New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1891-12-23
.TEOU SHALT NOT KILL
Hon. G. r. Davis Of st. Peter Furnishes the
Review with a Brilliant Article Anent
the Death Penalty.
There is Growing Sentiment, he says, in
Favor Of it's Abolition.
'Thou Shalt not Kill proclaimed from
Sinai applies alike to all.
Barbarism in law promotes barbarism in
those subiect,to the law.

! those SuDleCbsLO Il6 law szt4
Editor Review: Recent executions
within this state have apparently pro.
voked discussion in many localities as
to the merits Of capital punlshment,a ind
it is gratifying to notice the growing
sentiment in favor Of its abolition. Il
is proverbial that reforms are Of slow
growth, and usually require long, well
directed and incessant effort to accom-.
plished the desired result, and society
often hesitates to practically enforce
views entertained, until years after posi-
tive conviction. In this respect cons
servatism may be considered as thesen-
envy Of progress; it seldgm obj ects to
results, but invariably protests against
the necessary action to achieve them.
Governments by their laws having 50
long sanctioned the execution OF crimi-,
nails, it is hard to eradicate the ideas
thus inculcated, and, man being ascrea-
ture of habit, is liable to become less
mindful of the sacredness of human life
when he sees it held so lightly by the
law OF the land. A reasonable deduc~-
ton from our present penal code is, that
the fabric of society can only Ebe pre-
served by destroying part OF its mem-
bers who commit certain crime To
admit this conclusion would, it saemsto
me, lead to another, viz; That by|n Fix
ing the death penalty to more chimes
wonld enhance civilization and tho
more effectuallY protect society. 70
thus conclude would be to falsify his
tory, and maintain that 9 greater pro
tootion oxisted during the reignspl
Henry VIII. than We now enjoy, IT.
during such reign ssventy-two thousand
psrsoss- wore e1ssu yssFi i,gli
crimes, and under the protection and
guidance Of Queen Elizabeth nineteen
thousand were dsvoured b.. tho gallowa.
Ono hundred and City odsnsss ware
during those delightful q times treat.
cd as capital, whore now only one 70
mains. The comparison is odious. Il
il olaimed BY many that the state exe-
outes criminals in self defense. Can
this DO so after he is securely shackled
and behind tho barsa For such he must
DO before his execution can take place;
and certainly there can be no repetition
by this offender rs long as. the jailor
remains true to duty. Charles Sumner
says, '.rhat the right to take human life
stands only On the ground Of self de-
fensc, in the state as in tho individual,
and if either can defend without It, they
are bound to do 50; and no combination
Of men can have greater rights il this
respect than the individual; and no
matter what the exigencies Of other
days the time has gone BY when the
life of a state can only be saved BY
hanging the criminals" Society is pro.
tected from the most dangerous maniac
by confinement; this may be called sell
defense. # purely on this ground, (sel1
defense) why make SO great q distinc-
ton between the dangerous maniac and
the murderer, for both are dangerous
Can it be that revenge has any place IN
the various treatment? And who vii
admit that in this age laws exist which
tolerate revenge? To permit vengeance
to,enter into our system Of punishment
| is to reduce US to the level Of the effen'
der. The Mosaic code embraces thirty
three offenses punishable with dealt
and yet the greatest law giver swep
them all into oblivion when he said
RESIST not evil and all his othel
teachings and commands concur there
with. There is no right in reason o
warrant from religion to take the life 9
q fellow being. God did not demar,
the blood OF Cain as an expiration but de
clared that Nv hosoeyer slew Cain, Hi
vengeance (not ours) should be takel
on him seven fold Thou shalt not kill
proclaimed from Sinai, applies to all
citizen and ruler alike. But when tn,
State, under the plea Of necessity, break
this commandments and calls it virtuou
4 so to do. how can the individual be con
Idemned for similar condu cs? TheNwrong
d Of government permeate every vein .