Gloucester County Democrat., 1912-02-01
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT


Assemblyman from Bergen county
had introduced a bill to abolish capi-
tai punishment, and according to 9TH
er newspaper reports there is like
move on foot in Massachusetts
There seems to be reformation
going on throughout the country. But
the reform seems to be confined mainly
to what business men call the Inter
ests, or Big Business. Very little in
terest is being manifested on the part
of the public concerning the method
now in vogue for Furnishing thise con-
victed of a capital crime.
| have for several years given this
matter considerable thought and
have often felt that were / a member
of the Legislature, it would be one of
the noblest acts conceivable to offer
both voice and vote IN favor of abb
olishing this barbarous law, which be-
longs to the dark ages, and should
no longer be tolerated by an enligh-
tened people
About fifty years ago man was
shot in Monmouth county, in a hotel.
There being several men in the build
ing at the time the report of the pis-
tol rang out, naturally they all rushed
into the room from whence it came.
Among the crowd was a young doctor
named Donnelly. The expiring man.
being still conscius, was asked If he
knew who had shot him. The diving
man pointed towards someone. and
all those present said he pointed to-
wards the doctor. The physician was
Immediately arrested, tried, convicted
and finally hung OF course it was
only circumstantial evidence, yet the
evidence seemed so strong that the
jury could do nothing but convict.
Some years after, the proprietor of
that hotel where the crime was com
mitted, made a confession before he
died, stating that he had fired the shot
which sent young Donnelly to the
scaHold. ask the question: would
not 1t be better for fifty guilty men to
escape than for one innocent man to
perish! Had it not been for the in
human law then, and now in vogue
young Donnelly would, after few
years of confinement, thrown off his
snackles and walked out free man,
and in all probability would have en-
Joyed for a number of years that life
and liberty which his Maker intended
for him :.
Some contend that to abolish capi-
tai punishment would have tend
ency to increase crime. / do not be-
lieve it. Germany has not increased
in murders since the death nenaltv
was abolished. / believe that when
people mediate crime, the punishment
has very little terror for them. and
while they may endeavor to escape.
yet they must certainly realize that
the odds are against them. I believe
all criminals should be punished; the
law should get them, and hold them.
but it should not compel another man
to be an executioner.
In conversation with an intelligent
man recently, / stated that 7 honed
the law would be changed. The man
replied by saying that he feared in
that event there would be more crimes
committed than now and he concluded
by saying that only about one out Of
flfty tried for murder. were executed.
said that was one of the reasons I
dld not believe in the law. The forty
nine, IT they are guilty, have no more
right to escape than the fiftieth. It
is unnecessary for me to say that the
circumstances connected with a case.
and influence brought forward, has a
great deal to do with the final decis-
ION in great many cases.
I believe person, convicted of mur-
der, should be confined during the
remainder of his, or her, life. away
from society, there allowed to suffer
all the remorse that ought naturally
to come to such a person.
We claim to be Christian people.
followers of the Son of Bethlehem
yet we practice just the opposite of
that which He preached For He said
the old Mosaic law said an eye for an
eye, a tooth for a tooth; life for a
life, but I say mot again He said.
sheath the sword, for he who draw
eth the sword, shall perish by the
sword OF course these utterances
OF the Nazarene must be properly in
terpreted, but the majority of people
whom ! have heard express them
selves upon this subject say. that it is
their belief, that Christ meant that no
one was put into this world to de-
stroy another King David was not
allowed to build the temple, because
God said his hands were unclean, as
he was man of blood. Therefore.
God deputized David's son Salomon.
AS have said, the law is a bar
barous one, handed down through the
ages. The student of history knows
of the different methods of punish
ment that have been meted out to
criminals during the past ages; most
fof them of cruel and revolving ma
ture, as in time past more brutal, and
torturous methods of punishment
were used, but after all, the final re-
suit has always been the same.
At the time Of Christ, and d1fing
the reign of the Caesars, crucifixion
was in vogue. yet that was not the
only method they used for execution.
For we read of how Nero. Rome's
crazy Emperor, caused thousands to
perish by the sword. We might so
back further to the time of Socrates,
ty11 on Tho Hrna1x ,,an{I,nd ,.f .0,>s+., i