Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-07-17

IL u asserted, and probably not with
out some foundation in fact, that eaui-
tai crimes are on the increase. tha, ,hsrs
Is issseuiug of the sacreduess OF
human life, and of the horror which
formerly was associst.d d with the crime
OF murder. We do not intend at this
time to deny or support the above state
mt nts, nor to revive the somsvha stale
discussions of capI al punishment. In
all tns States aud Territories, the crime
OF premeditated murder il punished by
tue death Of the murderer. Michigan
tried the experiment of imprisonmeu,
Tor life for such crlminals. bat repe sIed
the Law after a few years Trial. Tue
great qursiIoa TO be answered i, "Ho Vt
snail Es increase the sacredne-s of
human her Ii Is clear that our Law
makers aFe nos ready To abolish the
death penalty, and If it is ttu, that cap
itai crimes are absolutely on the in
crease. II certainly Is time to look about
for remedy. Oar humanitarian idets
are shocked when any suggestion IL
made looking towards increasing the
pain Of the condemned. and yet. In or
der To be consistent, the advoc ltes of
the death penalty should insist on pub
lie executions, and also adopt some
method of increasing the pains of death
itself. Bot the tendency seems to be in
the opposite direction. Executions are
private, and large number OF our phi
lanthr0pists aud philosophers are ad-
vOc4tIBR n painless death BY morphine.
chloroform or electricity, instead of the
barbarOus old method of hanging. wi hich
scientific reasonefs assert Is far from
painless.
A short time since, the writer address
ed question to General John Eaton,
Washington. ID. c.. and the following
letters are the result:
DEAR SIR II know of no better way
of reply ing to your inquiry relative to
capital punishment than to refer it TO
Mr.. Fred. H. Wines, the expert and
special agent of the census office, WHO
has for years made a special study of
prisons. crime and criminals, aud their
relations to society. / eaclose his re-
ply. Very truly yours,
JOHN EATON, Commissioner
Gen. Eaten, Com. Of Educatioa--MY
DEAR SIR: In reply to your inquiry,
whether modern science has revealed a
more humane methsd of executing
criminals convicted of capital crimes
than by hanging, reply that the only
other method in use among civilized
nations, so far rs K iow, is by decapi-
tatiou by the use of the guillotine,
which is thought by some to be more
humahe than hanging, but doubt it.
The use of an@sthetics would, of course,
render death absolute ly painless. l be-
lieve that an apparatus has been devised
for the instantaneous passage of a pow
erful eleetrio current through the Grim
inal's body. but l do not know where
any account of IL is to be found. Pos
sibly the inventer has filed an applica-
ton for patent with the Commi ssioner
of Patents.
The point of main Importance in the
discussion of capital punishment is not
the mode of infiicting 1T, but its ab-
stract utility and Justice. IL 1t is to be
retained, it would not seem to be desir
able TO render death by execution abso-
lately painless, since that would weak
en the impression which il is designed
to make upon the imagination of per-
sons tempted 10 commit capital crimes.
liz the question Is TO be decided upon
purely humanitarIa n grounds. namely,
horror of the suffering which capital
punishment Implies, the only consistent
position is that of opposition to its in.
Fiction. Very sincerely yours.
FRED. II. WINES.
The thoughtful reader will notice that
Mr.. Wines is not consistent with him
self, for be says the point 10 not the
method of inflicting the punishment,
and also that 1t is not desirable TO rem
der death painless. IL the latter state
ment IL true then the old method of fire
and torture would be more effective IN
the prevention Of capital crimes than
death by ehloroform.
But We hope that We have set our
reader to thinking upon this subject,
and IL so our aim is accomplished.