The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-07-22

article from the Cincinnati Gazette upon
the h~angings at Canton, and upon the
strange halluCination of humanity to
make heroes out of wretChed, miserable,
and degraded Culprits, scarcely above
imbeCility, as was the case with at least
stme of those hung at Canton. We con-
fess this is difficult to understand on ra-
tional principles. A modern poet says,
zone murder makes a villain millions, a
hero" But really it would seem as if
the sage poet was in error. There is no
doubt that if imprisonment for life were
substituted for hanging, it would take off
much of the hero glory that is thrown
around the convicted murderer But
lead Mrs. Morris's letter:
MT. UNION, o., July 10, 1880.
Mr.. A. MCGREGoR-SinC your city has
been the theatre of three legalised muir.
ders, by the hanging of th1se young
boys, | have felt 80 strongly on the sub.
jeCt, and so well convinced of the wrong.
fulness and cruelty of capital punish.
ment, that | have taken the liberty Of
writing to you on the subject. Remem
beriDg in years long past, how often l
as a teacher and you as an examiner, |
came before you; and how kindly and
considerably | was treated, when
a few hasty and unkind words would
have confused my ideas and made me
forgetful for the time, of what / was re
guired to answer, showing you to be one
who was Pre-, eminently fitted to fill your
Office, and also of a kind and sympathetic
heart, for which l have ever remember.
ed you with gratitude and thankfulness.
l felt sure you cou d sympathise with me
on a subject which l 80 much loathe and
abhor.
To form a just criminal code for any
people, l know is at once a difficult and
important task, and requires all the in.
genuity and wisdom of a people deeply
interested in their present and future
welfare. But the end of all punishment
should be a restitution to society and the
reformation of the criminal. But by ia.
king life, what can it restore to society,
or what reformation can it work in the
criminal, by thus cutting short any op-
p~ortunity for reformation in themselves
or restitution to society," With the mis-
taken notion that it is sometimes neces.
sary to sacrifice individual rights to the
general good, example has been made
of n of the ends of punishment; but
the severity of the examples have gen.
orally caused an increase of crime. 1t
is 80 contrary to the nature of things
that it produces exactly the opposite eff
| feet.
In those states where capital punish.
ment has been abolished, it has been
shown, upon good authority, that capital
crimes are much less frequent than in
those states where it yet disgraces the
statute books. People become acoustic l..
ed to scenes of cruelty, and punishment
loses it's efficacy. Mankind are not to be
governed like brutes. If we would re-
form and humanize people, we must not
arouse their worst passions. Criminals
should be treated as moral idiots, which
they are, they should be kept from prey.
ing upon society, by being imprisoned,
the object of which should be to devel.
ope and elevate their moral nature, if
possible, and make them better men and
women. But both reason and philan.
throphy call aloud for the abolition of a
law, both as a measure of policy and Jus.
tice, that can deliberately take o felon
from his prison, manacled and chained,
and in Coel blood put him to death un.
der the titled authority of a warrant
man. And what man seeing this, and
having human feelings does not blush
and hang his head, to think himself a
man." Capital punishment can answer
no good end, either as it regards society
or respects the criminal. Christianity
revolts at the thought, and humanity
shudders at the deed. 1t is strange that
it should be continued in an age of
Christian civilization. Barbarity gave it
birth, prejudice nurtured it's youth, and
mankind, from custom, imagine it's exist.
enCe necessary to their peace and seCur-
ity. 1t is time that nations and states
should learn wisdom, and not practice
themselves those things they abhor and
punish in individuals.
Those boys that were executed at Cam
ton on the 25th ult., l never saw nor
heard of until their crimes made them
known to society. l have no doubt they
were badly organized and educated, and
were not safe members OF society, and
should have had their sentence Of CAPT.
tai punishment Commuted to the state
prison for life, or for an indefinite num-
Der of years; and perhaps there were
never greater efforts made by 80 great a
number Of people, to have their sen.
tence so commuted, as were made in
their behalf but Charles Foster was deaf
to every appeal for mercy, and in my
estimation he has shown himself to be
a mar with an unsympathetic and un.
feeling heart, sCheming, perhaps, for
higher political favors from the people,
which l sincerely hope he may never
succeed in gaining. A man that is deaf
to every appeal for mercy by 80 many
people, is not worthy to be Governor Of
the great state Of Ohio, nor TO hold any
other Office in the gift Of the people. The
youth and inexperieIc CO Of the boys
ought at least to have been considered
as some little palliation for their crime.
How much more worthy Of our respect
and admiration was the course pursued
by our former good Governor Bishop; his
face was an index of his benevolent
heart. Few, I think, would ever have
to ask in vain for mercy, who would ask
it of him; and were / a voter, and he
again a candidate for Governor, ! would
support him with a willing hand. The
reflection of having shown mercy to the
unfortunate and hayward will cheer his
declining years, and throw sunshine
around his pathway. But my letter is
already too long. Please excuse an old
friend for intruding upon your time and
patience. l should love to hear your
views on capital punishment.
am, as ever, your grateful friend,
ELLEN r. MORRIS.
Mr.. Arthur, in his letter Of acceptance,