The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-24
EXECUTION
OF MURDERERS.
Opinions of Prominent People on
Capital Punishment.
SONS Reasons offered Why the Death Penalty
Should Be Abolished and Some Why it
Shou d Be Continued.

FIX and the subsequent discussion upon
sS1SS the use of electricity as means OF
carrying out the death penalty, led repre-
sentative of the New York Herald to OBJ
tain the opinions of a number OF people of
national reputation on the subject of dis
continuing or continuing the penalty of
death as punishment for the crime of muir
der.
DR.. Lyman Abbott, the successor to Henry
Ward Beecher, and the editor of the Chris
tian Union, is opposed to the continuance
of capital punishment
THE question of its abolition" he says,
depends upon the degree of civilization
that community has reached. The only
function of capital punishment is self-pres-
ervation. Where this can be effected, and
l believe it can be in all highly civilized
communities, capital punishment should be
abOliS he'd"
DR.. George II. HOughton of the Little
Church Around the Corner" does not be-
lieve in the abolition Of capital punishment.
He says that any one who reads the Scrip
lures knows that He who sheds mans
blood. by man shall his blood be shed" and
in addition says most decidedly that no ef-
fectiVe substitute for it can be found.
Anthony CUmstock, the head OF the Soci-
ETY. for the Suppression of Vice, is strong
ly opposed to the abolition of the death pen
atty.
lit would never do" he said. "'to do
away with capital punishment. If imprls-
onment for life were to be substituted for
the death penalty, murders would, in my
opinion, increase at fearful rate. Impris-
onment for life would, in fact, be no punish
ment for our criminal classes. If we hung
quicker after conviction, and without SO
much delay, ii would be better. A prompter
way for the dealing with criminals would
be Tor the good Of the community"
DWIGHT L. MOODY,
The revivalist, also records his vote against
the abolition Of capital punishment
u believe in capital punishment" he
says, land l do not believe life would be
safe without it. l am opposed to any prop
osition 10 abolish it,"
William +. Howe. who as a criminal
lawyer has had as wide an experience with
criminals. and especially murderers, does
not believe in capital punishment.
He says: "0ut Of 600 cases which have
defended where homicide was charged 1
have LOST but eight. That shows how diff
cult it is to convict in these cases. Capital
punishment should be abolished. There is
no use for it, 1t IS not defensive, never has
been ana never will be. | favor imprison-
ment for life. There should be no power to
pardon in such cases. Let the convicted
murderer be sent to a living tomb and kept
there. That would be punishment indeed.
There is less punishment about hanging
than most persons think. That is another
reason why there is no use for it. lmpris-
onmeut for life is real deterrent of muir
der. Hanging is moi"
Belva Lockwood, the woman lawyer, Is
rather undecided as to whether capital pun
iShment should be abolished or not She
does however, believe that there should be
reforms as to tie method now in vogue.
She holds that the day Of brutal hanging ex-
hIbitionS has passed.
Some way of infiicting the punishment in
q Nainl loss hut and uuipl " shOulH
be adopted. Mrs. Lockwood thinks that
electricity is the best means at hand.
This" said Judge Barrett. " is some
what sentimental age. | myself can re-
member time when the taking Of mans
life in accordance with the old Mosaic law
seemed to me very hard thing. But l
have grown older since then. l have had
much experience. and | have come to see
that it is necessary to deal with facts. and
very hard facts, too. As result nave no
doubt that the abolition of capital punish
Dlent would result in multiplying homicide
to such degree as would startle the COM
munity. go further and say that capital
punishment is essential to the preservation
of human life. -----.----
~ consider that it would be monstrous
to do away with capital punishment sum-
marily. 1t is a matter that has many
phases. 1t should be treated carefully and
with caution. You should determine first
what all the results OF overturning the Sys-
lGili HAY NC DtlUlt Nuu ONClluIl IL
at may be said that the institution of
capital punishment is not heartily approved
BY the people generally Now, | doubt if
that is the case. l base my opinion on the
opinions furnished by jurors who come be-
fore me fer examination. Few men care to
sit as
JURORS IN MURDER CASES.
"Only one-ffth of those men who are
called to serve on juries claim to be opposed
to the death penalty, although by such a
claim they would be excused from duty on
that jury at least.
This is a question of self-defense on the
part OF the community. We may say what
we like but the fear of death is deterrent
when the assassin is planning deliberate
murder. 1t is that which keeps him from
carrying out his plans IN many cases. This
Is my experience as a Judge and man. 1t
is idle to say that the fate of men who suf-
fer death for having taken life does not de-
ter others from committing similar crime.
The closest students of crime and criminals
will tell you that it does, and do not be-
lieye in changing the law for the benefit Of
cold-blOoded assassins"
''Mercy is very large word" said DR..
Talmage. "and | am not sure that it does
not particularly apply to this question.
Now, have always been in favor of capital
punishment. L based my faith in it on the
old Scriptural assertion that the man who
takes the life OF another shall lose his own.
relaxing, and | am beginning to doubt if
the strict construction that we place on the
old law is altogether right
ut win be well to remember that when
this law was laid down mankind existed
under different conditions. There were no
prisons, no reformatories and no places of
confinement for criminals. The man who
committed murder or some other heinOus
crime could, of course, be thrown into q
cave or Eole in the ground and kept there
until he died, which was very short time,
and on the whole / am not sure whether it
was not more merciful to execute the man
at onee.
Now we have prisons that are almost
perfect. We have introduced systems by
which criminals may be reformed. 1t is
possible to extend all the benefits Of Chris
tianity to them and to transform them
physically. So | am coming to doubt in my
own mind If it would not be as well to
change our system Of capital punishment
to one of continued Imprisonment
''Howevcr, find it difficult to say just
how do stand on the question, which is
most important one no matter how you look
at it.
This much 1 will say. If we are to in
fict the death penalty we should do it In
the least painful manner. / nave long
favored and publicly advocated killing by
electricity. Indeed, | think there is even
better method. If an overdose of some
powerful auesthetic were given to the con-
demned man so that lie would quietly fall
asleep and never awaken again in this
world | should be in favor of that plan. 1t
is not necessary to intiict pain, and the in
tiicting of it serves no purpose, If we are
to have the death penalty inflicted at all
let there be no horrors. Whether we
should have 1t inflicted at all is a question
with which am in debate with myself"
"
WOMEN AS FARMERS.