The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-05-07
THE MISSION OF "A SMALL MI
N0RITY."

Editor of the Morning News: My
valued friend G. N. Saussy is quite
right when he refers to my communi-
cation upon the Death Penalty as
likely to meet the approval of only
small minority of your readers. 1 wish
I might count him among the number,
for l am confident our difference is ap-
parent, rather than real. He is correct
also as he differentiates "To KILL" and
ITO Murder" On the whole l prefer
the Prayer Book to the Authorized
Version of Scriptures. What 1 deny is
the value of that motive of fear as
restraint for those contemplating
crime; it has been tried and has sig
nally failed, and the trend of aroused
public sentiment is to discard the death
penalty. That we have progressed
since the great Hebrew law-giver slew
the Egyptian" and gave a code to his
people permitting capital penalty is
evident and we cannot consent to cling
to these ancient barbarisms when a
better way is made clear to us.
The old civilizations of Europe have
demonstrated the efficacy of the later
law which does not shut the door of
DUN spero spiro," why forbid any
one to hope?
In the time of Moses, a nomadic peo-
pie with the warm blood coursing in
their veins, found it a need, in absence
of places of confinement, to apply the
extreme penalty in a few instances; yet
even here the death penalty was only
applied for twelve crimes. In the
same record we find that the bow who
H. 20
was rebellious, might be taken outside
the camp and stoned with stones until
he died" here the motive of fear as a
preventive of crime had it's full play,
yet who would care to see it put in
practice now?
During the reign of George III, in
Great Britain there We're 100 crimes
punishable by death. That was mod
ern progress. Now there are but two
or three. is that retrogression? The
use of the death penalty as a deterrent
is not wholly in vain, but it is the
lowest appeal; and as one of the small
minority l plead for the discardng of
something good for something better.
If my friend will study the system of
indeterminate sentences" both as the
DRY as well as In practical working, l
am confident he will be able to Join
our minority and help to make it a
hidJOIllys IOSSlDiy lHtTe may ne lfltl-
mate connection between the bungling
methods by which we choke a human
being out of existence and the work
of those military men in the Philip
pines who have thrown upon the can
vas light enough to enable us to Judge
of the effect of Civilized warfare" as
at present carried on, and in some
quarters justified, as illustrating the
benefit derived from the appeal to fear.
Since the foundation of the world
every forward movement has been in
augurated by a minority and carried
to conclusion, despite the conserva-
tive protest.
A little group standing sadly by in
silent protest, witnessed the legal exc
cution of the worlds greatest benefac-
tor, while the majority cried out, Cru
city Him. yet we now realize the
value of the little band who could not
prevent but who could disapprove. So
it Will be, not to-day, nor yet to-mor-
row, but in the fullness of time will
our work be incomplete, but it is GER
tain to prevail against every force.
Search the Scripture" but do not
stop at the Old, take also the lesson of
the New!
The life Of the murderer is forfeit to
the state! WhMt Is the duty of the,
state?
Here is our difficult but not our in
soluble problem.
From battle and murder, and from
sudden DEATH" Good Lord, deliver
u.s." William Riley Boyd.