The evening call., 1893-06-19
The DEATH PENALTY.



htion.
The abolition OF the death penalty
has been urged repeatedly during re-
cent years by the ablest thinkers in
the country, and the arguments ad'
yanced therefor have made many
converts to the doctrine On this
subject, in the American Journal Oh
Politics. Andrew ]. Palm discourses
very Interestingly. If there Is any
one fact in connection with this one
great question that Is generally IN
derstood by those who have made u
careful study, any truth that Is well
established by the history OF human.
ity in its dealings with itself, SAYS
the writer, sit is that the only sure
| protection to human life in any age or
country is TO have IL regarded Win
| reverence by the whole people, ana
that murders decrease in proportion
to the sacredness with which
| life Is held, regardless OF the punish.
ment for the crime OF murder IL
needs no extraordinary argument 10
comprehend the truth that IL the gov
| ernment wishes to teach that human
| life is sacred 10 must not SET the OF.
ample OF deliberately destroying IL
As we'll might Ii steal from the thief
or burn the house of the incendiary a.
to SNUFF out a human life TO teach
that human life Is sacred and should
be held inviolable. The evil force OF
bad example Is the strongest argu'
ment that can be made against the
death penalty and 1t should DC sum-
cient to annul the law OF life for lire
in every civilized country or the
globe. The Quakers believe In the
sacredness OF human life, and they
) constantly and persistently refuse to
make their actions belle their belief.
They refuse to go 60 war and refuse
D to assist in putting men TO death
either legally or illegally and the 70
suit OF this teaching for centuries is
/. that Quakers do not commit muS-
der.
THE favorite argument that %
9 take away the fear Of the death pen,
atty would result In an increase OF
murders may or may not have any
u force In philosophy but In practice
Q 1t has been proven repeatedly false.
q In those of our own States Wnere
capital punishment has been abol
ished the statistics furnished by tht
is census reports show smaller mum
. Der of murders than those States
that still follow the law, an eye 10
10 an eye and a tooth fot q tooth IN
9. same is true or other countries
RI THE executioner has been plyini
N bis CORY trade In the United State
III ever since the foundation OF the gov
x ernment, but instead OF his being
m terror TO evildoers. murders hav
been constantly increasing. IN l66
ic there were 2,l85 homicides In IN
United States; In 1889. 3,501i In 1890
1920, and In 1891, 5.906 Is not TIL
evidence enough to warrant chang
In our method OF dealing with th
st crime of murder? The death penalt
lie defeats the ends Of justice In allow
~ Ing thousands OF murderers TO 90
liberty. It is fact beyond disput
pn that the average juror OF to-day hes
er tates to assume the responsibility
in being an instrument in sending 0 re
low to death, and oftentimes wbe
'ai there is no other verdict possible o.
he cept that OF murder In the 6rst d
,;s gree or not guilty Of any crime, u
, convenient reasonable doubt come
is in and the prisoner Is set at libert
an when II the punishment had n'
he been death he would have prompt
- been found guilty"
4