The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-10-28
r-e-.h wo-e. .. Capital r~ua,.hus.t.

"A Magistrate" writes TO FIvurO as follows.
"why are the majority Of women In favor Of
the death penalty What Is the nature Of the
secret sentiment when induces women to show
that they are implacable and inbuman2 Will
some OF the lady readers OF the tYydrO he good
enough TO give answers TO these questions"
ASK twenty men taken at random. /" said the
writer of the above letter in q previou, number
of the same paper. ITO give their views on capt
tai punishment. Some will be for It and others
against It. But ask twenty women, and not q
single one will be in favor OF clenency."
Well" continues the Figaro. the result
Of our inquiries will not contradict this piece
OF statistics. The women who have writ
ten to us on this subject, and they number far
more than twenty. have not only not protested
against this sentiment Of lmplacable severity
with which they are charged. but have nnani-
mously set IL down as natural and legitimate.
Upon this same subject our correspondent,
Saint Simon. recalls the opinion Of La Bruyere,
who said. Better Or worse than men. women
are extreme in everything, The. observation
has not ceased to be applicable to the gentle sex
"A woman Is utterly pltiless In regard to every
being capable OF compromising her security.
With her cruelty Is u sentiment perfectly allied
to weakness. To suppress a monster Is for her
the simplest and surest way to hinder him from
"A courrieriste argues that two sentiments lead
men toward indulgence for criminals: first the
criminal instinct in the latent state among many
who feel that. under certain circumstances, they,
too, might become criminals. and, secondly. the
belief In the Infinite In progress. coupled with
the refusal To give society the right to suppress
creatures that II could not hinder from being
born. and that 1t should have aided and drawn
"fhe sentiment which women hold toward
crime is q purely defensive sentiment. the nat
ural emanation OF their weakness. Let us listen
TO some OF them. Here are a few specimens:
mo, Mr.. Magistrate. we are neither impla-
cable nor nhnman because we favor the death
nanaltv lnnNV mAnY good and tnfalltuant
women. absolutely incapable OF doing an injury
20 any one. who stand up for that supreme pen
provocation, murders for the purpose Of rob-
called social IDEAS, l admit without hest
tation, even should you. Mr.. Magistrate.
s ,srss .i me s,GSs'hir .nS FIR i1Au rssi,S .9s
too mild. that 1 CONSIDER that for certain
cti,niaais death upon me seaffold Is too qsiek
ments in numbering there should be meted out
the measure OF retaliation. An eye for an eye
There can be no other plausible reason explain
ing feminine insensibility IN regard to common
the punished murderer women. like me, hear
the despairing cries Of his innocent victim;
'" ! BELIEVE me. Mr.. pMIasistra1e. woman has a
higher mission in this world than that OF weep
Ing for rascsls; Each moment Of a romsn,s
Here i. smother production: What is the
death penalty. Why, fear. OF course. II it had
not been for that we women would be neither
m apiI'r that . ones csms near erying St be.
cause my little sister; a tot Of 4 years,
never pick the wing OF a chicken Il we had TO
bee the poor thing die: hut when In the news
papers there appears the story OF some horrible
pale and cry out that II Is fright iul, and that for
the criminal the law is too mild which, with a
We seek tOrtures, and. being women, we find
some that would be terrible. To hear us you
would fancy that we we're sbomlnably cruel;
creatures; and the more We are afraid the more
ferocions we become: The dark cell Of
might escape from that and commence TO muir
der again; aud suppose he should choose one OF
You shudderlng and with q graceful, nervous
gesture raise up the laces Of your collars. feel
Ing tn fancy the cold steel orths contraction of a
Let them pay their debt, those who torture
poor victims and who attack little girls and in
for such sssassins would be madness. We do
not even pardon the so-called crimes
because the heed and the heart are
In such cases. Ia truth they touch us too
much, and doubtless i, i ON that account that
80 An assassin is for us the horrid beast. the
bat with the hairy wings which files about At
up the walls and makes MS cry out in repulsiye
fear: oh, the horrible thing! XIII II! XIII 1t
quick, 50 that II cant touch u.s.
Women have 50 great a terror Of crime that
they never consider Il more than half punished.
Bnt how they would become tender II they them
selves hal to prom ounce the sentence, just like
our good iurymen. There would never be sum
Client evidence To get them TO condemn, and
their nerves would all break down before they
could hiring in a verdict of guilty, without ex-
circumstances. But perhaps the
whole secret ~ all this feminine frr0city lies in
the fact that. different from the ease OF the
MAGISTRATES. their sentences are only theoretical
and are never passed Ia earnest