The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1886-12-16
OApTTAL pUgIsulfgNY'.

CAPITAL PUNISHNENT.
Tue WellnioFd Republican says, speak
lng Of the law abollshinE capital punish
menti
Tue intention Of The law when enacted
was not 70 entirely abolish the death pen
atty tor murder. but TO invest Ia the exec
utive 9 wise discretionary power, to be
exercised for the promotion Of justice and
70 correct the errors OF court trials. Tina
power no governor has vet seen fis 70 tx
ercise, bee use no one has yet been Ia OF
dee who was willing 10 take upon himself
n responsibility thar properly belongs 70
courts OF Justice. AZ Q result the law had
an effect not contemplated In It's enact
ment.
The Republican 10 mistaken. The leg
isiatuFe which pAased the act referred to
was opposed to capital punishment by 9
large majority. IL was changed at the IN.
stance and on the motion Of the opponents
Of tho bill-those who wanted capital
Punishment. The friends OF the bill,
having gained their polnt, did not fight
over the authority OF tho governor TO or
der an execution II he so desired. and
adopted the amendment knowing that IL
ended hanging IN Kansas while that act
was on the statute book. We agree that
Il was . cowaFdly act. hut IL was tho act
Of the friends Ut capital punishment, and
not thOas opposed 10 it.-Commonwcalth.
Let the blame for the mistake lie where
Il may, Il IL . matter of minor Importance
now. in view Of the fact that the law has
proven itself 10 be an entire nullitY so far
- the death penalty Is concerned. and has
also convinced . large majority OF our
citizens Of the expedlencY OF having IL
changed a. soon ~ possible.
We venture % cay that II would be like
hunting for : needle In . hsystAck 10 hunt
for opponents 20 . death penalty law
among citizens Of Lyon county
who are At all acquainted with the facts
IN the Mcmillan murder case, which took
place in our city couple Of years ago.
Mr. MCMILLAN, much respected and we'll
known citizen, was cruelty beaten to death
with . portion OF q sickle bar Of q mower,
by three trAmps. In hopes OF plumber. and
robbed Of . few dollars, which was all he
happened to have In his clOlhes at the
time. Alter a iAir and impartial trial
disclosing the fact that the villains had
not only premedItated murder, but had
agreed 70 kill the Arst man they met,
and after the farcical sentence had been
passed, condemning them to be hALged
these cowArdly bruies lauEhingly re
marked 20 vlsItoTs that Il was only trIT
to the "pen," where they would hAv,
plenty to eat aud not enough work to hur
them--that, in fact they would be In
better circumstances than before Arrest
Aud right to-day we have In our iAi
the author of IL clear case OF AasassinA-
ton. az ever took place In this state, OF
any where else-Y Arborough, the murderer
Of young Collier. In this case, oul
readers need not be told that the prisoner
was caught in the very act OF killing hi
victim, without giving him even n ohanc,
Tor his liic-calling him to the door aftei
dark aud shooting him down like . dog
The only excuse whatever, so lar pro.
mul gated, has been that the assassin wa
"undsr the influence OF liquor"
And there aJo some in our midst who
have the hard hood 10 urge this ~ an ex
ouse for murder, and at the same time op
pose the prohibition law and any turtle
restriction on this traffic which Is tn
breeder OF murderers. Out ON such non
sense.
The very fact that he was drunk, no
only when he com nitted tho assassination
but that he was In the habit OF gettin
into trouble while Ia that condition, onl
goes To prove that he had no business 3
drink at all. and that he alone should SUI
fer the consequences, and not lay the blSm
At the door of liquor.
But oven were he drinking. as alleged
this could hardly hold good Rs for thi
case, when IL was clearly shown by tn
evidence at the coroner's Inquest that h
made the threats to KIN some hours pre-
vious to the accomplishment of the assas
slnatlon--which goes TO show that he too
time 10 think over the matter thorough
before committing the deed.
! We're these two tho only cases to b
cited IN this vicinity, We are convince
that they would be sufficient cause to in
sisi upon achAnge in tho law. But whe
II is we'll known that there are many sim
liar cases ell over the state, and that eve
In this city ana county there are othC
cases of almost EQUAL atrociousness, II
demand on our Lawmakers should becom
\ imperative to make quick and rSdlci
D change.