The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1899-05-05

ACCA obALEC0 W. bA4AAh SAC SdnS VI nav
The stealer Of sheep and the slayer of
men were strung up together again and
again." Were the@stealers of sheep any
fewer in the times that called forth that
couplet and when the offence called for
capital punishment than they are to day,
when the punishment for the offence is
imprisonment in state prisons? Does
any one man believe the sEringing up of
the stealers of sheep acted as deterrent
to the commission Of the crime. It is not
much more than century ago when the
English speaking people had dozens of
crimes upon their catalogue that called
for capital punishment.
Does any one now believe it would act
as greater deterrent to the commission
of these several crimes, If they were
again put back in the catalogue as being
punishable with capital punishment? IL
it not true that the punishments that
have been substituted have far less
of the appearance of barbarism, and are
made in conformity with the enlightened
age in which we liver Why should we
w aGhCLC w kAI6 GGAiS u bLAC
barbarous ages? A man may have COM
mitted what we call "coid blooded"
murder, but does Justice call for, or are
the people justified in legalizing the
murder Of the murderer? The hanging
Of man is just as much murder though
done under the sanctity of the law, as is
the case of the man who la being strung
up for the offence. Is it not q fact that
the reader of dime novel wishes to imi-
tate the bloodthirsty characters about
whom he reads inside the pages? Is ii
not fact that the gazer on at bull
fight, many times has q strange desire to
be himself a participation in the brutality
of the ring? Is it not fact, that there
is large number Of certain class Of
ignorant persons who have the same
feeling come over them when reading Of
the execution Of murder, in connection
with history of his crime? Do we not
all OF us have far different feeling when
we think of a man enseonced behind pri-
son walls for the term OF his natural life?
Do we not feel that it Ia greater punish
ment and that it is what justice calls for?
Do we not feel that the prospect of
life in prison would act as q greater de-
terrent to the commission of CRIME, than
the thought Of the expiration off that life
on the gallows? Should we not at the
same time feel that justice had been vim
dicated that the people were in the
future protected from the assassin, and
that the hands of the state or the nation
were untainted with blood?
It capital punishment was abolished
wouldn't the jurymen 60 into the jury
box with different feeling, and with the
thought that they could live up to their
oath, and could support the law, without
being obliged to stain their hands with
the blood of fellow being? Is it not a
fact that many times man who Is going
to be hanged poses as q martyr, pleads
innocence and so works upon the guilt
bility Of the people as to almost make
them believe him to be superior being,
and to wish they might initiate his ex-
ample by doing likewise? There Is some
thing about sending man into eternity
that calls forth all the generosity and all
the pity the people possess, in conse
quence of which capital punishment in
stead of doing what has been intended,
has being doing and is doing just the OPP
poeite. Some people have an impression
that capital punishment was eLjoined by
divine commands. It Is not to be be-
lieved, however, that any such COM
mands were ever intended for the people
of to-day. And such commands that
were given were given In far different
times, to far different people, and to "a
far different government than the one
under which we now live.
The people in ancient times were ig-
norant, they were superstitious, they
had great fear OF physi-
cal power, and il was con-
sidered necessary Co execute
criminal before the very eyes Of the PEG
pie la order to work upon the ignorant
and superstitious fears. The times have
changed greatly and the people have
changed with them. Even at the begin
ing OF the Christian era, they bad chang
ed from Bible times and all the teach
Ings Of the New Testament are strongly
opposed TO the infliction OF capital pun
ishment. The civil authority has no |
moral right over the lie Of any man how
ever bad. The Ruler or the universe alone
has the power Of life and death over tbs
people who bare pesn PLACED spon this