New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-05-06

General Curtis whose bill to abolish capital
punishment in the State of New-lork was
passed by the Assembly last Thursday. and is
now in charge of the Senate Judiciary Com
mttcc. has written letter designed to remove
the common impression that the action of the
Assembly was haSty and uncOnSidered. He
thinks that the newspapers in particular, in
GLIDING THE TRIBUNE, will be relieved to learn
that the bill was introduced as long ago aS
February 4, and has since passed in due course
through the several stages i'll the life Of a
legislative proposition. How competent these
writer's must be to instruct the public on cur
rent events" says General Curtis "when a
bill considered for three months in the Assem-
bly, is spoken of by them as having been intro
duced and rushed through in an hour without
consideration" Our contemporaries are able
10 answer for themselves, but il is proper that
we should say in our own behalf that there is
nothing in General Curtis'S history of his bill
which was not known to us before that our
editorial article to which he refers did not say
that it was introduced and rushed through in
an hour; that we distinctly declared that he
was not a new convert, but had been identified
with similar measures for several years, and
that there is not statement III his letter which
either disprovcs or diScrcdits our assertion that
the bill received practically no consideration
in the Assembly"
That assertion we now repeat. To be aware
that bill is making progress and 10 vote for
it when it comes up for passage is not 10 con
slider it, According 10 the dictionary, TO con
slider is "to fix the mind on, with view to 4
careful examinations 70 think on with care :;
to ponder to study 10 mediate on" Accept
ing this definition. there is no doubt that Gen
cra Curtis himself has considered the abolition
of the death penalty, nor that the Assembly
passed his bill without consideration. We have
never said or supposed that his own advocacy
had been thoughtlcsS or clandcStinc Int if he
was not surprised when he found himself sup
ported by a large majority OF Affirmative votes
it must have been because that majority had
been won 50 unobtIusiyey that the process
escaped the observation OF "A score of expert
cnccd and yigiant correspondents. They were
simply amazed at the passage Of the BILL and
the whole State shared their aNtoni>hmcnt.
The measure thus put through one branch
Of the Legislature almost without a protest
has been condemned with gratifying empha>i,
and unanmty since the public became aware
Of its existence. If General Curtis Ia, a. any
time imagined that popular opinion in th,
state was ready 10 welcome the abolition Of
capital punishment he must have learned his
mistake before this. As We remarked on Sat-
urday. arguments Of great force car be arlaycd
against the eXactiOn Of the death penalty. in
other States and countries they have been
deemed conclusive, and capital punishment has
been abandoned in consequence. deter
mined and deliberate effort 10 accomplish Il
similar change in New York might be success
ful. and would in any event be entitled to re-
,pcc;ful and candid treatment. That such "a
campaign has not been conducted in this state
i 50 obvious that the mere statement of the
fact seems ab>urdly unnecessary. The case
came near going by default in the Legislature
last week, but 50 strong an opposition has been
aroused and has found expression that il is
hard 10 believe the Senate Will pass the bill
We commend to the particular consideration OF
the judiciary Committee the grave rcmon-
strances Of Judge Daniels Judge Barrett and
Judge Cowing. Their opinions, based on long
observations reflection and experience, may adj
vantageously be placed in juxtapostion with
AsSemblyman Hits hippant assertion that
only two classes. clergymcn and prosecuting
attorneys, now advocate capital punishment.