The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1891-09-22
OPINIONS on The FREEDOM OF The
PRESS

executions by electricity, the prison
authorities refused access TO pres:
reporters, and bound the acting
officials and the physicians who
were present TO absolute silence IS
/ TO the circumstances attending the
execution. Nevertheless sundry
reports of conflicting nature got
abroad, some declaring that the
criminals died instantaneously and
painIessly, others making asser-
tons Of . very opposite nature.
Some Of the New York papers
published these conflicting &C.
counts, and the State or municipal
authorities have commenced 6
| prosecution, under the electrical
execution law, which enables GER
tain public officers to forbid the
| publication OF details concerning
such executions.
In the opinion Of many people,
this law. or this particular section
Of it, Is unconstitutional, and there
fore Of no effect; others say that if
It be constitutional and effective,
even then it ought to be repealed
as repugnant to public sentiment as
10 the perfect freedom Of the press.
Under these circumstances, the
New York Sun recently laid before
the principal statesmen Of New
York State, the following questions:
Are you in favor OF maintaining the
electrical execution law with all lis iea-
lures s. Il Is?
Or are You IN favor Of the repeal Of the
law, and especially Of the repeal OF that
part q i which ioTol6S the newspaper
10 ascertain the facts Of death when
legally inflicted, and 70 publish them for
tie Information q the people2
The Eon. Roswell P. Flower was
the first TO reply. He thinks hang
ing is good enough method of
dispOsing Of condemned criminals.
To the second part Of the question,
ne replies; i believe the news
papers have . right TO furnish
their readers with all sorts of pub
lie news Of interest. 81
should advocate the repeal Of this
special section"
Lieut.. Governor Jones says: If
this lelectrie) method Of execution
be proved 10 be painless, it would
be weIl.to adopt it. The shroud-
ing Of legal execution in web of
mystery, viii prove abortive in
working any good purpose. The
newspapers are quite competent to
judge what sort Of reading the
public wants"
Mayor Chaplin. of Brooklyn, con-
sidered the question as TO method
of execution difficult one, but was
unable TO see how the enveloping
Of the judicial killing in an atmo-
sphere Of mystery could work any
good purpose
Judge Alton B. Parker was op-
posed to the repesi OF the entire
law because he thought the system
10 the old system of hang
ing, but he was emphatically for
repeating the clause prohibiting
the publication of the facts attend
ing the question. This prohlbitory
clause" he said, "is unwise and
wrong in principle"
Chauncey Depew declared him.
self to be unreservedly for repeal |
ing the whole law. Il am" he
sald. opposed to capital punish |
ment in any FORM" and be was
heartily in favor OF the immediate
repeal Of that section Of the law
which prohibits the publication of |
The details"
The Hon. J. Stoat Fassett Is in
iayor of the guillotine as the instru-
nent Of execution, but would not
nave on the statute books any law
II section Of q law which viii be
violated with IMMUNITY,
hough opposed to the printing of
IL the horrible details of judicial
Filling, aud thinking it all bet
er left out, is in favor OF the repeal
# the section because ''the news
'aPers seem bound to print the
tuf,' and it is better to give per-
Mission than have them violate the
a#. Ii