Arizona republican., 1894-11-21
REVIVAL OF THE LASH.
Elbridge T. Gerry Is in Favor of
 Whipping Posts.
The Punishment to Be Inflicted Only for One Class of Crimes-The New York Legislature to Consider the
 Drastic Proposition.

New York proposes to attempt to re- vive the system of corporal punishment for certain classes of offenders. At least certain people in New York, led by Elbridge T. Gerry, will try to have the following made a law at the next session of the legislature:
 Whenever male person shall be convicted Of felony consisting of or accompanied by the inf1iction Of physical pain or suffering upon the person of another, the court may, in its dis cretion. in addition to that penalty now pre- scribed by law, impose an additional sentence of corporal punishment to be inflicted upon the offender In the prison to which he shall be sen- tenced Such corporal punishment shall be inflicted in private in said prison, in the pres ence Of the warden and surgeon thereof, who shall certify the fact to the court wherein it was imposed"
 Commodore Gerry is very much in earnest in the matter, and in an inter view with a reporter for the New York Recorder stoutly defended the plan on the ground that it provided for the only punishment that is really feared by the brutes that it is intended to reach.
 Crime" said he, 'of the more brutal and fendish character is frightfully on the increase, especially in the case where children of both sexes are the victims Instances in which lifelong injuries have been inflicted on girls and boys of a tender age are becoming so numerous that it is time something was done to strike at the very root of the evil, and I am sure the only weapon that can be effectively used against the brutes who, in their passions, exhibit no thought or feeling for their victims, is the lash
 ''Once let the brutal element of the community know that the pain and suffering inflicted by them on others will be meted out on their own bodies and the shocking state of affairs now existing will be to a great extent wiped out. 1 am thankful to say that the creatures responsible for the offenses are foreigners. The grade of crime against which the resolution is aimed is peculiar to men from foreign coun- tries. And the only way to show these wretches that they cannot indulge in such things in this continent is the crack and the sting of the lash.
 Ut has been enormously stated that wife beaters are included among the creatures against whom we are fight ing. This is not so. We are only ad- vocating the lash for felony committed by men. Wife-beaters belong to an- other class of animals which may or may not deserve a good thrashing. They, however, do not enter into the discussion. Burglary, with violence, as sault of any brutal nature-those are the offenders who, maintain, should feel the sting of the lash. A conviction of twenty years, reduced by good be- havior to twelve, has no salutary eff feet on the callous element with which am dealing.
 'As an instance, you, law-abiding, peaceful citizen, are enjoying we'll earned rest; hardened brute of a bur- glar, not satisfied with plunder, delib- erately knocks you over the head, puts your eyes out, crushes in your skull, mains you, beats you, and for this he gets twenty years. Is that any satis- faction to you? Do you get new eye or another skull or clean skin? No! Then say let his punishment be proportionate in some degree to the offense.
 Formerly crimes of which specially speak were punishable by death. But experience showed that the class of people that commit these crimes of personal violence don't dread death. Nihilists, anarchists, atheists and the more degraded classes scout the idea. Corporal punishment is the only thing the scamps and rascals are afraid of. A few years in prison doesn't have any deterrent effect
 'It is nonsense to play the fool with criminals and say that corporal punish ment is degrading and revival of the dark ages. Are the abuses inflicted on little children degrading? Was there anything in the dark ages more debas- ing than the revolting acts which oc- cur to-day? There seems to be a mawkish sensibility in the opposition to corporal punishment. It is the old est form of punishment known, and it is to be found in the Mosaic law. There can be nothing brutal in it, provided you don't make the exhibition public. In Delaware they have curious meth cd. A felon is sentenced to thirty lashes, fifteen of which are admins tered. He is then told to get out of the state, and if he is found there after the lapse of week the balance of the thirty lashes awaits him. The plan works admirably.
 "Again, in London, when the gar roters were terrorizing the city, the cato -nine-tails was brought into play with such effect that garroting was un- known in very short space of time. Would I suggest any particular mode of tho 1al1ni hmnnt2 Nd