Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-07-06

is always the prey of her paramour. In
the words of Mr.. Clews, unless the re-
porter has mislanguaged him, the para
mour is supposed to ''insinuate himself
into a home under the guise OF friend
ship. and with studied, sly, ensnaring
arts ALLEVIATE the affections ard betray
the honor of the wife OF his friend.
But very possibly this is not the way
it happens, except in the emotional
drama. and in very romantic novels,
though it may happen so in real NE
It seems probable that the injured nus
band sometimes knows this himse!I,
and preparing 10 do his injurer to Geatn'
Very likely he would willingly let ootn
paramours go, but the public OPINION
behind him urges him to do murder III
behalf of his sullied honor and the
cause of domestic purity. lie KNOWS
that il either Daramour merits murder
at his hands. one merits ii as mucn as
the other: and that his madness, II II q
madness. CT the god in him, if 1t is in
spiration. ought to deal equally with
them: but in the very ecstasy OF his
abandon he is obliged to distinguish,
out of Difference to public opinion, and
murder only one Of them He may
safely count upon getting oil with a
slight Imprisonment if he murders both,
but ne knows that he viii not have tha
sympathy of the community so wholly
with him in that event.
".
should like to ask the casuitsts who
excuse or justify him, who say some that
it is his privilege and some that 1t IS
his duty to shed his injurer's blood,
why he should be excused or justified
for adding murder 10 adultery? WHAT
has been gained for the purity or the
peace of the home by this lustration Of
blood? Has vice been rendered repul-
sive as the critics used TO say OF the
stories where virtue was always re-
warded?
The moral of the whole affair seems to
be that man may kill the paramour
of his wife; but is this a lesson at all
profitable to the community? What sort
of injured husband is it that commonly
avails himself of this privilege, or dis
charges this duty to society? Is he
commonly a good man? Is he ever a
good man? The statistics are not at
hand, and one hesitates to hazard the
conjecture that ne is usually a good
man. a man Of pure life himself, and
friend of the domestic virtues. But if
1e happens not TO be a good man, does
de become better by the murder he has
done? Or is it that he has sacrificed
himself to the general good, and for
the sake of civilization has taken a
crime upon his soul which no good man
could commit without lasting remorse?
V.
Murder is murder, and I myself be-
lieve the murder the State does in pun
ishment Of killing is the worst murder
of all. So I am always glad when an
injured husband gets away after killing
one OF both OF the paramours, since it "a
a question OF his acquittal or his muir
der in turn by the State. But l cannot
help thinking that if he could be i'm
prisoned for life, it would have such
a salutary effect upon public opinion
that the Executive could safely pardon
Aim out after thirty or forty years.
i'm view of such q wholesome spectacle
there would be fewer casuists to declare
that each man in a certain case must
be a Law unto himself or that certain
sort OF offenders must be "ruthlessly
and remorselessly crushed out OF lie
No man in a free and Christian State
NAV be a law unto himself; but all
must be under the law, and no man may
be crushed out Of life without due pro-
cess of law. 1t Is bad enough then, and
the time may come when sen the law
will not crush any one out C. life.
At press Mt the law does not say That
the paramour's guilt is worthy Of death.
II NAV be so. but since the Law ,Ioe5 not
saw ii. the wretch is to live by the com
mon consent If those who car alone
make the law say i, and then right
fully nut it in free IL will NOT do for
anv community calling itself civilized
to suffer a citizen TO legislate tor hum
self. to find another guilty, to sentence
him and to put him to death. Least of
an the members Of such q community
is he fit to arrogate these sovereign
functions to himself who is raging I'M
der injury to the point OF Madness, or
who. being wrought upon The extreme
by sense of disgrace, mis-hinNs that
he can wash out his shame in blood.
w. D. HOWELLS.