Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-12-02

we are regaled with baublng pictures
Of execution scenes, more suitable for
editions DE Luxe of the Old Sleuth
library We see the messenger, with
the pardon in his teeth, dashing on
horseback through the prison, up the
scaffold and down through the trap in
time to save an innocent man All
this and much more. In short, the
general tendency Is to concentrate
sympathy for the condemned man re-
gardless of all other circumstances
surrounding his particular case.
Individuals give up certain person
al liberties for the general protection
of society. When this protection has
been questioned by open crime, all
agree in a penalty The contention over
capital punishment is not SO much one
Of penalty as one Of what kind of PEN
atty. Society has ordained the extreme
limit In some cases, If you base the
penalty upon the nature Of the crime, !
we find that the most extreme pun
ishment Is frequently inadequate. Cap
ital punishment is as far as we can 30
IN the line of penalty We believe the
nearest we can come to an adequate
remedy In the case Of the lonely wild
ow OF Philomath is to exact ian eye
for an eye" In this society pleases
the theologlans who are strong on
the Old Testament, But, along comes
another phase. The barbarous penal
ty excltes sympathy questions the
right Of society raps our moral con-
'clousness with the teaching of Him,
whom, upon every other question Of
moral conduct, we do not dispute The
mass Of people who oscillate in the
middle space between the decided par :
isans, are in serious quandary. The
Bible, from which, 1t is said, you can
'rove everything, in the hands of some
interpreters in this present discussion, ,
oesn't prove anything, Apparently it
Imports either contention.
To argue against capital punishment
easy. To argue for it is like argu-
lg for intemperance. Advertising in
newspaper is the only thing we know 4
that admits of no argument. If !
ome Of the prolific writer's who are
over with sympathy for the
)ndemned were to have seen the
ome of the Hill family near Portland J
no were eXterminated with an axe, I
had seen the details Of the case of :
e widow of Philomath, perhaps they !
light look for a moment at the other I
de Of this question, Their ready !
N would go poverty-stricken seeking !
an adequate description The gen Z
lty OF the law prescribes every pre- Z
ution against undue external bru- !
lity attending an execution, while 7
e crime for which it demands res 7
ution enacted with impunity every !
gree of human brutality. One is !
nstrained to ask, why are the paps I
human kindness dry for the victims !
d so wet for the violators? The hor- J
RS of the prison chamber on the 18th Z
December will not begin to compare 7
tn the horrors of the Hill home and !
shanty Of the widow of Philomath. I
japital punishment may not be right I
theory or practice, it being palpa- !
species of vengeance, but 1t being !
within human wisdom and prov I
e to adequately punish or provide !
aration, shall we not, in the dis !
rye of the existing laws, in the 7
lge of sympathy for the condemn 7
at least reserve one tear for the
nory of the victims? I
FRED R. WATERS. I
-s-ae-s----- 1