The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-12-01
rAE EXECUTION or HENRY CLAY
BEATTIE, JR.
ION Frlaay's Daily:


commonwealth OF Virginia. at an ear
b hour this morning. will take the
life q Henry c. Beattie. Jr.
Almost IN the very beginning there
Vas Numbered a message from Sinai
saying Thou shalt not kill"
This message carries with it no
qualifications whatsoever.
II 10 Intended for the state the
same a. 81 Is for the individual. In
deed. more so. for the state is suppos-
81 % be- more enlightened
How pitiable will be the plea be-
fore the bar Of the Great Jehovah:
We killed Jones because he killed
SMITH"
suppose that plea were carried 10
ta loElcal conclusion. what would be
fhe nnal result? Would it not end
ln ,he humiliation Of the human race?
some sixty years ago in France
man was condemned to the guillotine.
SO was possessed OF more than ordi-
nary physical strength and his execu-
TONERS we're not able 10 drag him to
me fatal cart Reinforcements were
secured and the unfortunate man was
bound and carried upon the unsteady
acanold. and with main strength he
was pushed under the pitiless
knife. and his head severed from the
body aud fen over toward the multi
lude-a CHASTITY sight
Charles Hugo. son of the famous
author. az the time was the editor Of
a Partisan newspaper. and was a wit
ness % the revolving tragedy He de-
plcted the scene In very vivid and
sensational colors for the very pur-
pose Of making the guillotine odious.
He was arrested and placed on trial
for mot having due respect to the
law"
lie was defended by his father, Vic
Tor HugO. who all his life had used
the power Of his elOquence and the
force Of his influence against the
gulll0tlne. which he pronounced a
badge Of barbarism.
lle said that II was Victor Hugo,
nof Charles Hugo. that was on trial,
for be had instilled into his son, and
that his son had inherited and imbib
"a hls spirit. and was only perpetual
ing the opinions OF his father
He plead guilty 10 the accusation
that he had no respect for any law
that was injurious to his country and
baneful 20 mankind II was a law, he
said. even Louis PHILIPPE proclaimed
that he had detested all his life; that
Franklin had declared was abomina-
Bile: that had been condemned by Bic
carla. Woo. Filangeri. Montesquieu,
Turgot. Broglie and Guizot A law the
abrOgatiOn OF which had been demand
ed by the chamber of deputies in
1899; that had been abrogated by the
Roman republic: that even the half
civilized Othaeites had erased from
their statutes. and a law which Tus-
cany would have no longer who
dare" Hugo said, believe that a ma
chine for the cutting off of heads is
needed In a country that has the Cos
pei for its guide?"
Rising to the highest pitch he ask
ed II one could dip his finger in hui
man blood and write the command
ment. Thou shalt not kill" and have
respect for these impious laws hat
cut OF the heads of victims, strangle
them TO death I'm the name of the law,
or put them TO death in any other
manner
Did the inquisition, did the rack,
did the red-hot branding iron, did any
OF these forms of barbaric torture
make one have a higher respect for
religion or higher respect for a coun-
try that claims to have the Holy Bible
for its guidance?
Violating Gods commandment and
taking human life under the forms of
Law does II prevent crime? 1t is not
always the guilty who are punished
sometimes the innocent falls victim
to the vengeance of the law
What do records in this country
show? DR.. Macarthur says that with
In the past twelve months ten thou
sand persons have either been shot,
strangled, poisoned, sand-bagged,
stabbed. or otherwise put to death.
No other nation, Christian or pagan,
can show such record.
Who can ponder over these figures
and but believe that the barbaric OK
ample set by the state bears fruit aft
er It's kind