Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-02-18
THREE FUNDAMENTAL. IDEAS IN
NCINED IN THE PUNISHMENT
OE MURDER.
\ OFrom the Barre Telegram

| The release of Mrs May brick from her
English prison has started afrcsh the
discussion as to the wisdom and Justice
of capital punishment in Vermont. 1t
appears that Mrs Maybrick was con-
Vlcted of poisoning her husband, and with
deliberate intention. as in the case of
Mrs. Rogers Of Bennington. and if one
should not suffer the severest penalties,
why should the other? This is the areu-
mont which is used.
Now this leads to the question. what
is the function of punishment? Once it
was revenge. Originally the nearest rel
ativc of the slain man was allowed, by
common assent to pursue and Put to
death the slayer This satisfied the spirit
Of revenge on the part Of the bereaVed,
and the sense of Justice OH the part of
the people. After a time, SO great was
this liberty of personal revenge abused.
the State took up the work and secured
and put to death the person guilty of
| having taken his brothers life; hut still
the idea WAS revenge for a lire taken.
The spirit OF the law was, AN eye for an
eye a tooth for a tooth, a life for q
| life.
| What should he the fundamental idea s.
in punishment to-day 1t seems to the
Telegram that it should be three fold
first. the protection of the public against
the repetition of the crime: second, the
adequate penalty for the demort of the
ton of the criminal.
| Now if life penalty will adequately
protect the public against a repetition of
the offense, If 1t will prove an adequate
penalty for the crime, and if it will be
more likely than execution To secure the
ultimate reformat ton of the criminal then
that should be substituted for capital
punishment. If pardonE are to be fire.
duent the first result will not he secured
II they could be nfrcQuent, ana then
only for the most exceptional cases, We
are inclined to tn" opinion that the pen
atty of life Incarceration would effectually
secure against subsequent murders equal
~ with capital punishment. The trouble
to-day is that the executive and legisla-
tive powers have all too frequently yield
ed to sentiment and lessencd or RENTED
the penalty. Remove that danger. let all
who contemplate the slaughter of a hui
man being have nothing but lifelong
confinement staring them in the face, and
we are inclined to think that the penalty
of hanging may be safely abolished.
And We have no doubt whatever about
the life term being adequate to entirely
meet the end of the proper penalty for tht
criminal himself, and as being far more
likely to secure his ultimate repentance
and honest effort to live better life
than the present machinery of Justice
But the discussion all hinges on the uucs
ton. will life Imprisonment be for life?
CLARK AND HIS CHUM.
From the Montpelier Journal)
Rear Admiral Charles T.. Clark. tht
Vermonter who won the love and honol
OF his countrymen by his celebrated riir
around Cape Horn with the Oregon. anc
his participation in the hattie Of Santiag,
Immediately afterward. il now, accord
ing TO the Grand Rapids HeraM doinl
work that shows the kind of a mar
he IL as well az anything could Admira
Clark Is doing his utmost to save tn,
life of Rear Admiral Francis A. Cook
retired. who Is now guest at the resi-
dence of the former in Philadelphia an,
an invalid at the same tlme. Clark an,
, Cook were roOmmates and chums at tn
Naval Academy. Both were ensigns il
the battle OF Mobile Bay in the Civil
War, Cook in the Gensssee, taking par
in the attack on the forts. while Clarl
on the Ossipce passed the forts. Late
both were attached to the Vanderbilt
on cruise and frequently in after year
they were at the same station. Clark o
the Oregon and Cook. commanding tn
Brooklyn shared the honors Of the battl
of Santiago with their brother officers
Recently Clark has been attached to tn
Naval Home in Philadelphia, while Cook
now retired, has been In Annapolis
though in a hospital in Brooklyn for
time.
Some weeks ago. Clark learned tina
his old chum was sick at Annapolis. wit
the valves of his heart out OF gear an
his mind distressed with melanchoia. tina
: he wa. practically alone in the hous
. In which he had found his wife deao
and that he was helpless ana resignc
, to death. Clark Immediately won't to tn
! bedside of his friend and found thing
las he had heard. Cook had shut hinsel