The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-10-27

tional stipulation of complete isolation "
And further that the outside world should
not know but that he was dead
| I think that you, together with the
mass of mankind, are at sea with regard
TO the true nature Of punishment.
| start cut with the assertion that all just
| punishment has some good end in lew.
| And that the laws of civilized countries
are based on right principles. There are
three main things that punishment is
| for. First, to reclaim the offender. Sec
| ond, to be a warning TO others Third,
to prevent the original from committing
crime. The first includes parental pun
ishmeht, and is found in reform schools.
| The second is found in all punishments
| by the state When a man is sent 10
| the pen, or is put TO death, that is
warning to other characters that may
| be inclined TO do wrong, that they re-
frain from crime, lest they, too, meet
a like fate. And third, while man is in
the pen, he is prevented from committing
crime And when a man is put to death
he is forever prevented from again dis
turbing the peace or committing crime.
The prevention Of crime is for the in
terests of mankind. The object being,
that each individual may enjoy the bles-
sings of life, liberty and the pursuit Of
| happiness. Some people, I may say ma
| jority Of people, have inculcated the idea
that punishment is the payment Of the
debt of crime. I contend that that is
not the true idea OF punishment, either
by the state or by the Supreme Ruler.
Before I proceed farther, let me define
my position theologically. I believe that
man Is just what he seems to be,
mortal being. And that God has given
this mortal life Internationally. And
now on conditions he offers to man
future and immortal state of existence.
Those who do not comply with these con-
ditions will have no life beyond the pres
ent. The ending of existence with the
ending Of this mortal life may be con-
sidered as merely the withholding Of a
promised good. The God dishonoring doc
trine of endless suffering of the vast
majority of mankind is based on the er-
roneous idea that punishment is the pay
ment of the debt of sin. And. alas. in
the case Of the finally incorrigible. they
can never pay the debt. Thinking men Of
the Twentieth century are going to discard
this horrible doctrine. And If the lead
ers in Israel do not show that the Bible
fidelity by millions.
1.-THE powers that be are ordained of
God" And one of the duties assigned to
them is the punishment of evil-doers.
And If the state does not perform its God
given duty, the people will suffer for it.
am told that crime, and especially muir
der IS on the increase in this coun-
try. And I believe it is because the
laws are not severe enough. and those
that are on the statute books are not
vigorously enforced. I am not alone in
this belief. Not many years ago, one of
the judges of the supreme court Of Kan
sas, in an able article made the same
claim. There is at present too much sym
pathy expressed for the criminal. Where
are we coming to, when even the assaS-
sin of our beloved president finds sympa-
thizers who send flowers to him while
awaiting his death sentence? Let US edu-
cate the masses up to the necessity of
enforcing the laws of the land that are
enacted against evil-doers. Today, the
greatest source of disregard for the en-
forcement of the criminal code, is found
in the liquor traffic. And that is where
anarchy is nourished. Let it be remem-
bered that Czolgosz spent part of his boy
hood in a saloon.
The idea that punishment is simply the
payment of the debt of crime, is but an
other name fer revenge. And the Bible,
as well as mans better nature, teaches
that revenge is not to be entertained by
lovers of mankind. The best that can
be done with human being that is is a
curse to his fellow man, is TO put him out
of existence. There the wicked cease
from troubling" One great cause Of the
prevalence of crime today is that the
penalty is too light, or is toe difficult of
enforcement. often the fines imposed are
so light that the offender can keep on
committing the same crime and make
money by it. If our penalties were pat
termed after the laws of Moses 1t might
be better for the innocent. In Massa-
chusetts a man put out one of his wife's
eyes He was sent to the pen short
time for it. He said he would put out his
wifes other eye when he got out And
he did If one of his eyes had been put
out for the putting out OF his wife's
eye, it would probably have saved his
wifes other eye But no. that would be
considered heathenish. Wen, so long as
people are Ienient with the criminal class,
founded on the experience OF q lifetime,
nearing the mark Of three score and ten
years.
No good citizen should become frenzied. /
and try TO tear in pieces or put out Of ex-
istence, without due process Of law. the /
murderer, as did many who were near
when President Mckinley was shot. As (
a people who make our own laws. we
should look upon the execution OF the I
murderer as a painful necessity. But We I
should show him no sympathy. He had 4
no pity. should be shown no pity. Let /
our sympathIes be showered upon the !
near and dear friends of the victim. But T
pay the debt of his crime He should /
never do that. We should rather look 1
upon the criminal as we would upon a 4
wild beast that had killed a loved one.
which we Kill 10 save other lives. and 4
with no thought OF revenge. AS a class, !
murderers are in lower moral scale than /
the average citizen. Some men are born
murderers. And II the doctrine OF endless /
suffering were true, it would1<sst stain /
upon an all-wise God who permitted 4
such beings to come into existence. But.
as no such doctrine is taught in the Bible.
the death OF these vile wretches IS OF no
more consequence than the death OF a
ferocious Wild beast Death forever ends
their existence.
I am yours truly. claiming 70 he enc Of
the thinkers OF the Nineteenth century.
spared TO enter the Twentieth century
Ia FAyETTE NORRIS
RUNNING DOUBLE TINE.
Gotten Gin Doine An irmense