Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-04-03
,oncede that the manner Of taking the


dents for them all. Notwithstanding all
the figures and statistics given you to
prove that if this measure passes, there
will be an immediate reduction in the
number Of murders committed in this
State, | venture the assertion that from
the experience Of the past years. from the
time when in England the death penalty
was inflicted for more than one hundred
offenses, even for the crime Of stealing
one shilling, up to the present, when the
death penalty is entirely abolished in our
own State, that no truer or safer rule
has been deduced than that it is not the
severity but the certainty Of punishment
which deters from the commission of
crime. A punishment to be just should
have only that degree Of severity which
is necessary to deter others from crime,
within reasonable bounds. Experience
teaches US that we cannot legislate crime
entirely out of existence, and exactly the
same argument which these gentleman
put forth today to secure the restoration
of the death penalty, was urged against
abolition for each Of these hundred differ
ent offences to which it applied in former
years. History repeats itself. As |
have said, in endeavoring to compare the
efficacy Of the death penalty with that
OF imprisonment for life in lettering 9TH
ers from committing the crime of muir
der, we are apt to overlook the ever va
rying circumstances which surround each
case. The associations, education, in
herited disposition are all different-the
inducements, if may use such word
are different.
Hence he who divides the m solely on
the ground Of fear or terror, as a re-
straining influence, starts with erron-
eous premises. and the chances are, will
reach an erroneous conclusion.
Even if we admit for a moment that
the terror Of death is a trihe more efica.
cious in lettering from crime than life
imprisonment, still the death penalty
has two disadvantages which more than
coun,erbalance any fancied advantage
on that score. One is the difficulty OF
procuring convictions where there is no
alternative but death for the prisoner If
convicted. Here the natural weakness
Of the human heart is apt to crop out.
Men are not all so constituted that they
can utterly defy the insinuating influence
Of sympathy in warping their judgments
Thus punishment is robbed Of its GER
tainty, which is acknowledged by alto be
the most important factor in de,erring
Others from crime. The other disad-
vantage is the possibility Of convicting
an innocen, man. However small the
chance of this, we know it has been
done, in thousands Of cases, yea, in the
estimate Of many, in tens OF thousands
of cases, and there comes into the human
heart at the bare suggestion Of the idea,
such revulsion of feeling against any
punishment which places it beyond the
power of society not 10 repair the wrong,
for tina, would be impossible, but to offer
partial redress for the wrong inflicted in
the name Of society, that it would seem
we had but TO mention the fact, for man
kind to shrink in horror from contact
Herewith. | have not time within the
limits have placed 10 myself in these
remarks to dilate at length upon these
two points. Suffice it to say, that in
my judgment they do away a hundred
fold with all the fancied advantage aris-
ing from the terror Of death.
These considerations are given here
simply in the light of expediency, but in
their effect they are more far reaching,
and lap on to the great question of ne
cessity. l cannot doubt that any man,
who will yield to the conviction that
punishment of crime is for the safety
of society and not retaliation for wrong,
and who will calmly consider the death
penalty in that light, will arise from his
contemplation, confirmed in the opinion
that necessity shall be the sole arbiter
when the sanctity of human life is in
volved by human punishment. l have
no maudlin sentimentality or fearful
sympathy for criminals as such. The
main light in which l view them is that
of transgressors of the law, amenable to
the punishment provided by that law.
Still cannot forget that the line that
divides the actual violator of human
law from many who sit in apparent re-
spectability on the other side, is wa
vering and at times uncertain line. l
cannot forget that such line drawn ar
bi,rarily by the imperfect light of human
wisdom, may hereafter in the great light
of Gods presence appear a most unjust
line. l cannot forget that Jesus Christ.