New-York tribune., 1907-09-15
End OF GUILL0TINE.
6KOLISHED IN FRANCE.
Vnrmng Opinions Of -hction Of Presl-
dent Falli6res.
rs,..e,a, bv French casie 20 The Tribune


pz-is sept. 14.-The communication by Presi-
-. rsr,iares o. the death sentence upon Soleii-
- -ronouaced by the Seine Assize Court TO
- s-ryir;,6e for life is regarded here both by
=, legal profession and by the public the
s-sr sr.ol!tion in France Of capital punishment
.,resiaep. Fallieress action meets the approval
~ tne Radicals and the Socialists, but elicfts
,,orn eli the other political parties. and espe-
,isTz- from the Parisians adverse criticism and
,solsnt p-o:esta{ion. 1t Is pointed out by the
,nresirscr press that no fewer than twenty-five
assaults having the same abominable motive
&c +t,at which characterized the crime perPe-
.-z-ed by Soleillant have been recorded in
France in the last summer. and these, ii is al
legged bv leading criminal lawyers. were sug-
Fested ty the publicity given to the details dur
ing the trial Of Soleillant which melted among
oer+ain III balanced minds an insane passion for
imitation
President Fallteres took great pains TO make IL
sropSn that ~ committing Soleillant's sentence
he could not discover the faintest extenuating
circumstance. but did 50 out Of fGetv to his
conviction held for the last thirty years. in re
ra-5 20 the ethics Of the death penaltH-
The Figaro" in leading article written hy
CASTOR Calmette declares that President tai-
Heres has exceeded his prerogative in invoking
g general principle and thus abrogating a law
which could he done only by another law duly
nsssed by parliament. In the course or 'he
dav several Indignation meetings were held IN
che reighF,orhood where the Soleillant crime
was committed denouncing what is termed tle
II timed clernencv Of the head OF the state
Those p,l,o support President Fallieres in this.
which sppears TO he the most unpopular meas
IRE in the course Of his tenure of office, say tnat
If would b- impossible for him TO have taken
hon a
sion a government bill for the suppression of
7,,r,ish,,7ert bv death was laid before the Cham
her of Deputies il bore the signature Of NJ
FaIlieres The Radical papers publish extracts
from Victor Hugo denouncing capital PUNISH
rnent while on the other hand excited groups In
the cafes and or the boulevards deprecate the
Presidents communication and predict that GRIM
inais OF every description will be encouraged 10
redouble their exploits. and that the public
welfare and safety require that the gullIotlne
be brought into operation at once as an example
10 the "apaches" and ''hooligans." who treat
certain quarters Of the city as II 1t were a con-
quered country.
The Socialist "Aurore"' says the Presidents
decision marks a glorious epoch Tor FRANCE
The "RappeT' concludes a flaming article head
ed Public Conscience Can No Longer Tolerate
CAPITAL Punishment with the words: 1T Is now
,er+sin that henceforth nobody in France will
ever he guillotined." The Petite Repubique
states that the immense majority OF the coun-
try called with insistenoe for the execution OF
this man. but the President had the right 20
act as he has done. and did so with calm "our-
age ard that he is no f1stterer Of the masses
Entirely dissatisfied with the measure Of clenl-
ency for so despicable a criminal. the Monarchf-
cal s-SolefT' asks: LAS for the women. the
mothers Of families. hov one express their
-, I7a 6eCi sion NJ
the President?"
II. Ernest Judet in the ''Eclair," says: M.
FaIlieres shows a disregard for the chambers
He procIairns on his personal authority the sup
preston Of the death penalty, which the parlia-
r7ent has not abolished G J. X.