The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-09-27
Voice of the People
Onpital puniahment.
To the Editor of Tho Times-pispatc

To the Editor of Tho limos Dispatch:
Sir,-' And II any mischief
follow. then thou shalt give life for
life. eye for eye. tooth for tooth, hand
for hand. foot for foot. burning for
burning, wound for wound, stripe for
stripe. +" In tho twenty-f,rst
chapter of Exodus. tho twenty-third
verse. appears the foregoing writing.
the holy word of God,
This country seems to DO divided
as to the meaning of those words
whether they mean that God intended
that when a man takes life, his in
turn shall be taken, or whether the
words bear a meaning other than the
literal meaning they would appear TO
bear.
In our State of Virginia to-day. and
IN many other states in the Union
there exists the penalty of doath for
the taking of the life of another
ohiccrs are appointed by the gov
eminent OF this State to perform this
uuly' the taking of mans life, be-
cause he has taken that OF another
Is II fact that Almighty God has so
consecrated our government and has
80 consecrated the servants of tho
soVcrnment that, when they perform
thcir duty of putting to death mon
Tor 'his crime. they are protected. and
so enshrouded with a divine cloak
10 t'is act is not TO be held against
mem Is 1T fact that. when the
u"y Oh Judgment comes for those SER
wants OF the government who perform
,hat duty. that Almighty God will
not hold them responsible for the
taking OF the lives of men?
quoting from the final argument OF
Louis o. Wendenburg. chief prosccu-
,or IN the case of Commonwealth VIZ.
armrS Gay Beattie. Jr. recently
convicted Tor wife murder near Rich
mond, Va: God has said, Thou shalt
not kill. and for a violation ~ ,hnt
command He has said. '.vengeance 70
Mine.' and the law, through you. be-
comes tho agent OF God in His
wishes"
To the mere casual observer n
would seem. from the verse quoted
Dove. and the quotation from Wen
uehnurs's argument, that capital nun
lshment Is the law OF God. and that
man. when executing this law. is act
Ing as GOD intended he should act
But to the deep thinker. to the man
VINO ponders long and earnestly over
such subjects, there Is raised In his
mind doubt, and the longer he nom
ders over IT, the sraver becomes the
situation In his mind. and the moro
nrmiy convinced he is that man. un-
der the guisc OF law and government
other that which Almighty God has
given him. and which he can never
replace. He further believes that to
eliminate from society the dangers Of
murder. II vii! never be accomplishcd
ny capital punishment. because a life
taken is too soon forgotten: but that
the law has n right TO take from
,hat despoiler OF society and humanity
MS personal liberty, and connne him
WITHIN prison cell. there TO remain
the rest of his days. to be allowed
to think over his deed and. II pos
sible. get his Makers forgiveness. 20
nc Kept away from all people, save
ms Keeper. and in this way can be
IN Interpreted the verse vengeance IS
Mine and also, Eye for eye. tooth
for tooth, hand for hand. foot for
foot: burning for burning. wound Cor
wound. stripe for stripe" not in their
literal meaning. but in their true ana
just me, ming.
FRANK p MONCURE.
Rosslyn Va, contender 25