The Irish standard., 1894-03-31
PUBL P A TI0'N| / !;

II
PUBLIC PU LSA TI0NlS
mo communication will be accepted Tor
in this column unless aecotn-
panied by the name Of the writer. 1t should
be understood, in this connection. that the
editor does not necessarily endorse opin-
ions Of correspondent
Opposed to the Death Penalty.
To the Editor Of The Irish Standard
There is no sure foundation ret In blood.
No certain lite achieved by others death.
-sHAKRsPRARE.
The extraordinary efforts made by the
friends OF condemned criminals to extri-
cate them from theiDfliotion of the death
penalty will go long way towards ore.
ating healthy sentiment in favor Of the
abolition OF that relic of bsrbarous age.
That the intensely Christian sentiment
which is predominant in all civilized ma
tions, should so long countenance such
an abominable practice is, to say the
least, incomprehensible.
One Of the most plausible reasons adj
vanced by the advocates Of capital pup
ishment is that it's awe inspiring procllV-
tiles have tendency to decrease crime.
The fallacy of this argument is easily
made apparent, however, when it Is
known by statistics in our own state that
luring the time when life imprisonment
was the extreme penalty, there we're no
more murders committed than there are
at the, present time. But it Is further
urged that the state has the right to EN-
ploy the most rigorous measures to IN
sure peace and safety to it's members.
This T grant; but that does not necessar-
ily involve the death of the cuiprit; and
If the state wills that no murder be COM
mitted, it should itself set an example by
refraining from becoming "partioers
criminis;' for If the individual should
commit no murder, neither should the
state, which is an aggregation of indvidu-
ais. In other words while the state for
bids the individual to murder, it permits
number of individuals in the name OF
law, and the enormous prevalence Of
lynohing, which is blot on our civlliza-
ton, is principally due to the apathy
which the state manlfests towards the
life Of the individual.
Again society, as it is at present con-
stltuted, is responsible in a large meas.
ure for the enormous number Of assas.
sins who roam abroad. Tyranny creates
crime. This is especially true in European
countries where the people have been
driven to desperation by the oruelties
imposed upon them; and in our own ma
ton with The rapid increase Of wealth
and it's concentration in the hands Of the
few, it is one Of the most powerful agen-
cies for the creation of criminals. 1t is
therefore inconsistent to be too severe
on the creation of our own indiscretien.
Laws instituted in Christian com
munity should bs founded on justice,
justice alike to the accuser and accused,
and 1T reflects no credit on our much
Wanted intelligence that our criminals
are treated more in spirit of revenge
than that of justice. Now as God is the
author of all justice, our laws should be
80 framed as not to conflict with HIS di-
vine will, and he never willed that the
life of one of his creatures should be
crushed out by another, for when the
Pharisees adopted the motto, an eye for
an eye, and tooth for tooth, the Great
Author Of life promptly rebuked them by
telling them that vengeance belonged to
Him. The punishment inflicted by
Christian justice should be the least that
is compatible with the comm n veal. In.
other words he law in q christian com.
munity, on account of it's solicitude for
the common welfare, should punish the
criminal to the extent of satisfying an
outraged community; but owing to the
justice due to the offender it should pun
ish him no more than to make proper
reparation to those whom he has offend.
ed. The lave intend that the community
be tranquil and the state must int1ict the
necessary punishment to bring about
this result, but in it's administration of
justice it must neither infllct too great
nor too little punishment. This I be:
lieve is the Christian definition of law.
Again, when the state hurls the criminal
into eternity there is grave danger that
the souls salvation is jeopardized, for
how many of as, standing in the shadow
of death, with all it's horrors confron ing
US, can make peace with our God, and as
Christians how can we consistently usher
a Soul into eternity unprepared to meet
it's Creator, and finally while capital pun
ishment remains on our statute books
innocent men will be sacrificed. Now
what is our duty? Abolish the death
penalty and substitute life imprison-
mont, 1t has more terrors for the hard.