Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-09-18

the text being: Whose Sheddeth mans
blood by man shall his blood be shed;
for in the image of God made he man =
Gen. tx. 6. The remarks of the minis
ter were listened TO attentively by the
large congregation in attendance and
in part were as follows:
That virtue shall be rewarded and
vice and crime punished is a theory
recognized by all governments. There
are three theories as 10 the design of
punishment: l. To maintain the majes-
ty of law. 2. To prevent crime. 8. To
reform the offenders. These must be
in all good government. Herbert
Spencer says in an essay on Education
that the first essential toward which
the educator should direct his powers
is self preservation He also says that
human life is the object toward which
the efforts OF humanity should be di-
rected.
Therefore when a member of any
community destroys the harmony OF
the community, the extreme penalty
is logically the destruction of that Of
fender. Hence, the view of the rights
of the many against the criminal has
been, and is yet, held. Hence, capital
punishment finds its place in the juris-
prudence of every time and every ma
ton. 1t has a two-fold object: i. De-
priving the dangerous man of life
that might again find Itself bent on
further mischief; 2, Warning those
whose tendencies are similar that their
end would be that of disgrace This,
| think is the thought of the text.
Murder is the highest possible
crime-an infraction of all law. re-
proach to communities and nations
There are many steps to murder 1t
snatches a man from friends. comforts
and life ITSELF tended for great and
holy purposes, which, because of muir
der. cannot be served. 1t cuts off all
possibilities. This is serious refinc-
ton. We, too, often look upon one
side only Our sympathies so out only
to the criminal Thus the rights and
feelings of the many are forfeited. The
protection of the many against that
which is dangerous to life demands the
extreme penalty of capital punishment.
OBJECTIONS TO CAPITAL PUNISH
MENT.
cit is revengeful and is too much
like the spirit of the old dispensation
where the principle was an eye for an
eye. etc. We are now in dispensation
OF love and mercy. If mercy is to be
the only principle it proves too much,
if anything BY it the magistrate
would be required to let all prisoners
go free.
THE Old Testament does not con-
denim sin as much as the New. The
New Testament talks Of the fire that
shall never be quenched; of place
where there shall be wailing and
gnashing of teeth.
Meeting demands of justice is not
necessarily revengeful. Revenge is ma
licious; justice is not malicious.
when society takes a life it is guilty
Of murler. That depends. If one man
shoots another down who threatened
his life, and does it to protect himself
and the community, he does a right
eous act This is just what society
does through enforcing its laws in pun
ishing eviI-doers in inficting the death
penalty upon the murderer The Off
Ger of the law is simply the agent for
society or State The rights Of the
many must be protected.
Life is too sacred to have its taking
away legalized. We forget when max
ing this objection that the murderer
in committing his vile deed. forfeits his
own life. He is the responsible one.
He invites upon himself the penalty Of
death. The State. only TO protect the
community. executes the law in infict-
ing its penalty.
''The sympathies OF the criminals
kindred are against capital punish
ment. Which is greater the sympathies
OF kindred or the feelings Of many and
the protection of society? Sympathy
should not be an element in the decis-
ion. The lofty demands Of justice must
be met. There is no true mercy or COM
passion in an expenditure of sympathy
which endangers the lives of the inno-
cent
Reformation of the murderer is i'm
possible through capital punishment.
II his life were spared ne would not
likely reform. We often forget this
fact. II imprisoned for life his life Is
useless. If allowed to go al large ne is
worthless and possibly dangerous TO
society. Many cases prove these things
to be true.
"The last objection We viii consider
is one often urged, that murder is often
the result Of cranial development
Men are often 50 constituted as to COM
pei them to commit murder If this be
true, they are worse than lions and