The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-06-29
Our Treatment of the Murderer.

By murderer I mean one who with
malice aforethought-with purpose
takes the life of another. The law,
Gods and mans. says life for life in
such case. It is an extreme medi-
cine, the severest, but the surest in
| tie cure of that dreaded moral disease
affecting the body of human society.
Some people are so devoted to their
children that they indulge their every
| whim because they would not hear
them cry; it shocks their delicate
sensibilities beause of their great fond
ness. They never punish them for any
| misdemeanor, and their Gliding is
hnshed by the slightest whimper.
Who would say that such parents are
lniodels to follow?
| People seem to think that when the
| body polite shrinks from executing
i tlae law in the administration Of JUS
tice where life is demanded for Life,
| that it shows healthy, a commenda-
hle condition, while the opposite is
true. We should always shrink from
rsob violence, from taking life with
cut cause, bnt when, in the admins
Ltration of affairs simple justice re-
cTuires it, the hand that executes the
law, uner-ing in its aim, should be
steady and firm.
II we we're as lax in other matters as
in this, things would be deplorable
indeed. We have surely fallen into
Ia bad way that is sure to lead-has
4 already led-to gross evil. I do not
4 pen these lines because have an axe
! to grind, wrong to avenge, but as
one who loves his race, and isstryng to
=Econtribute his mite toward its better
ment as one who rejoices in the tri-
umph of right, the defeat of wrong,
have undertaken this with the hope
that some abler pen may be moved to
/ do us a real service IN such discussion
as will so enlighten the peoples mind
that the evil may be corrected.
/ It is a fact, a most shameful fact,
that murder-outright mufder-goes
4 unavenged in South Carolina, that the
/ crime is on the increase, that less and
i less value is set upon human life, and
this, not because our laws are not suf-
i fcient, not wholesome, but because
linen are. imposed upon by misrepre-
1 sentation and otherwise and instead Of
| ivieWing the matter nationally, under
the pressure Of appeal to the emotions
| they became cratic why do not such
conditions obtain in the business
world? A prominent lawyer pointed
out that anysman of intelligence found
liz to his interest to maintain his
| credit. Why? All this is right and
proper but when it is matter of life
:. things are quite different. It is no.
tcrious fact that the criminal lawyer
is the. man of the hour, who in few
4 days or weeks at best coins his thou
sands on his reputation to clear and
turn loose on the public ayiie murder
er whom God, none SO much merciful
as, He. has said, 'sLet him die the
DEATH Every conceivable method,
every means possible is resorted to
that justice may be cheated. The
criminal is paraded before the public,
the weeping father and mother, the
children crying or not are trotted out
as silent, but powerful appeals. The
counsel under feeling of holy ~
and righteous ~ indignations by q
4 process best known to themselves shed
a few briny drops to clinch the argu
ment to show cause why the law
should not be executed. The court
has been wrought up to white heat.
/ Where are they at? They went in
there to try a murderer, but he has
/ been transformed into almost an angel.
Under She hypnotic spell Of slick
/ tongue, together with the other means
hinted at, twelve men have been made
to do what cool reason would never
allow. After the deed is done, the
/ die is cast, they feel obliged to sustain
themselves not in defending murder
! but in condemning not outright, the
] gallows.
The gallows is bad thing but it is
q good place for murderers. What is
| the result?: Pistols and bowies are
greatly in demand even by peaceable
and quiet citizens. Every one feels his
life to be in jeopardy and some good
/ but nervous and excitable people upon
! the slightest show of danger even
where no danger is, draw the ever
ready pistol and two lives are ruined
to say the least. We are responsible
| for this state of things and unless we
/ put stop to it, by furnishing the
offender, worse is sure to follow.
Hagood.