The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-02-06
MAssACHUsETTs AND TEXAS.

While Texas deems that hanging is too
mercifui for a negro chid-ravisher and
murderer and fortunes him an hour with
red hot irons before he is burned at the
stake. Massachusetts is considering the
proprlety of substituting eIectrocution for
hanging as a more humane method of in
dieting capital punishment. Two MUIR
derers are to be executed in Western
Massachusetts,; one OF them is a wife muir.
derer, a kind of criminal that seldom ex-
cites any sympathy for his fate. The
Springfield Republican. in its argument for
the substitution OF electricity for hanging,
holds that the infiiction of the death PEN
atty il justifable only as a deterrent upon
those who may be moved to commit like
crimes. We could go further than this
and say that the determination of muir
derer makes society forever safe from the
ferocious attacks of that particular indi-
vidual human tiger. In no other way can
society be as surely safe against muir
derer as when he has been consigned to
the close. tight, Theoretically sealed cell of
the grave.
So long az a murderer is in a prison
there will be no cessation to the efforts of
well-meaniug sentimentalsts or interested
friends to secure his pardon. Governors
are weak when confronted with petitions
for pardon signed by respectable citizens.
who ought to know better. and as a rule
on this Coast a murderer sent to prison is
generally released after q comparatively
short term of confinement When muir
derer has had fair trial and is convicted
of murder he ought to be hung, not only
because his fate is a deterrent upon those
who may be moved to commit like crimes,
but because when the murderer is in his
grave he will never murder anybody else;
he is in the only cell that an executive
pardon cannot unlock; the last trump
that wakes the quick and the dead is the
only tolerable turnkey for murderer.
The Republican holds that if We must
kill, let US kill with precision and dis
patch. and it fairly says that hanging does
not assure the condemned instantaneous
death; he dies quite as often from strang-
ulation as from a broken neck. The vic
tim frequently takes five, ten or fifteen
minutes for dying, much to the horror of
those who are called upon to witness his
pinioned struggles. The Republican makes
humane objection to executing criminals
by hanging as crude, difficult and bar
barrie, and urges Massachusetts to follow
the example of New York and substitute
the more humane method of extirpation
by electricity. The Republican concludes
its plea for humane methods OF capital
punishment as follows:
Convicted murderers, to be sure have no
legal rights: they are PROSTATE under the sword
OF justice But II society insists on killing
them for sei-protection 1t 10 morally bound 10
kIu them as Of cGly and as paiulessy Is posi-
bic. The confusion appears irresistible that
execution by hanging should be abolished in
Massachusetts and the New York way substi-
! tuted tor IL
Massachusetts has about 1000 square
miles of territory and about two million
and quarter OF Inhabitants, who are as
| intelligent, industrious, brave. manly and
| prosperous people as America affords.
| Probably 90 per cent. of the people Of
| Massachusetts, agree with the Republicans
| view that the death penalty when legally
| inflicted should be wrought as quickly and
| as pa MESSY as possible, and further hold
| that he death penalty never should be in
| hicted except under the authority of law.
| That is the kind of civilization that
| Massachusetts stands for. This eniight-
ened view OF crime and the legal punish
ment Of criminals is held by people that
| have never been deficient in the warlike
| virtues. for Massachusetts sent 50 000 SOL
| diers into the ranks Of the armies of
| Washington from 1875 to l7s2. and sent $780,
| 600 men into the ranks OF the armies of Lin
| coin from 1861 to 1S66. The state of Texas
| which has about the same number of in
| habitants as Massachusetts,, has the iarc-
est number Of murders; the fe9est legal
! han .ings, AMI the largest number of
! iynchings Of any state in the Union.
The people are not az all opposed 10 kill
| ing down there so long as the homicides are
white people. If g white man kills o hite
| man the question OF his suffering any pun
ishment AT all depends on the number and
local influence OF his friends; if he has few
! or no friends he is generally !ynched: if
| he has any friends OF consequence he is
generally acquitted by the sympathetic
| jury or spirited away 10 another state.
The result is that Texas IS full OF white
| murderers who have escaped justice: some
have been acquitted by complaisan, juries;
some have been sent into hiding by their
/ friends, and avery large number have been
! permitted to escape from the hands Of
| justice by the carelessness or corrup, de-
sign of the officers of the Law. Gov. Hocg.
! Of Texas. published long list Of murderers.
| fugitiYes from state justice, Two year ago,