The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-11-28
Capital Punishment.


Before the Legislature passes the !
bill permitting the return Of qualified
verdicts in murder cases it should I'M
derstand that this measure amounts
practically to the abolition OF capital
punishment. Montpelier Journal.
why?
rs it because the average man on
a jury would bring in a verdict calling
for a penalty less than death il the
law would allow him to do so and be
honest?
If so, what does that mean? That
the average man is opposed to the
death penalty.
Reason it out, or reason out of il.
the result is the same. The fact that
this law providing for capital punish
ment is now on the statute books is
the only reason why the death penal
~ prevails in this period of American
social development. If the idea were
a new one, if it were proposed TODAY
Tor the first time TO make death the
penalty for any crime. the Legislature
would not pass the bill.
why?
What is this duality of conscious.
ness, this paradox of reasoning that
| allows a people to tolerate as An In.
sutution existent what they would
not advocate as an institution pro.
| posed?
| What Is the harm in changing the
law so that qualified verdicts NAV be
returned in murder cases? If the neo.
pie OF the State from whom the jury.
men are drawn find their own senti.
ments reflected in the verdict of a
jury that will not hang a fellow NOR.
tal, why is not that exactly what a
jury is supposed to do-reflect the
sense of law and order of the vici.
mage? If the jurymen do not reflect
tneir sentiments in such verdicts tbe
people have a right to change the law
again. ''-S 10"
| We have tried capital punishment
since history was being made by orr
family only to be forgotten becanse
NOBODY could read or write, and il is
yet to be shown that dread of the
penalty ever prevented murder
st Adams Messenger.
Inc responsibility that rests upon
the average jury called upon TO con
wet fellow man of the crime of
murder is so great, and so burden.
some that the natural tendency is to
seek TO mitigate the sentence SO far
as possible
Severe punishment almost ALWAYS
Is distasteful and is a duty from
which II is natural to shrink. For
this reason the easier way for the
average jury will be to specify a life
sentence in prison rather than capf
tai punishment.
For the murder committed in the
heat of passion, on the spur of the
moment, capital punishment is no de
terrent, but verdict of manslaught
er is usually returned In such cases
The Journal believes that capita
punishment does prevent cold blood
ed, premeditated murder. It is no
, easy TO prove how many murders ar,
thus prevented but II is pretty certain
that the average man prefers impris
onment to death. There is Away
the possibility of pardon or OF com
!. mutation Of the death penalty by tn,
Legislature. II the death penalt,
never could be imposed desperat,
criminals might assault or kill
keeper, knowing that their punish
ment would still be only the impris
onment that he must serve in an,
event and there is always the tempta
ton to kill the guard and make
break for liberty.
There are still good many peopl
who believe that human life in tn
aggregate is more effectually safe
guarded by the knowledge that dealt
is the penalty for murder in the frs
degree than 1t would be II imprisor
ment might be substituted therefor
Montpelier Journal.