education IL
Sunday schools and free schools.
These scntimentalists hook upon
jails and prisons ~ desirsble places
for reforming criminals by kind
| ness, but they would have them %
| conducted as not to materially In.
terferc with tho pleasure Of the
occupants.
The rcceut rapid increase In
psuperism and crime, the present
insecurity Of life and property, ~
we'll Us the crowded condition OF
our jails and penitentiarics, and
the expense attending them, have
caused some other people to begin
to suspect hat there should b.
more rigid as well as more econo-
Inical punishment. They believe
that this may be found most ad.
vantageously in the lash aud whip.
ping post. They ''point with
pride 10 the prompt manner IN
which Delaware disposes OF her
criminals aud to the general dis'ikc
criminals entertain towards ~
State. Tho great number Of Grim.
inals supported in jails and psis-
ons imposes an Cypress W tax on
tho better class in the community.
Confinement in y secure building
does not act to deter persoMs fron
robbing llcn.roosts, stripping
clothcslines, plundering houses or
stealing horses and cattle. Many
steal because they are too lazy 10
work, aud prison lilo agrees with
them because they are well lodged |
'and fed while they have little To-
do.
IN many cases iInprisoming u
man for some petty oticnsc results
in q punishment ON his family |
rather than on himself. lie 20
where he is well fed sheltered,
and clothed, while they arc DOOM
cd TO life OF wretchodncss and
misery. The ccmlnnnitv which
the criminal has outraged Is also
punished In the form OF taxation
to keep him In confinement, and
perhaps to support his family. Il |
Is held. and In Delaware Il gencr.
ally believed. that culprits fear
the lash more than any means Of
punishment. Il Is certainly III
inexpensive one. Brother Dcvcr.
idgc snd other sentimental per-
sons would never approve oft for /
the reason that II allows lew op.
portnnitics for granting psrdous.
Lawyers who gain q livelihood by |
carrying criminal cases to higher
courts would also oppose the lash,
for their clients night receive
their punishment before stay Of
proceedings could be obtained.
Nevertheless there are reasons for
believing that The advocates Of the
whipping post are BY no means
insignificant IN numbers In the
country at large, aud It viii not b.
surprising II persons with practi.
cal notions about economy present
the subject ~ some Of the etate
Legislatures before long. The
lash has been restored il England
and in Canada f,r he punishment
Of certain crimcs, and the expert.
memt 10 said to have proved entire.
ly satisfactcry--to everybody but
the criminals.
The Ssn Francisco Bulletin says
that the steamer City Of Pckin,
which sailed on Septsmbsr IA from
that port, carried the largest group
Of missionaries that has ever loft
at ono time. They. we're seven IL
number, besides . Japanese ladys |
who 10 rot urniug 70 her nslivs lspd. |
A general union Of tho 6hd2uheo
was held 10 hear from tho mission.
aries and bid them God speed on
their journey.