New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-01-28
WOULD ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY
Mr. SLICER DECLARES IT THE EASIEST
LATEST MOST CNENLIGHTENED WAY
OF GETTING RID OF THE
HOMICIDE

The Rev. Thomas P sIicer and other speakers
yesterday afternoon at public gathering. held In
the Friends Meeting House. Fifuesnth-st- and
Rutherford Place. gave reasons why in their opin-
ion, the death penalty should be abolished In
earnest plea for the substitution OF life npriso1-
ment for capital punishment Mr. slcer. among
other arguments. used these.
This law comes 70 Is as legacy from mediseyaI
10 speak enthusiastic word Tor IL All the sl0-
who have rnedfsavaI tendenciss as rhev axe thefr
orders from the past and are governed BY what mas
already been largely established by popular opinion
do not 60 by sentiment The present measure has
beneath il the idea that society protect itself
Now. no thoughtful man OF to-day believes that
is the whole truth Instead. he asserts that the
est LATEST most unenLghtened way OF getting rid
or me nonlcae IS 70 chCke or snock nm 70 9sa1n
send the sinner away. thar he cannot DO any
take care of him They say lest a nan burn out
down to the socket. let US sni1 him Out as soon as
There are many persons now walking the streets
under the impulse Of sudden passion or the bitter
oTooqlnS OF 9eaIolsS nave e9IfllLIeG acts r9r
lows. In every large community a considerable
number OF people live close 70 the border line BE-
tween sanity and insanity. and any strong excite
nsnt Ike seeing or reading q executions often
The executloner Is always ezecrated BY decent
sasv 70 Fe1 rSs1 Sor s5-isS 49, - 81 80 .,. -
ii very generally happens hereabouts often car
put two sentences together that can Be parsed
We hold IL our highest preroga-fvs thai We
have the disposal OF our own lives IN that for
great cause we may lay them down Yet go TO
another. We who know nothing about his ten1pta-
lions. purposes possibilities. who outside
OF MS horizon. and 10 him that have decid-
cd 20 take his life That Is great responsibility
Opment-and a responsibility that no facts warrant
General Newton NJ. Curtis spoke exclusively
the side OF protection society The present law
the death penalty does not accomplish its pur-
poses a deterrent he said for less crime occurs
in States that have abolished this provision than IN
those that enforce IT. This argument and others
he supported with figures
T William Hutchinson read a paper the atti-
tude the Society Of Friends toward this subject
Many he said, had told him that they not
ready for IL Their objections. 20 Ereat extent
based on the sixth verse OF the ninth chapter
Of Genesis But the speaker argued that many Old
Testament laws could not hold to-day. even among
the most religious
one man. in discussing the question from thu
house. said
What can you expect OF people and nations that
believe in war They claim 20 De Christians Per-
haps they are. but cannot understand such Chris
ttans- or course. they advocate capital punish
uenI II Christ should be earth. and ; a friend
OF mine says. We should meet Him a trolley car
between Boston and Jamaica Plain would He tel
you He should fight either for the Beers or tia
FlNpinos2 No,
death penalty adopted by the meeting. and
tves IN aid OF this measure.
The Westbury quarterly meeting was held IN ths
morning. and addressed by Robert S. Hsv-
woodstoVrn. y. J.. and Francis Williams OF Plain
held. y. J.