The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1894-11-08

not only to beneht society, DuI HloIe 81
the victim who has erred. 1T this Il
latter doctrine be correct, it is very I
doubtful whether capital punishment I
is ever justifable or not.
The disciples of Moses will OF course
ouote the old Testament can eye for
an eve and tooth for tooth, and
argue that capital punishment is sane
toned by Gods own law, that it is
necessary for the preservation OF organ
lied society, and the peace and pros
perity of it's individual members.
True. Moses did establish criminal
code for his rebellious followers, but 1t
is not the penal code which governs
criminal jurisprudence in our days,
except in this one instance OF capital
punishment. "Thou shall not XIII is
the law of God; but nevertheless men
are being killed not only against the
law of God and the law of state
= legally killed. Do not talk about
Gods sanction, surely your God is not
> the God that Jesus Christ preached,
because He was the very essence OF
love and mercy. AS follower OF
Christ YOU cannot endorse punishment
by death.
When Moses says the criminal should
he stoned to death, Christ says:
"Neither do I condem thee, go thy way
and sin no more" On account OF his
teachings of love and his deeds OF
mercy toward the fallen and unfortu-
nate he invoked the hatred OF the
scribes and pharisees, the strictest ad-
herents of Moses, who called Him "the
lll lll friend of publicans and sinners, when
they wanted to use the most opprobrl-
GUS title they possibly could think Of
z little noting what world OF con
. ISOLATION these few words of intended
reproach would prove to suffering
humanity in future ages.
- Indeed it is difficult for true chris
tan to believe that capital PUNISH
YER ment is ever justifable; the very lde;
is contrary to all on which we base on
nv hope for salvation. We shall all nav
sh- to plead for mercy on the great da
nee when all humanity will be tried befor
ike a Judge who needs neither jury no
ode witness, and yet He, is the only Judg
nee who never erred And it we have nc
practised the deeds of mercy toWar
ent our fellowmen, how can we expect
nan receive mercy at the hands OF tn
vest almighty and omniscient Judge?
ood Those, who argue that punishme1
be- by death is resorted to only as an e.
7ine treme necessity for the sake OF pr
, of yention of wholesale murder, and II
protection of organized society,
,oci- evidently strong believers in the homo
ties nath;c cure. "Similin sin1i1ibus cara
that tur"
.ou- Of course | admit they have SAT
tted. foundation for their faith; otherwise
onr would be too bad. They seem to ent'
7ears tain the old Roman idea, that ''pom
into nn0rtis m0gis terret guam mOrS Ups
n in (the shows of death terrify more tn
allied death itself and in this they are I
been doubtedly correct. 1t is the comten
as lation of death, and the uncertain
, the of that great and dark beyond Il
the makes it so terrible to behold
pay many people, while others can l(
death in the face and embrace it
;rines the most welcome friend; for them
,rday. die is Just as easy as going to sleep,
3 to- in fact. the former is often accompan
and by less pain than the latter. Howe
onger this may be, it is immaterlal;
, hold question is whether this fear of dc
ct of has proved itself to be what the az
ooked Gates of capital punishment claim
pre- preventive of murder. For my pa
ey do have so far failed to see it.
lid be The individual who is inclined
thirst shed human blood is not in the b
either of meditating on the awful CO
sinner uuences. Death has no terrors for
scare deliberate murderer; if it had
j: but would not cause it. Human life /
Il and little or no value to him; the pt
re and that control his actions is neither
lay re- nor love but passion. I have b
axe an him talk of his human butcheries
ain, is co much cOmplacency. that [ was