The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-03-21


the bill, going into detail on the sub
ject. His argument, an able one, is
given herewith in full.
REPRESENTATIVE TAYLOR'S AID
DRESS
The question of capital punishment
is one that has agitated the minds of
men throughout the ages. We find that
nearly all the great men have taken
part in the discussion and by far the
great majority of them have declared
against it. Men to whom we turn for
wisdom and instruction in other mat
ters have most emphatically stamped
their disapproval ON this method of
punishment. Among them we find
Jeremy, Bentham, Blackstone, John
Bright, Lord Byron, Caesar, John Cal
vim, Catherine the Great, Cicero, Sir
Edward Coke, Elizabeth, Victor Hugo,
Ingersoll, Thomas Jefferson, Chancellor
Kent, Lafayette. Lamartine, Rev. Lath
rop, Longfellow. Lytton, Macaulay.
Madison, Thomas Paine, Rev. Pea
body, Thomas B. Reed and Whittier.
For myself, Mr.. Speaker, L will say that
when L first began to look into this
subject | felt as people generally do
who has not investigated the subject
very thoroughly; that it would be IN
wise to abolish capital punishment,
thinking that it was simply matter
of sentiment which prompted people to
declare against IL, and that its aboli-
ton would have the effect of increasing
crime. But to my surprise, Mr. Speak
er, [ found not only was I wrong IN
my view but that the facts and statis-
tics unquestionably show that crime
has decreased where capital punish
ment has been abolished and further
that owing to the increasing feeling
against capital punishment through
out the civilized world it is almost i'm
possible to get a jury that will bring
in a. verdict which will condemn man
to death. AS a result the crime of mIsr
der is increasing in those states and
countries that still retain the death
penalty, the practical immunity from
punishment leading men to more reck-
lessness in taking life. The discussion
of the subject can be said to generally
come under the following heads:
FOR CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.
Frst-Right of the removal of the
criminal from the society he endan-
gers.
second-The old law of an eye for
an eye etc.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. a natural divine
right
Fourth-Fear of death, strong pow
er to deter.
Fifth-Prevents mob violence.
Sixth-Its universally.
AGAINST CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.
First-It is the duty of society to
what is good in man.
SecOQd-Ih,n punishment is unneceS-
sary and useless since men are not
deferred through fear of death.
Third-Unjustifieb bic, since s. ciety has
not the right, amy more than the indI-
i vidual. to take human life.
Fourtl-Unscientific as it does not
admit Of culDability.
Fifth-It is irrevocable, which no hui
man punishment should be, since hu-
man judgment is liable to mistake.
Sixth-Demoralizing to communities;
creates pity for the prisoner
Seven.h-Rendered uncertain, since
! juries will not find guilty.
Eighth-If the soul is immortal death
! terminates the chance for reform.
Ninth--With the amelioration of the
! severity of punishment it is more sure
and crime diminishes in volume.
THE UTILITARIAN SIDE.
You have briefly, Mr.. Speaker, tJhe
reasons pro and con on the subject. L
shall not attempt to take up each
reason exhaustively, but shall Simply
undertake to show as briefly as l can
why the reasons advanced for capital
punishment cannot, in the lighis Of
| facts and present conditions, be sus-
tanned. | shall direct my remarks prin-
cipally to the purely unitarian side Of
the question, or in other words, endea-
vor to show that from the purely prac-
| teal point of view tlne abolition of this
punishment will best subserve the ends
] of society.
F'irst-As to the right of the removal
of the criminal from the society he
endangers. No one will question that
society has such a right to certain
extent In oiden times, under the then
| existing condition of the prisons, where
the inmates were a charge upon the
state. and where the question OF the
reformation of criminals was not then
/ considered, and the existence of a COM
Wet was a horrible living death, there
may have been some Slight excuse for
taking his life. But with our modern
system of prisons, no such excuse eX-
lists, for the prisoners are now KEPT al
work at some productive labor, and
instead of being an expense are self
sustaining and even a means OF rev.
of arresting and trying them, and in
some states, including our own, under
a bill which is now in the hands or the
governor, the prisoners family gets
so per cent of his earnings Certainly
a. much better plan than to take MS
life and throw his family upon the cctu
charity of the world, and perchance re-
sultine in his children in their turn
becoming criminals) And further, MT
4 Speaker. the world is beginning to view
this matter of crime from different
standpoint than, formerly, and to rec
ognize that society is in large meas
IRE responsible for the criminal type
and that crime is not the result GU q
positive evil, but of a negative Sool
or in other words, evil is failure, ano
what we need is to stimulate ano
strengthen the moral nature OIL uneSe
people and give them a chance TO pc
| come what God sent them here to be
or as one English writer has put
If 1--WE should have guide posts along
the lane instead of the gallows at the
end of it.
The escapes from modern prisons are
so few relatively that they are hardly
/ worth considering; So that taking into
view the present system and condl'
tions of prisons there is no reason
whatever for society taking the life
of the Individual to protect itself; i'm
prisonment subserves the end and al
the same time provides support FOL
/ the criminals family, a matter of nc
small Importance.
IAN EYE FOR AN EYE
SecondlThe question of IAN eye fol
am eye etc. Whose sheddetf