New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-23
CRIMINALS AND DEATH.
should They Be Painlessly Killed." Dis
cussed bv Women.

Would society be justified in condemning to a
painless death hopeIessly diseased and Injurious
people not criminals?
No" replied Mrs. Philip Carpenter. who was
the first Of several speakers TO discuss this sub
ject under the leadership Of Miss Adele Field. yes
terday forenoon st the League for Political Edu-
cation.
But" she added Il should have difficulty IN
telling why. Would we be justified? No. because
every instinct Of humanity. Justice. mercy and
love cries out against taking human life for any
reason We even hesitate take it for henous
crime.
1T seems 10 me there are two thoughts involved
IN this question. There is the idea OF relieving
suffering and there is the idea Of removing sources
Of possible harm. We put dumb animals TO death
psinlessly to rid them OF their suffeTings-and yet
7 believe my old blind dog at home is happier 20
he alive and knocking his nose against all the
furniture than he would be in any dogland 10 which
I could consirn him. While the relief OF suffering
Is OF the first impulses Of civilized society, yet
religion forbids TO put fellow men TO death.
We cannot know TO what are condemning them
Have a right TO force another into the life be-
yond, whether it be the life immortal annhila-
ton
And. then. who IS to be the Judge as to who is
hopelessly diseased'2 People were pronounced IN
durable few years ago who to-day are cured?
Anyway. have We the right 10 say when persons
have suffered enough? Ought not to leave that
to themselves or Goo?
And then the point Of removing hopelessly dis
eased injurious people because they are or may
he sources Of harm-if we did that, shouldn't be
sacrificing the individual 20 all through the en-
couragement of the survival Of the httest? No
matter how Injurious person may be 10 society.
there is some good ir him and some hope for him.
II there is thing owns. Il Is his life. He
owns Il much that viii permi; him to
separate himself from Il. As our greatest national
document says, Is born with three inalienable
rights-life liberty and the pursuit Of happiness"
At the conclusion OF Mrs. Carpenters remarks
Miss Fied told 81 q visit 20 Randalls Island. where
hundreds Of idiot and diseased children being
cared for by fne, healthy young women. If the
children rad nos been .here.r Miss Field argued
those women would not have had TO be there
either. but would have married and been rearing
normal healthy children Of their own. The lethal
chamber and the prevention Of the production Of
diseased children-;hese are alternatives which face
Us f. attempts 40 carry this tremendous bur
den"
Miss laura Sedgewick Collins thought that Wills
the Lord made ali things. lie did not make them
al OF the same importance The Lord made
mice she urged. ''out where is the housewife who
mas any leataston putting one go death: II man
has no tight 20 put his fellow men 10 death, why
murdersr7 X the mere mercy alone is taken into
kin rather than TO frlprisor? The oupor1urity for
abuse Usich such a law would offer would be no
laws depends gpon the integrity OF those who ad-
right TO take st." remarked Mrs Henry ". Troy.
solemniy. at this point. When Gods chosen peo-
rninsteIed to them How do we know who are in
durable? Al Fordham there Is home for in
curahles. Every year number Of the patients get
well and go home. As for the people who take care
Of the idiot and diseased children at Randall's ISL
and tf-y're not chained there They can marry
J think the uraesifablcs have way OF clint
MATING thennseivos. put ia a woman AT the back Of
ne hal 7 was told thar in past years q per cent
~ the 1ahles who 20 10 Randalls Island die. The