The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1898-01-06

the notions of some. that the best way
TO reform q man is To- send him TO
the penitentlary.
We too often symathize with the
real criminal. him who has the instincts
OF the incondiary ana assassin iu his
heart. and labor for his pardon. And
we uu doubt too often contribute TO the
prosecution of the man who is "a sim
pie trespasser against the moral code
we have prescribed for him. ] would
put little OF what belongs To the pa
rent and teacher of morality in our
constitution. and not too much such iN
our statutes. Consequently. I should
leave prohibition out of the constitu-
tion. and leave 1t to the legislature 10
prescribe regulations for the liquor
traffic
1t IS not 20 be doubted that happiness
would be more general If all men were
sober and upright but there is moth
ing To be gained FOR morality by desig-
mating every moral delinquency n
crime and prescribing a penalty This
is more particularly true since the
principles of morality and christianity
can never be Incorporated into our
laws without involving us I'm many in
constituencies The true reformer
along moral and religious lines would
punishment And il vii perhaps be
taken as true that the petitions for
pardon are largely signed by this class.
1t is equally as true that the petitions
asking that certain moral delinquen-
cics bc declared felonies are signed t.'
them
l am fully persuaded that the policy
Of reformation by which it is sought TO
discharge the assassin from the pen
atty the law prescribes, and release the
incendiary and burglar from prison
upon the profession of conversion, and
TO send men TO states prison for in
fringement Of the moral code of high
er claims to good conduct vii never
bring peace and happiness to any conf
munity. and that every scheme for the
reformation of men. not having for its
basis moral training and beneficient in
fiuence. such as are not 60 he found
within prison cells or under criminal
charges. has failed and all such will
fail to the end of time
FEMALE SUFFRAGE.
2. OF late years the constitutional
convention have been attended 10y
those urging the adoption Of female
able to extend the ballot to women.
1t has been extended In some instances
and apparently with fair success.
When thetlme arrives that the great
mass of the good women of .hc coun-
try demand the right to vote there
viii be little opposition on the part Of
the men. But that time is not now.
Wyoming has often been pointed to
as a place where female suffrage has
teen successful Admitting that it
has been tolerable there and it does not
naturally follow that it would be so
elsewhere. 1t simply means that when
women are resolute and accustomed to
frontier life, and are convenient to the
polling place they will vote If they
may The people of Wyoming live in
town. There are no agricultural dis
tricts far from polling places. There
are no muddy roads. The right was
extended at a time when there were
very few women I'm the territory and
most OF them were accustomed to hard
work, and had gone there to earn their
| living They were not the mothers of
large families and the keepers of homes
| but IN the main resolute unmarried wO-
men. 1t has come upon them grad
ually and the right is more freely eX-
ercised than il would be if suddenly
extended TO populous community.
And in answer to one of the strong
| points in favor of female suffrage, il
may incidentally mentioned that gam
| bling i'm it's several forms could be law
| fully licensed and conducted during the
! entire existence of the right of female
suffrage and the territoralguvern
| This may have been due to the fact
| that the ratio Of women to men was
small or to their disinclination to med
! die in the public affairs.
1 should not provide for female suf-
frage i'm the constitution 1t would be
going far enough TO provide that il
might at some future time be extend
ed by The legislature
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
8. 1t is not unlikely that strong
effort vii be made to get provision
against capital punishment into oul
constitution. This. I think, should be
resisted While il not to be overlooked
that there Is a strong sentiment exist
ing against capital punishment. anC
that it is found largely among the bes
disposed people. it does not seem e
prevail with those who have beei
brought into immediate contact will
the baser sort of criminality.
A well known constitutional declara
ton is, that all penalties shall be pro
portioned to the nature Of the offense
If a man shall be sent for long tern
TO prison for stealthily entering
house ia the night time. with no intcn
ton of doing any one harm and steal
ing a trifie. what should be done wit
one who enters at midnight and cut
the throats of the sleeping household
think il is best to dispose OF him b
hanging or some other approved pro
= cess. not only that he may suffer IN
: punishment he deserves, but tina
others may pause 20 consider the prol
able consequences Of such crimes.
think that. meaning well, we ofte
; make a great mistake i'm our sympath
for criminals. 1 mean criminals of th
worst class. In cases of triting Offer
ses. and especially those not involvin
moral turpitude, or those committed b
young persons. or what Is known q
the first offense, / deem II "a great mil
take TO deal too harshly with the Offer
= der. and especially TO so punish him Z
u TO stamp with him lasting disgrace
!. destroy his self respect And next
. this, l think il is great mistake f
= good people 10 publicly interest then
!, selves in the causes Of the tough
characters,
Criminal ideas are conceived of ci
cumstances and hatched like eggs v
!, are unable 10 say how likely such i'd
is TO be born IN the mind OF a pr
4, viously honest man when he sees chm