Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-12-13
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT AND THE
GOVERNOR.
70 THOSE who are opposed to cap

ital punishment It Is modestly
suggested by the horse editor that
now is the time to take up the fight
against It, and make vigorous and con-
tinued war upon 1t. The horse editor,
while not disposed to be bloodthirsty
or especially reyengeful, believes that
there are some criminals for whom
only the death penalty can solve the
question Of what to do with them.
There are some men, degenerates
brutes, what you will in that direction
so low in the scale of morality that
their living is a crime against all the
principles Of nature, but this is out
side the main contention,
1t is suggested, though, that now is
the time to take up the matter, for we
can discuss the principle without de-
Gliding a case, We can argue the mat.
ter without bringing into It special
case with the lives of three or four or
more especial persons being injected
into It, Hence It can be argued on It's
principles and talked of simply on It's
merits.
Let this be done, or the discussion
dropped, until such time as It Is again
put up to the people to decide. 1t Is.
or was unfortunate that the matter
assumed the shape It did, unless in
deed, the execution Of those men today
operates as preventive to others, and
that they were, SO to speak martyrs
to the cause of the adjustment Of
capital punishment.
Governor West has been placed In
an unusually trying position On the
one hand certain newspapers and a
number Of ministers inslstlngupon the
men being hanged, on the other side
a strong pressure brought to bear in
the hopes of savnfg them from the
gallows, Delegations Of fearful wo-
men, able lawyers, excessive" hui
manltarlans, pleadlngs, supplcations
tears, Yet through It all Governor
West has remained firm, and has taken
the only course possible for him under
the peculiar circumstances. He has
been firm, not stubborn, for he has
carried out the will of the people Of
the state Of Oregon, when in doing so
he violated his own beliefs, opinions
and desires.
He stated 1t is true, that there
would be no more hangings while he
was governor" He no doubt meant
exactly what he said, for he had pro-
found belief that once the people of
the state could get u chance to pass
upon the matter that they would abol-
ish capital punishment Believing so,
he at the last election caused the mat
ter to be voted upon, and he then
found he was mistaken, that the ma
jority Of the people insisted upon the
death penalty for murder-they be-
lIeyod In the teachings of the Old
Testament rather than those OF the
New Pending this election rcpreyes
had been granted TO certain condemn
ed men, and they were given the
chance TO escape the moose il the peo-
pie so desired. They were given this
extra chance Of an appeal to the court
Of highest resort--the people and they
lost As the governor of the state, the
representative of these voters, he was
sworn TO sustain and enforce the law.
Whom he could no longer doubt the
desires Of the majority when they had
almost IN 30 many words, told him
they desired the men whom he had
reprieyod, hanged there was but one
thing he could do, and that was carry
out the expressed viii Of the people
enforce the law,
He did this, and the condemned men
have paid the penalties fixed for them.
Yet nobody is satisfied That is none
Of those doing the talking and making
the most noise Tho ultras among
those fayorlng the death penalty kick
and yowl because he gave the poor
q n.-.-.-.....................