The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-12-12
40 RkAE1dMIk nj
has BEEN ABOLI SEED BY LAM

there were no large ciylcs ia the
state ana NE popnlalton consist
50 utoStly ,ef pieneese from otber
States There seSye but fSw
manufacturing Industries at that
time, the principal occupation OF
the people boing that of farm3nk.
mining 2ao logging or lltnRSSrfnR
We do not believe THAI the num-
Der or capital offenses has been
Increased because OF the abolish
rnent of capital punishment. be-
cause we do not believe that the
inhiction CT capital punishment
is a preventive Tor the commits
sion OF capital crimes Since the
abolishment of capital prnish-
menk "a this State there has never
been amy sentiment in favor OF
restoring it. In fact. we do not
believe that any bill has ever been
introduced into the Legislature 10
have capital punishment restored.
The people OF the State of Wis
conein Go not believe that the
State should legalize the taking
Of a human life. neither do we
believe that the mere legalizing of
the taking Of a human life re-
lieyes the person who acts as
executfoner Of the moral respon-
s1bility Of the taking of such life.
We believe that whenever an
execution takes place it has very
cemoralizing effect upon the COM
murity IN which It does take
place, and that it has de-
moralizing effect upon the State
generally It might be argued
that where life impr ssonment is
the maximum penalty Tor the
commission Of a capital offense
that the person convicted may at
sometime secure his release
through executive cleraency. We
have a law IN this State which
gives the State Board OF Control,
acting as parole board, the
power to release life convicts on
parole, provided that they have
time allowance. which would
mean that they must serve six
teen years and three months net.
That law was passed in 1909 and
since It went into operation we
have released on parole seven life
convicts. most OF whom were re-
leased because they were about
to die, and were sent home to be
with their family when death cc-
Cured. At the present time we
have ninety lifers in the State
prison. and more than one-third
Of them are eligible 20 parole un-
der the law. but the board exer-
Sises The powers given II with a
great deal of discretion. and,
therefore. but few 1ifers' are
paroIed.
From Michigan, Mr.. NJ. T. Mdrra.
ecretary of the Board OF Correctio
no Charities, writes:
The last case of capital pun
ishment recorded in Michigan oc-
CURED on September "a, 1880. In
1876 capital punishment was abol-
tshed by law. Many inquiries have
been received by this board as
TO the effect OF the abolishment
OF the death penalty. but this
mode of punishment was dis
carced at such an early period in
the history Of Michigan, and con-
oiuons are SO different from what
they we're at that time. that a
satisfactory answer based upon
statistics cannot be given. Ere
quent Inquiries are received con-
corning the number OF life pris-
oners committed TO the penal In
stitutions as compared with the
whole number committed, and
with the Increased population OF
the state. but an examination dis
closes that there is no constant
relation with either. The number
Of lifers' committed each year in
this State varies materially The
number IN some instances in
creases four times IN one year
over the preceding year, and the
decrease in the next may be in
the same proportion. with no APP
parent reason for fiuctuation. The
parole system ia this State is ap-
piled very literally under the in
determipate sentence law, and by
an act passed by the Legislature
OF 1911. prisoners serving life
sentences are eligible after hav-
ing served twenty-five years, less
good time allowance"
1t VIII be seen from these facts ths
20 very definite conclusions can /
lrawn. The States which have t-se
he experiment of abolishing the deaf
penalty seem TO be satisfied, with III
possible exception OF Rhode islam,
With the results In our next artic,
We shall present such facts as we ne.
1een able TO gather concerning fol
sign countries IN which the sentenc
II death is no longer inflicted.