Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-05-03

The HanRing Business.


Ono good result Of the undertaking to
'e1ectrify murderen In New York has
T1sDn the suggestion that good way out
E ~ the tangle the state has got into Is
II not to Kill at all. 1t may be that the
Il EGislnclinAtion which powerful com
I pany manufacturing electrical engines
has to this use of their appliances.
y Ms prompted the proposition that
I Milling shall DO done away with {;
but whatever the prompting the suggcs-
& lion IL good. Anyone who can look
with complacency upon condition or
s4he law and Of society that furnishes
weekly killings, without any sign
4 of dimiuution in their number, has q
Z mental organization which we do not
'anderstnnd.
We have no sentimental objection to
I The killing of man by the law If 1t IL
SAn efilcacious way Of stopping crime.
8 But our observation is that 1t IL other
wise. We have reached the conclusion
d that this manner of punishment is
neither edifying nor instructive nor
4 properly corrective. One Of the
greatest objections to 1t Is the
/. uncertainty of the punishment. There
arc not very many jurics that are fond
of hanging; ifitwas otherwise we would
/; have treble the number that wo do.
i There Is . small percentage OF convic-
lions to the number Of murder trials.
But It not seldom happens that hang
< ing jury turns up, that rather
enjoys the satisfaction of Its vengeance
This Ii particularly the case when the
+ public mind Is excited over the crime.
4 There is great chance of the innocent
eufiering under such conditions.
II generally happens, In our opinion,
4 that murders take place under circum-
olances which forbid the opinion that
4 eonsideration of the punishment award.
y "a the crime could have affected the
6eed. Murder done with the delibera-
4 Mon Of sound mind, that might have
bssn supposed to be halted by the fear
& ~ the punishment, Is rare.
AZ The fact that the New York Legisla-
tnre decided to substitute electricity for
he rope sufficiently testiiiss to the
1lnausea OF the public over tho many
Anngings with which 1t Is visited.
" me sense Of this Legislature WINS
t1hat 3 better mode Of doing men Ia
Il 18th was needed and It welcomed cleo
Rioity q the thing; the result has not
ath6ed their expectation. Public sen
l1ment docs not take kindlier to electri
1al executions than to tho rope style o.
he thing, but II seems to be even more
s hooked ut the new method. The ole
I&511,e was at least sanctified by its age
ut the new one has nothing to softer
NJ hard outlines.
II Il made clear enough that the rea
hing that public sentiment revolts a
= the execution and not its mode. Ther
- q pronounced tendency to declart
" that the old doctrine Of blood for blood
= without sound foundation. That It l.
1 not established for the purpose o
<s preventing crime is made clear b,
y the fact that the man who intend
70 kill and fails In the essa,
s = not executed. 1t is only his successful
effort that sacrifices his life, Evidentl,
HI guilt is as great, SO far us the pub
\ NC veal IL concerned, when he fails o.
( when he does not. 1t is simply blood a
sacrifice for blood that has maintained
Nj The gibbet through the many centurie
Y ~ which 1t has blotted our civilization
Ss1 u 10 an indictment Of that civilization
yhich il now likely to be electrified
|EuRay.