Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-02-23

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fient 70 take IRE ior sucn cause'tnen was
fignt 70 saHe me- II necessary 70 pro'ect 'ne
innocent Tie maintained II 10 De tine DUTY OF
the State TO project society, ana ms oeiiei
was from tacts tnat come 10 the knowiedge
OF al, that there shouiu De such penaities as
wouio, as lar rs Possioie' protect 'he well
oeink snu happiness Oh humanhy.
MI. rowers Oh 1ouitoh sccorueu 10 all SIN
cefity Oh purpose In Young upon the question
~ they shouio ueem II Ior the pest interests
o. society- Inc oea'n Pehai'y nAu oeen aooi-
isheu some seven years ago IN response 10
the petitions OF large number OF the very
oest chiZens In the state. NO discussion mad
occurred since to induce the bringing In OF
the bill under consideration. No petition
game III asking ior IL. NO one compialneu OF
less protection than formerly. lie did not
question the right OF the House 10 ebuuclate
such measure' put he would IKE to Know
what agitation or discussions or petitions had
caused II. ne oeueVeu that tne people OF
the State' as u majority, aia NOT want
tue death penalty ne started win the
proposi'iou tna' 'he pu'ueh oi PROOF was
upon these VINO advocated the lhnictlon OF an
extreme penaitS' TO sno" that II Is u greater
projection OF human me tnan imprisonment
Tor NE. IL nad oeeh stated that Inc primer
pie OF capital punishment was 10 De found IN
the old Dispensation. so was human slavery
and poiygamy. But would gentlemen
grant tnat they were rlsnt because tney were
iound there. he rejected such doctrines MS
not In conformity win the enii2htehed SEN
tment OF The l'th century, ana as something
engrafted there by semi barnarous tribe by
whom they were originated. He Thought
this was the understanding prevailing among
the better educated ana more advanced minds
OF the present day. lie claimed that the
OBJECT OF punishment was nrSt the protection
OF society; second. AS an incident growing
out OF 1.-THE reformation OF the criminal
that any punishment innicteu severer thah
necessary ior 'he pro'ectioh Oh society, or ior
reiormihg tue criihihai ninseii' WAS ehtirely
and radically wrong. IL there was any doubt
as to which oests protects society, impris-
onment Tor lie or the death penalty, then the
oeneh' OF Tue uouot should De given III faVor
oil human lie. how many innocent men nave
suHered the extreme penalty OF the law! lie
VINO mad read history had read II poorly II
he did not understand that In the criminal
Jurisprudence of this country and of England
and other countries, were the names OF men
who had been convicted and executed, and
mad afterwards been proved to be innocent
We are not yet free from that spirit which
formerly cried 'Crucify Him! Cruelty
MIN ana crucined the nooIest man that
ever trou inns earth Inc mao waves OF
pubic excitement surge along, and they bear
win them courts ana Juries, ana great lnJus
tice is often done As time goes on. and the
pubic settles down INTO calmer moods, II Is
enabled TO DO something or justice; nut II
the life OF an innocent man Is taken, as
II may be, there Is no writ OF error that
ruLs TO the grave. Ihere Is no chance to
do him any justice whatever. Ii the
House could not be satished that the erection
OF the gaiiows, with all Its attendant horrors,
would tend to protect human life better than
Imprisonment for life, then he claimed that
the possibility that an innocent man might |
be called upon to suffer death should be a
sufficient reason for not restoring the death
penalty. He had no "sickly sentimentality'
for criminals. He admitted the right to take |
life If 1t became absolutely necessary. He
admitted the right to take the last man and
the last piece of property for the defence of
the country. But when 1t resorted to those
extreme measures there must be valid and
sufficient reason for it. or the State commits
a great crime. He claimed that the opponents
of the death penalty in this State had not had |
fair trial in the matter He admitted an
increase of crime since the war, due to the |
decentralization incident to that mighty |
struggle. But it had been no greater
in this State, where the gibbet had
been abolished, than in other States.
Then why restore the gallows when we have
secure cells within the prison walls at Thom-
aston? Grimes are epidemic. 1t takes long |
time to test question of this kind. 1t was
due to the opponents of capital punishment
that it should have fair trial. If by the