The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1904-11-17
THE DEATH PENALTY.

Before House crowded to the doors
with interested listeners among whom
were the greater part of the Senators,
House bill 66 was taken up for action
on Monday at 1890 as a special or
der. The bill provides for abolish
ing the death penalty and substituting
life Imprisonment therefor The bill
was reported favorably by a majority
of the Judiciary committee to whom
it was referred and the amendments
were unanimously agreed to by the
committee. The amendments which
have to do with the details of the bill
were carried by the House and the de-
bate was confined to the main issue of
the question. sstsss ~ sssa @
Mr.. Hapgood of Peru favored the
passage of the bill looking at the
question from practical rather, than
a sentimental standpoint. In the first
place it would insure the certainty OF
punishment in that juries would be
more apt to convict il the penalty
were life Imprisonment Punishment
! should not be imposed for vengeance
bnt for the protection of society. He
read an extract from an address by
Judge Stafford on the question.
Mr.. Billiard of Burlington spoke in
! favor of the bill. He refuted the argu-
ments advanced by advocates of the
death penalty. He didn't think that
the fear of death was the most hor-
rible, saying that murderers time and
time again. walked to the gallows
unfinohing. Capital punishment does
not rid society of criminals, said the
speaker. He referred to the period
from 1913 to 1880 in England when
the death penalty was in force fol
countless offences They were hanged
in countless numbers then but Grim
inals were not driven into submission.
The argument that punishment was
sure in case of hanging should BIZ
used in favor of the adjustment, fol
large majority of the murderers are
convicted upon circumstantial evi
dence and it is Of far more importance
that one innocent mau should not BIT
hanged than that hundred guilty
ones should be. Duling the course o.
his remarks Mr.. Billiard said the lead
ers who favor capital punishment ar,
ordinarily clergymen-why, he corlt
not tell.
Mr.. Hilliard of Cabot took excep
tiOns to Mr. Billiards. remarks on thu
ministerial body and said that M
class have at heart the welfare OF thu
people more deeply than the preacher
He said the chief argument in favol
of capital punishment as he had hearC
it advanced by members of the minis
terial profession was the sanctity ant
value of human life.
Mr.. Darling of Chelsea favored tn,
bill for the same reason that the gen
tleman from Cabot proposed it. Th'
human body is the temple of the soul
We cannot expect the citizen to have
more respect for human life than the
State shows am anxious to give
other fellow creatures that sam,
right, that privilege so dear to me
of living to repent for my misdeeds.
Mr., O'Sullivan of ST. Adams city
denied the attitude ascribed to tn,
! clergyman as n class
1t isn't true, as a general thing
that we haven't the right to take life
it is question Of expediency-o
progress Arguments based ON wha
WAS done in the old heroic times will
not stand. He opposed capital pun
ishment as an unnecessary shedding @
blood.
Mr. Grout of Derby would not con
slider executions for political murde
alongside of cold blooded murders O
our times. The question is one o
life against life The marderer ha
forfeited his claim to our softer feel
inRs. The murdered ana his friend