The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1912-12-19
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1912 NO. A.

STATIONS have been made in Califor-
MIA and Oregon against the execution
Of the death penalty. In each case
they were made by persons who had
no direct interest In the accused and
nouncing the principle of capital pun
ishment. Their efforts were without
avail, but the demonstrations may
have been the means of arousing the
people Of the United States. the most
enlightened and progressive country in
the world, to study Of capital pun
ishment and eventually to its abolish
ment as a relic Of ancient times that
like many other relics may well be
relegated to the scrap heap Of discard
ed notions and theories. Under the
Mosaic law. II was IAN eye for an eye
and tooth for TOOTH" The Chris
to mankind better order Of living
and 10 have eliminated the barbaric
practices that kept alive such prin-
cples, that can only be said to have
been perpetuated as means for re-
venge.
| The number of murders and crimes
hardly secondary in their seriousness
has increased as the population of the
world has increased. Disposing Of
murderers by killing them has not pre-
vented murders from being commit
ted. If every man who killed his fell
low man were in turn made to pay
the death penalty, the result would he
the same; but every murderer is not
executed, nor are even very small
percentage of them. On the other hand
thousands of instances have existed
where the wrong man was executed.
and the real murderer escaped punish
ment altogether. Evidence against an
accused man Is easy to manufacture
and circumstantal evidence. however
slight, can be and often Is distorted
into what appears to be positive proof
OF guilt. This fact was established In
the exposition, comparatively recent
ly, OF the methods Of certain class
of avaricious, bloodthirs.y and gain
seeking persons clothed with little
brief authority" who reduced what Is
termed third degree methods to POSI-
tive science, and by torturing, cocrc-
ing. starving and soaring accused men
gained from them what purported to |
be confessions Of crimes Of which |
many and perhaps most of them had |
not the slightest knowledge in the
world
Criminals and delinquents With
homicidal tendencies have no place In
The world at large. Society is entitled
10 protection and life and property
must be given protection. But the
allure of capital punishment to put q
stop to the commission Of crimes
proves it's ineiilciency. The criminal
who is isolated and given instruction
md enlightenment may and In ma
GRITTY of cases will reform and become
law abiding. useful citizen. The one
Who is condemned and chokcd to death
hot or electrocuted has no chance tc
eform.
The least civilized nations of earth
China and Russia for example
rescribe capital punishment for the
rcatost number of crimes; and in
pite of this fact. they are the nations
mong whose people the greatest NAM
er of murderers are to he found The
bolishment of capital punishment Is :,
long step forward in the march of /,
ivilization and II Is to be hopad that 4,
he time is not far distant when the ;.
nited States will set the example
nj take the long deferred aicp ~
Judgment is mine; | will repay"
nth the Lord. We can well afford to
ave II to Him. G.