Mexico Missouri message., 1905-07-27
COL. HUGHES OPINION.
Mr.. Hughes Formerly Lived in This
COunty-Was The Inventor of
the Cornplanter.

Gently noticed much in the papers
relative to capital punishment, or
rather, judicial murder, especially
that of women. The question is,
is it right or wrong for a state to
take the life of human beingY
This country claims to be Chris
tian and civilized nation. The
New Testament being our moral
and religious constitution, and ar
ticles of faith, if there is anything
laid down in that book authorizing
or justifying the taking Of life ju-
dicially or otherwise, | have failed
to find it. Christ and the apostles
condemned it and Christ gave us a
personal example on this subject
in the case of the woman who had
committed a crime punishable by
death in violation of the law. Had
he approved it he would have said,
90 on and stone her to death ac-
cOrding to law, but he simply said
to them, the one Of you that is
without sin, cast the fsrt stone.
The result is we'll known to all
who read the Scriptures. He also
condemned the Jewish law, an eye
for an eye aud a tooth for a tooth,
or he that spills mans blood by
man shall his blood be spilled.
Now in the light of all this testi-
mOny it is hard to conceive how a
legislature Of any great tate can
enact laws to take the lives of their
fellowmen. And again fail to
understand how judge, jury or
sheriff can deliberately act in the
capacity of taking the life of a feI
low man and claim to be Chris.
tian. And again, governor who
holds the life of a man in his hands
is less a Christian than was Pom
thus Pilot, in the case of Christ,
who allows the death penalty to be
afflicted. If it is wrong for one
man TO fake the life of another it
is equally wrong for a state to
commit the same act. Thus, in
the place of one murder being
committed, there are two, one by
the individual and one by the
state, on the principle that they
can make n right out of two
wrongs. But the court, the jury,
the sheriff and all hide them
selves behind the law aud justify
themselves because it is the law.
Had Christ been the same stickier
for law, aud taken the same view,
the woman would have been stoned
to dea tn, but he advocated justice
in place of law.
Several of the states have re-
pealed the death penalty law, and
there is no evidence that murders
have increased in these states.
Kansas has never been guilty of a
judicial murder. The sentiment
thruOut this country is growing
against this barbNrOus practice, and
the more the true principles of
civilization and Christianity be-
come developed in society the less
capital punishment win be prac.
ticed or approved by the people.
A murderer Only sacrifices
his liberty, not his life. We have
ample institutions to care for all
this class of people. They should
be caused to render services to the
state for the benefit of society and
good morals, and not for punish
ishment but for reformation.
If there is any truth or virtue in
the present orthodox Christianity
taking a mau's life does not take
him out of the universe, hence he
is not a fit subject to die a physi-
cal death, but should be permitted
to live and us far as possible right
himself with his God, and not be
ushered into eternity with the
stain of the blood of his brother on
his hands, but placed where he is
harmless, and let his own conyic.
ton reveal TO him the fact that he
must become his own redeemer.
The present teaching of orthodox
Christianity avails him nothing.
By individual effort alone can he
hope to develop the germs of an
gelhOod that are Of a truth within
his natulei that his physical and
sniritual Darts are OOVernad hv in-