The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-03-25

of the house yesterday They were
the bill to abolish capital punishment
and the fish and game bill.
The former was defeated after con-
Stunning the whole of the morning ses-
sion by vote of Is to &c. The latter
was passed, the whole of the afternoon
session being devoted to it's considera-
ton.
Mr.. Sorensen's bill came up in the
morning as the first of three special
orders of the day, the debate opening
upon a motion by Mr.. Howard to in
definitely postpone the further con-
sideration. 1t was evident the mem
bers all took a lively interest in the
bill for they all kept their seats and a
large number were moved to partici-
pate in the argument. Mr.. Sorensen
made an earnest and logical appeal
for the bill and was assisted by Mr..
Gibson, Mr.. Taylor and others, while
Messrs. Nye and Howard led in
championing the death penalty. The
argument in favor of the bill, however,
had very little effect on the result as
the members had practically made up
their minds how they were going to
lost by a tie vote and the bill then
killed as stated.
After its innumerable delays the fish
and game bill was taken up at the
opening of the afternoon session.
Numerous provisions gave rise to stub
born fights, all of which ended in the
interest of the devotees to sport.
Chief among the incidents of this ma
ture were such provisions as affected
the interests of the fishermen of Utah
county. This being one of the leading
industries of that county, Mr.. Smoot
fought with d determination worthy of
better results than were conceded him,
to protect the interests of his con-
stituents when such measures were
being adopted as were calculated to
abolish fishing as paying industry
by preventing the taking of fish in suf-
ficient quantities to make the business
pay, and by preventing the shipping
to outside markets of fish taken in
Utah waters.
Mr. Thorn, chairman of the commit
tee, took very little part in the debate.
staying generally by the committee
bill. The bill as passed is a most
stringent measure for the protection
Of fish and game.
The house was notified at the close
of the penitentiary bill
The counties bill, the third special
order, was never reached but will come
up again this morning when the CAL
falfa club" will again show the metro
politans how to run things.
MORNING SESSION
Mr. Stevens presented the claim of
exSheriff Belnap, of Weber county,
for $126 for services and expenses in
pursuit of William Hardy, desperate.
WANT RAILROAD LEGISLATION.
Mr.. Curtis presented a petition signed
by seventysix of his constituents ask
ing for the enactment of Mr.. Bolithos
two railroad bills, the one establishing
maximum rates, and the Pullman
sleeping car BILL both of which are
practically dead now, adverse COM
mittee reports having been adopted.
Mr.. Taylor, as chairman of the
special committee appointed to be pre-
sent at the conference between the
members of the trans Mississippi con-
gress and the executive, reported
verbally that the committee had found
the gentlemen nice people to meet and
had assured them that the citizens of
Utah were heartily in sympathy with
the movement to hold an exposition
at Omaha, and that they had no doubt
that the state would be represented at
the fair, but that at the present time
they did not believe the legislature
would feel like making an appropria-
ton.
TO ABOLISH CAPITAL PUNISH
MENT.
1t was just half past 10 when Mr..
Sorensen's bill to abolish capital pun
ishment came up as a special order
and at half past IL before it had been
disposed of and the noon recess taken.
When the bill came up Mr. Howard
at once moved to Indefinitely postpone
the further consideration.
Mr.. Sorensen rose to advocate the
bill He said. THE idea of doing
away with the death penalty is in line
with the most advanced thought of all
of the great men of today as we'll as
that Of the great men who have lived
in days gone by
Mr.. Sorensen then proceeded to say
that his research of statistics had
convinced him that it was a fact, as
Mr.. Taylor had stated in his argument
a few days ago, that where the death
penalty had been abolished crime had
decreased. This was largely due, he
believed, to the fact that juries will
not convict if there is any doubt what
ever of the accused's guilt when they
know by SO doing they are depriving
him of his life This. he held, was the
reason so many guilty of murder go
unpupished whereas they would be
convicted if the death penalty did not
obtain.
He contended that where there are
the most executions there were the
most lynchings. This might seem like
very singular statement but statistics
proved it to be true.
The object of capital punishment
was, he maintained, to take away the
life of the offender to prevent him
were the only object then, why not
confine him for life and accomplish
the same object by depriving him of
his liberty.
Another claim made by the advo-
Gates of the death penalty was that
the fear of death prevents murder.
This statistics showed was not true,
death did not deter He held that
where capital punishment was abol-
ished there was the highest civiliza-
ton. He hoped the bill would pass if
for no other reason than to demon
strate to the president of the United
States that he knew not what he said
when before the Home Missionary So
ciety at Philadelphia, he referred to
the lack of civilization in the west
Mr. Gibson followed. He saidshe had
& short opinion on every subject, this
one ais we'll He hoped the bill would
pass for the reason that he believed
every criminal had some good in him.
All good was supposed to come from
God. That being true, "are we to kill
that ckod fWhn ln0xyc