The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-05-21
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.

mostly held cheap, and the reasons fo1
this state of feeling are not far to seek
The mere struggle for bare existence
against the forces of opposing nature
and surrounding circumstances is III
many instances hard and bitter one
resulting very often in final defeat
There are few members of savage com
munities possessed of such exceptional
physical or mental powers as to make
them supremacy valuable above their
fellows-few capable of leaving behind
them a blank that cannot easily
and readily be filed. The condi-
tions of their lives are insanitary, and
frequent epidemics are the methods by
which nature takes vengeance for the
violation of her laws. The passions of
such people are unchecked, and the free
play allowed them. results in domestic
and foreign complications that carry
men off by hundreds and thousands.
Their military ardor and duties enforce
an unsettled mode of life that leaves
little or no time or inclination for the pro.
duction of articles of food consumption,
and the supply Of food consumers is
always largely in excess of the demand
Life beyond a certain age, without
hopes or occupation, is either a prospect
to be avoided or burden to be gladly
laid aside These are but few random
reasons from among many that might
be instanced in proof of the cheapnes of
human life among barbarous peoples.
But with the growth of civilization
comes change of sentiment. It is felt
that life is one of the great mysterious
possessions with which man may not
tamper, and it has become enveloped in
what we might almost call halo of
sanctity. So strong has this hyper-sen-
sitiveness become that in many cases it
is with the utmost difficulty that juries
can be persuaded to agree to convic-
ton that will entail the last penalty of
the law, no matter how clear and per-
spicuous the proof against the prisoner
may be.
Nor are we disposed to quarrel with
this tendency. The more inviolable, the
moro sacred life becomes in the eyes of
the law, the more inviolable, the more
sacred will it be regarded in the COM
munity. When public executions we're
conside red an excellent deterrent, and
men. women and children went to feast
their morbid eyes and tastes as they
would have gone to a theater, the exc
cutioner's work went merrily on. Fa-
miliarity with death and the method of
its intliction induced not fear, only con-
tempt.
It is possible that one branch of the
New York legislature is in the right, and
that the day has at last come for the
abolition of the death penalty. Ger
tainly we cannot say that any other
system of punishment has as yet had
fair trial. 1t is the most tremendous
farce for judge to solemnly and DELHI
erately sentence man convicted of the
crime OF murder to imprisonment for
life whom both judge and prisoner know
that a life Imprisonment, over
the length and breadth of the United
States, means simply an incarceration
for seven years. The judge cannot but
feel that any advice he may deem suit
able to the occasion, for the benefit of
the prisoner and others of his class, is
utterly thrown away, and the prisoner
laughs in his sleeve to think that after
comparatively short interval he will be
once more set free in renewed bodily
health to prey upon society. Let us, by
all means, abolish the death penalty;
but do not let us for moment lay the
tlattering JUNCTION to our souls that soci-
ETY. can be safe and the rights of life and
property preserved SO long as we allow
this highly amusing farce to be enacted
in our courts of law for the benefit of
an amused and smiling audience of
criminals. Let it be felt that sentence
for life means actually and literally what
the words convey-no release for the
criminal until death-our criminal
docket will be materially shortened, and
We can afford to lay aside the gallows
with the rack, the wheel and the thumb
screw as relics of barbarous past.
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The advocates of free coinage have
been made to understand clearly that