The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-02-13

were SQbIECbS oRC4A --A~--
members of the lower house aired then
views at great length and to little
purpose yesterday afternoon. The de-
bate on the bill abolishing the death
penalty was resumed and waged foi
two hours. when the members unin-
tentionallv laid the bill on the shelf,
without knowing how they did it,
The result of the four hours session
was the passage - Wilson's bill au-
thorizing the district judges OF SAT-
Lake countsr 10 o-Ser separate draw
ings of jurors for each court, and con-
currence in the senate amendments 10
Thoreson's special appropriation Dill.
With Is or 20 bills on the calendar ana
so more in the he's of the COMMIT
tees. some of the members are be
ginning TO reaiizo that time can be
more profitablv spent than in raising
points Of order and discussing TRIVIAL
and irrelevant topics. Beginning next
Monday night, evening sessions are 10
be held, and the legislators will then
DE able to DEBATE every subject from
the creation of the world to the Brad
ley Martin ball, without so seriously
interfering with business.
Ro.7lance and other members de-
manded that the yea and nay vote On
the final passage of the church and
state" senatorial investigation resolu-
ton be recorded in the journal Of the
THURSDAY evening session, but the
clerks had preserved no record OF the
roll call. Roylance volunteered to fur
nish the record, and his offer was ac-
ceDted.
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT BILL
Kenners capital punishment bill was
taken No as unfinished business the
question being upon Duffin's motion
TO strike out the enacting clause Sloan
opposed the bill. He believed capital
punishment was a deterrent, and it was
no argument against the law to say
that il did not prevent murders. There
was no law of God or man that was
violated. He was opposed to the
death penalty in cases where the con-
Viction was secured by circumstantlal
evidence. and if the bill abolished cap
ital punishment in such cases ne
would support it.
Thoreson was opposed to legal muir
ders." Juries were now reluctant to
convict a man of murder. simply be-
cause OF the death penalty, and muir
derers were thus permitted TO go I'M
punished. Solitary confinement, might
be worse than execution, but such
penalty would not deter jurors from
bringing in convictions.
Hardy dwelt on the barbarity and
the horror of solitary confinement for
life, as provided by the pending meas
llre. He was unalterabiy opposed to the
execution of criminals convicted on
circumstantial evidence. but the death
penalty would be more merciful than
solitary confinement. He would favor
a bill abolishing capital punishment in
cases where conviction was had on cir
cumstantiaf evidence.
Bennion thought a convicted muir
derer generally deserved hanging. The
provisions of this bill were worse than
death. He would rather be buried alive
than to suffer solitary connnement for
life.
Roylance called attention to the fact
that time was fleeing, and # these
debates continued unchecked the house
would never reach the code. His mo-
ton for the previous question was de-
feated. but SheDard's, to adopt the
five-minute rule. was carried.
Dotson was opposed to the death
penalty and to solitary confinement.
The abolition of the death penalty
would mean a greater certainty of con-
victiou and fewer lYnchinSs-
Under the previous question Duffin
motion to strike out was carried, but
the friends of the bill protested that
snap judgment had been taken, and
they had been given no opportunity to
De nealQ- A IUll call BtlllS hI4AAet4A0Cds
many members changed their votes and
the motion was defeated.
Hardy offered a substitute bill, pro-
viding only for the abolition of the
death penalty in cases where convic-
ton was secured by circumstantial evil
dence. He was certain that such a
measure represented the sentiments of
his constituents.
Calls believed the foundations of So
ciety would be undermined by any
measure designed to mitigate the pun
ishment of this class of criminals. 1t
had been said that many practices jus
tilted by the Bible were not justified
now, but Moses was the great founder
of Jurisprudence, and If 1t was cruel to
execute a man 1000 years ago, it was
cruel now: If the laws of Jehovah were
unjust then, they were unjust now. |
The members, he believed, were extend /
ing their sympathy to the least deserv- /
ing.
Shepard offered an amendment to |
the substitute, providing imprisonment /
for life at hard labor in all cases of /
murder in the first degree and treason. /
Kenner'S remedy, he thought, was
worse than the disease. He would pre-
fer hanging TO solitary Imprisonment I
for life. The members had heard a (
great deal about the law of Moses. but (
that law had been repealed by the /
was a commandment against the TAX 1
ing of human life under any circum-
stances. In Kansas. where the death (
penalty had been abolished, there were [
fewer murders, according to popula- (
ton than in Missouri, where every
murderer was reasonably certain of be- /
ing hanged.
DANGEROUS GROUND.
In citing Scripture. Shepard was
treading on dangerous ground. for |
Taylor had his Bible in his inside
pocket and was lying in wait for some (
such unwary member. He produced /
the holy book and proceeded TO read |
from the fifth chapter of Matthew 10
disprove the statement that Christ had I
the law of Moses. That law.
he declared, was still in full force.
Dresser wanted to know whether
Taylor proposed TO re-ensct the laws of
Moses. L will ask the gentleman to
turn to the 23rd and Path chapters of
said he. There you
will find the laws of Moses. and ask
the gentleman whether they are still
In force"
Taylor replied that he would answer
the question after adjournment
O'Brien declared that a violation of
any of the ten commandments, under
the Mosaic law. was punishable with
death. Does the gentleman propose
TO re-enact those laws?" he inquired
Taylor's proposition. on the previous
day, that there was no salvation for
the murderer, was monstrous. He be-
ieved he was taking higher ground
than the gentleman from Salt Lake,
for all the Scripture he had quoted