The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-06-01

| after another has been stricken from
the list till only uwo are l4Lt-h!gn
treason and first degree murder. In
1864 the question OF complete alboli-
! ZION ZION tmr0ashout the Un!1ed Kingdom
was considered by royal comm sSion
they reported two years latsr. d!ner
Ing on tXp.di ency. and recommend IN
that Il be confined 10 first dsgree muir
der. English jur!es now seldom give
n first degnie verdict, and when ,hey
no. the sentences Is not oftan carried
out, for the crown reserves the right
10 change sentence, and frequently
does. In Continental Europe. perhaps
B.ccario. phnanthrop.c writer OF the
t!gh'tcenta century was foremost IN
diminishing capital punishment. Nor
way. itou'nan MIA. Portugal. Holland and
! Switzerland have completely abolished
Il. Will: tho larger countries have re-
duced capital ofenaes to u few. In
France. when death sentence is pro-
By the president. In our own county
:our StactS-Alaine. Ntich!gan Wiscon-
sin and Rhode lsland-no longer In
/ nict the death penalty. The capital
from one to four. Others have con-
sidered, and are SIN considering
abolition. In N!rg!nia's last General
Assembly Senator Ma3p. OF the East
abolition, 1t received no little con-
s.derat;on.
Next. the methods Of infection. Nat
ural!y, when the death penalty would
Suggest itself TO the race In Its IN
fancy. the most cruel and torturnS
means would be thought of. TGe trend
Is slgnlflca cruc!.iX!on
| impairment. precipitation from rocks
seoning, poisoning. hanging. electric
shock. HI carly ages executions We're
public. the community taking part
To-day only tha morb! Idly curious or
tbs brutally disposed would care 20
witness an execution, Only a Few
| would hold that Il puoi;c execution
frlght.ns tina cr!minally inclined. Sec
v.;d To fr-e lynch!ng in dcmoralizirs
/ Il community Is free execution. Hence
| most Christian countries de5ar the
! public. Hence secular newspapers that
are Inclined to swsn their columns
witS gruesome details 10 crafty the
| morbidly curious are deoarrcd Such
/ IS very riensre account OF the sub
! ject II. Is significant Commenting
! is in order.
! why do people sanction capital pun
! ;shment WHEN it is so generally ac-
cepted as 4 relic OF barbarism that II
| has become u t-uism?
| tirs. IL Is an ingra!ucd habit. 1t is
case or persistent habit developing
/ almost into an instinct
| Secondly. w-makcrs do not err. A
good sStzen will honor and respect the
sacnsd charge of Legislative body
! y citizen IS not necessarily bad if he
| does not agree with every Suppression.
| They sometimes mold that the licensed
saloon is for the hast interest q. states.
MANY are not persuaded.
! Thirdly. sonF accept every eX0l,+s-
sion as they do Chicago canned labeled
! goods. They swallow and think no
more.
Tourthlv. the brutality Of crime Jus
tiitss it. Yes, SONS crimes are hri,t3l-
brutal htyond conception Of the ordi-
nary mind. But to balance brutality
and play the part of savage is UNI
worthy az Il great and humane people
Filthy. it is a great deterrent of
! crime. III so. records OF The foreign
countries, he states IN our own coun-
try that hans abolished 1t. and lie per
sonal testimony Of the Governors and
| officials are meaningless. Some states
and nations have abolished and re-
| stored 1t is noteworthy that in the
majority Of such instances no differ
ence in ate OF crime could be OBJ
sixthly, scripture iustifcs 1t. With
all reverenos passages can be trans
posed literally TO iii either side.
! strained and distorted to carry points.
found IN the shady portions OF the
history O: tho race. We do not expect
for men TO sec % well at midnight as
at MONDAY. l cannot harmoni2e the
| taking OF human life Tor ofi=rse with
the heart OF Christ
Seventhly. the law gives ample time
Dor a condemned rerson 10 prepare for
eternity. What person can say, what
person you'd dare say, when = soul
is ready to meet lis God? W.. do not
iiv. ibv the click OF clock. Prepara
ton for eternity is not mechanical
DroGsss having a standard measure.
\ plant heart may prepare in q brie!
| p~,r!od. An obdura.e lr;art may require
yours Surely the person who commits
p capital ofensc is most likely to be
the Iattsr. Hence, the power to settie
a nsrson's fate !rrsv1ca5ly can he eX-
| erctsed Justly only ~ the OnIniscient
of the filest hs!ng corc;ivaNlc. would
he guilty or his nlood. And according
10 Christs reachings. Ia sanction the
saa,,r by others must 30 equally rs
r,,jltv Pardon TIE sentiment. but II
nv NE wer- tnke2 by another. I should
want my spirit to Instruct avengers
| nrrann my SILVER In some nlann