The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-06-09
KANSAS COMMENT
BACK TO RARRARIsM.

Surely there can be no good in such
spectacle as that at Danville, Pa,
where yesterday several hundred per-
sons. mostly foreigners, gathered to
witness the hanging of man who had
murdered a woman. It is said these
people were induced to attend the ex-
ecution that they might see the ter
rible punishment the law metes out to
murderers, that wholesale crime
might be checked. But that is not
likely to be the effect OF course there
are too many murders committed III
this country, as in every other coun-
try, and according to statistics, the
foreigners can't learn much OF the ter
ride things the law does to the muir
derers in this country; more of them
escape the law in this country than in
any other, and the fixed penalties
average about the same. Therefore
1t is unlikely there is any foreigner,
however ignorant. who hasn't an &C
will do to him. II he murders and gets
caught. 1t follows, therefore. that the
public hanging is a failure as a means
OF education In this line.
On the other hand, the tendency of
a public hanging is to cater to the
bring forcibly to their minds such
crimes as the man on the gallows Is
paying for: perhaps to give to the
laws victim touch of heroism or
martyrdom. There is something the
matter with the man, or woman. who
Will attend hanging. public or other
wise. unless such attendance comes
in the line of duty; and the something
is a touch Of the brutal inherited per-
haps from the time when might was
right, and life hinged on prowess with
the sword or spear. At least 1t bor-
on "a ha ri MI
and merits no encouragement among
civilized nations Of today. And the
tendency is away from such things; |
many states, and even some nations
are abolishing capital punishment en- |
tirely. But because OF more humane
of punishment, or even exc
cutions. there is lacking evidence that |
the world is growing worse in the mat |
ter of crimes and criminals. Indeed, |
In most places it is certainly improv-
ing.
Murder will continue to be done un-
til all mankind has outgrown the inn
pulses: there are always some who |
be scared out. Again We say
there can be no good in showing an |
ignorant alien how the state pays a |
murderer back in kind.-Atchison
Globe.
OFF DAYS
Oh OdyS cOIHe 10 every upOH
this earth, and it is not given to him
to explain why: nor can the physicians
or philosophers explain why: nor do
the writings of the sages or philoso- |
piers explain why; but the off days
come, and it is impossible to do good
work. And that is a good time to go
fishing.
The off day comes to the minister
OF the gospel. who usually breaches
we'll, and who feels enthusiasm in his
work; and when 1t comes he stumbles |
along pitifully and muses. everything
and the worshfpersf regard him with |
and begin to think that
he should have been a clerk in a hay
store instead of a preacher, and he has
to go around among his parishioners
the next week andsexplain that he had
an Off day.
The baseball pitchers have off days; |
some of them have 'em pretty often. |
But it is an affecting thing to see a
good pitcher being Inundated before
big crowd, through no fault of his
own. He simply can't pitch, and that's
all there is to- it, and when the game
Is over and the score Is 498 to in favor
Of the other fellows, he goes to some
quiet spot and breaks his heart, where
the explosion won't annoy anybody.
And SO on. with men In all profess
sions and avenues of usefulness.
For some occult reason, Monday is
the worst of all off days, the world
over. A man should be refreshed and
invigorated by day of rest, but he
Isn't The routine Of his work is bro
ken by the Sunday layoff. and he
faces the demnition grind on Monday
with the feeling that he has
lost all holds.
In these days of faith cures and alb
sent treatment and such things there
should be some remedy for the off
day evil. Some hypnotist should be
able to do good to the worker who is
out of kilter by putting him under the
influence, and telling him that he feels
better than he ever did in his life, and
ordering him to sail in and break the
Gazette.