The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1910-02-04

a powerful picture Of the criminal afte
he has been found guilty and the iudg
has asked him, as be stands with bowet
head before the stern tribunal, for hi
last words before he places the sentenc,
of death upon his head. And then h,
showed what power mercy would hav,
were it allowed to have effect here; hoy
that same criminal, if put in prison foi
life, would become regenerate indi
vidual and bless his lot that he had es
lcaped death at the hands Of justice
and eventually grow into a good anc
useful citizen. All Of this was whai
Connors did and he accomplished il
with such finesse and artifce that you
could have heard q pin drop all the
time he was speaking, provided some
one dropped the pin.
Mr.. Harrison was introduced as the
next speaker, and he put forward an
earnest and weighty argument in favor
of capital punishment. He speaks
well, as only the best may always be
expected of him, and his decorum as a
public orator is without fault. He, like
his colleague, also drew upon the Bible
for matter to reinforce his argument.
He drew a picture for his listeners Of
man in semi-civilized state, when he
walked the streets with knives in his
belt and guns in his pockets and said
that this would be the state OF affairs
were capital punishment prohibited.
He showed his audience that there were
people on the map who did not care the
snap of their finger for the life OF any
one; they would commit cold-blooded
murder upon the slightest provocation,
and that such men could never be re-
formed. He touched convincingly up
on the idea OF mercy and showed that
to confine such a man for life would
never be mercy to that man nor the
community into which, he stood
chance Of escaping or being pardoned.
After Mr. Harrison had retired the
rejoinder was held between league and
Waddell, which was only strengthen
ing Of points already made.
President Mitchell then requested the
judges to retire and weigh evidence,
and the meeting turned into a turmoil
Of excitement when they had done SO.
During the absence OF the judges it
was suggested by Connors that Attor-
ney General Caldwell speak few words
% the societies. He complied with the
request saying as he arose that he was
N favor OF capital punishment and that
lie had been greatly impressed with the
peeches Of the negative side. He said
hat hardly ten per cent OF the criminals
Who were sentenced with life imprison-
nent remained in JAIL Capital pun
shment, he stated has been abolished
n Michigan and, unaccountably, that
tate has grown better for it. applause
rom league and Connors.) But the
bolition Of capital punishment is very
nwise thing. Applause from Wad-
ell and Harrison.)
At this point the judges reappeared
nd Bro. Hudgins, after a few highly /,
ljoyed and appreciated remarks, re-
orted that decision had been rendered
favor of the affirmative, that in re-
,ect to manner of delivery, expression
oints the negative upholders of the
lestion had been surpassed
The defeated candidates, however, did
IT allow their spirits to droop. They !,
ere complmented roundIy as well as :
0 affirmative side, and are ready to Z
oss swords with the other side again. :
the front Of the hall in the center Of "
e wall are the letters, u. G. 4. S., al o
'nately composed of the colors, ma
on, white, gold and black, and A
ague strikingly Brought the question tr
a conclusion by stating that, after all
$ been said, the two societies are real
united under one great, splendid en-
IT, G. 7. s. 1t was a fitting
'se, and exacting in a description Of WI
, state of feeling among the students ye
the school =,