The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-03-12
WILL sEABRooK's TRAVELS

(By W. B. Seabrook.

j: * = = i x * = = x x X x x
(By W. B. Seabrook.)
Copyright 1909, by W. B. Seabrook.)
The Augusta Chronicle.
used by permission of Author.)
Betlhune, France, Feb, 19O9.-ln
the face Of an alarming increase Of
crime and in compliance with a popu-
lar demand, the French Chamber OF
Deputies has revived the death penal
Try, and President Fallier'es, bowling
before the will Of the majority, but
against the dictates Of his private
conscience, at last consented to sign
the warrants. Four heads have al
ready fallen beneath the blade of the
guillotine and other executions are
imminent.
The necessity of capital punish
ment is recognized not only in France
but in practically every other civiliz-
ed country, and no one conversant
with the facts Of the situation in this
republic dares to blame the govern
ment for imposing the death penalty,
but the manner in which these first
four executions were accomplished
was shocking and disgraeeful to the
last degree; so disgraceful that photo
graphs Of the proceeding, published
in the daily newspapers, have sbamed
France in her own eyes and in the
eyes of all Europe.
Ridiculous Probation.
And now five porminent members
of the Chamber of Deputies, reason
ing backward, have conceived the RI
diculous remedy for forbidding the
publication Of such photographs in the
future; they have proposed the fol-
lowing law:
"Immediately upon the pronuncia-
ton of a condemnation to death, the
printing, publication OF circulation Of
portraits Of the condemned prisoner,
of photographs, designs, engravlnss
or figures, representing or pretending
to represent the scene of execution, IS
formally forbidden under penalty Of
fine or Imprisonment. 4"
If that ingenious formula meets
with the success desired by its au-
thors, something will at last be held
sacred in France, something Will be
protected from those Partisan jour-
mails, which respect nothing in heaven
or earth, these newspapers, which
make sport of God Almighty and
carieature Jesus Christ whenever it
suits their brilliant and blasphemous
fancy. That something Will be the
criminal, who has roasted alive two or
three old women or arnihilated the
sleeping family of some honest far
mer.'
But the fact that the proposed rem
edy is ridiculolsu does not Obscure
the other fact that the photographs
of these executions were 'unfit for
publication. A society, which no
longer dares publish the details Of
the spectacles enacted by its govern
ment and citizens, and which seeks
for a remedy in the suppression Of
the publication rather than In the
suppression of the spectacle, is in full
decadence.
Under the Guillotine.
The execution Of the Pollet band,
here in Bethune, was a joyous pub
lie fete, a fightful carnival Of blood.
Ordinarily the practical and austere:
administration of the Third Republic
IS opposed to fetes and shuns the JOY
ousy the spectacular, the beautiful. 1t
G'as forgotten the innocent May-day
the "Feast Of Flowers" upon which
the citizens Of France made merry
under the monarchy; it discourages
the observance of national festivals;
it despises the professions and pom
pous ceremonies Of the church. Moth
inc relieves the monotony Of the
years: even the 4th of July, the great
revolutionary fete-day, has become
lugubrous.
But, behold! murderer is about
to be executed: marvellous anima-
ton invades the streets and boule-