The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-03-23
A Further Statement on the Inn
portant Matter.
SHALL 1T BE ABOLISHED?
A WRITER WHO AGREES WITH
REPRESENTATIVES, TAYLOR.
Arguments of Those who Favor the
Death Penalty Reviewed and
Briefly Acknowledgement Taken
by Those Who Favor the Bill Now
Peuding I'm the Legislature.
40 the editor Of The Herald:

To the Editor of The Herald:
VIII you kindly afford space in your
columns for communication supple
mental TO the speech made in the state
legislature last Friday by Representative
Taylor, in favor of the adjustment of
the death penalty?
Being the only paper in the city giving
an extended synopsis of Mr.. Taylor's re-
marks, l take il the Herald is willing to
accord a public hearing of this very i'm
portant matter now pending in the house.
First permit me to say that the COM
mttee reporting the bill in favor Of
aboiishing capital punishment from the
criminal procedure of our new state, and
Representative Taylor for his able cham
pioning of the measure. are worthy OF
commentator. The movement is evil
dence of that progressive and humane
spirit which characterizes an enlightened
people.
As the advocates of the bill might have
expected. opposition to IT has been arous-
ed. and strong efforts will be made TO de
feat it. But it viii not be easily killed.
AS the trend of civil ltion is against the
death penalty method of handling Grimm
ais, ii will be matter of interest to
discover what argument, facts, figures
and authorities will he cited by the pro-
opposition TO the SorenSen bill. Will they
launch forth with new ideas. new evidence
to sustain their position, or will the leg
islature be harangued with the same old
arguments. which arc universally held on
as being conclusive proof that the death
penalty should be retained? Briefly and
fairly stated, they are as follows:
THE ARGUMENT IN FAVOR.
First-The death penalty has always
and everywhere prevailed down to recent
times. It's antiquity and universally at
test the established and undoubted con-
viction of mankind for ages that it was
right and eXpedient.
Second.-That ii is upheld by the scrip
ture, and that therefore its adjustment
would violate divine command, or seek
to defeat divine prediction.
Third.-It is obligatory on society to
protect itself by the death penalty against
dangerous men, alike a menace TO society
whether in prison or at large.
Fourth.-SocietY not only secures itself
against further harm from the murderer
by the infliction of capital punishment.
but deterS others who NAV be DISPOSED
to initiate his violence. The greatest de-
torrent should he used against the great
est crimes. and that is the death pen
atty. Tor the reason that most men fear
death more than anything else.
Fifth.-To abolish capital punishment
would be to put premium on murder.
thus rendering life less sacred in the
public conscience the result being that
l.
become more frequent, for the summary
lnf1lcung of vengeance by mob violence
becomes lustifiable and necessary.
SIXth.-The death penalty is by its ma
tare finalitv. The deterrent influence is
not weakened by hopes of clemency and
escape. Pardon cannot call back the
DEAD, and there is no outbl eak from the
grave.
Seventh.-The majority of rulers, states
men, lawmakers. judges, soldiers min
listers and men Of practical affairs in all
the civilized world today still believe in
Zoe retention of the death penalty, as
Just TO the murderer, an intimidation to
others, and protection to society.
without here entering into an analysis
OF the grounds that are taken by the
a1vocateS o. capital punishment il is
enough to say that they are mostly fall
laeious. sophistical. illogical and contrary
TO experience. being without sunnort of
history and statistics
IN contrast to what is affirmed in behalf
OF capital punishment. | will now give the
chiet reasons advanced by those who
believe in doing, away with this mode of
punishment, and establishing some other
system OF caring for murderers.
AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY.
F'irst-The antiquity of the death pen-
atty should excite suspicion against it
Ss surviving relict of barbarous ages
slavery, equally old and general as So
clal institution, was but recently we'll
established. The death penalty had its
origin in the rude life of primitive times
Ihat alone should raise a presumption
against its proDriety for a period of
higher civilization and genter manners.
Second-The Bible does not command
does not even sanction the infection of
capital punishment. The Old Testament
IN It's annals of many years of Jewish
history, does not give q record of a sin
gle execution fer murder. although muir
ders are mentioned. 1t cannot be success
fully maintained that the death penalty
IS sanctioned by divine authority as a
ksas- Id
Testament. On the contrary the scrip
lures are against it.
Third-ReDugnance to the infection of
this penalty makes it less certain and
less deterrent than other penalties. An
extreme penalty. generally escaped. gives
less protection to society than a milder
one of certain infiiCtion, because it is
less Illuminating to Wrongdoers. Extreme
severity prevents convictions but does
not prevent crime. Statistics show that
the death penalty is not imposed against
rs per cent. of those who break the law
that imposes the penalty. While only
per cent of murderers pay the forfeit
of their lives for their crimes, homicides
during the last ten years have increased
twenty times as rapidly as the popula-
ton.
Fourtn-The influence of capital pun
ishment on the public conscience is in
furious. The infiiction of the death pen
atty brutalizes all who have to do with
it--officers, attorneys, judges, juries, eX-
ecuUoners and witnesses. Executions are
object lessons by the state in what when
done by the individual is the greatest
of crimes Thus il educates to a low es-
innate of life, familiarizes the popula-
ton with violence, and increases GRIM
iaality Hundreds know of the penalty
inflicted to one who knew of the offense
1t punished. An English clergyman Wis
ited 167 copvfcts under sentence of death,
and of these 164 had witnessed execu-
lions.
Fifth-The fact that the death penalty
is a finality is one of the greatest OBJ
iections to it, because in the case of
the execution of innocent persons par
don cannot be made effectual, nor can
the grave give up its dead. When in
noeent men are sent to death, the mis-
L oh 20 t ic h