The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-01-20
'CLERGYMEN OPPOSE
PERM|SS|VE SUICIDE
Preachers and Others Express
Disapproval of Plan Sug-
gested by Attorney.
SAY LIFE Is STATES
Do Not Believe Any but Conf
monwealth'S Officers
Should Execute.
SAY LIFE IS STATES

CleY1ymeu and others OF salt Lahe
last night expressed disapproYal OF the
suggestion made by Judge Thomas Mar
ioncau1 that condemned persons oe al
lowed to poison themselves II they de-
sire. The basis Of the opposition IS the
thought that ones life belongs not 10
himself. when he has committed cap
itaI crime. but 10 the state. 10 some
the thought of permjssive suicide WAS
nppallinR. Their statements follow;
THE REV, 2. A. SIMPKIN, pastor OF
Phillips Congregational church-Thst
would be n rctrogressiye step. The
only excuse for capital punishment J s
tho majesty Of the law and the fun'
damental belief in our Anglo saxon
society that the taklDg OF bro calmly
and Deliberately can only be atonea
for hv the taking OF life on the par,
of the law. However much men may
Fundamentally differ on the matter
of capital punishment il can be in
Hicted with dcccncv aud proprletF
only when the properly appoi nted ON
GERS OF the law perform tho eNecu-
ton. There is a natural rcpngnancc'
against bringing the hari-karl oi
Orientalism into the gravity OF our
Auglo-Saxop legal procedure. ! would
much like the present Legislature 10
abolish the crude method Of execution
bv rifle and also the barbaric survival
OF the pibbet II capital punishment
is to be enforced. | think The electric
chair Ia less cruesomc and also tends
loss To naturalization of the officers ot
execution than any other system. This
is not plea for capital punishment,
but il is n plea for robbIpg IT OF as
many features that are debaslng anu
abhorreni as possible, The legislators
should by all means take some action
in this matter. Despite The serious
meas Of this matter. there is something
Gilbertian TO me at least ia the sug
ncstion Of pc-missiyc suicide,
ELDER B. II ROBERTS. one OF the
seven presidents of the seventies q;
thc Normo on church, would consider
that one of tho most barbarous meth
ods for any civilized land to adopt,
If tho state concludes life should be
taken the state should take it. Mr..
Marioueaux 5 plan would lead 20 dis
astrous consequences under the idea
that one be permitted TO take his own
life. Self murdcr in ali its forms
should be condemned Phe sacredneSs
of human life should 'bc maintained,
To encourage the sin OF suicide would
be dcmoralizing. / bold tn the Nor
mon belief in the Bible ''thst whose
ever committetb murder his blood
should be shed.
THE REV. ELMER I. GOSHEN. pastor
of the First Congregational church,
don I like the idea. 1t would be an
inducemcDt TO self destruction. [ do
not believe In suicide at all: ii cheap
Gus the sacredness Of life. Nor do |
believe in capital punishment. With /
that society simply shifts the blame
FOR is own shortcomings.
WARDEN ARTHUR PRATT of the
pcniteDtiary-I don I know what TO
think Of il. ] see no objections, but
J haven t given il any thought, You
know the board Of corrections has
recommended The electric chair. |
would rather not express any opinion.
! think Nevada has law such as Mr.. |
MariopeauN suggests
THE REV C. r. NEEL, pastor of the
Central Christian church, do not |
believe in that form Of capital pun |
ishmcnt. II would not be regular. |
believe III the right kind OF capital |
punishment when it is necessary. AL |
lowing u condemned man TO take POI
son would be worse than any other. |
1t would allow the state 20 shift its !
responsibility The state is respon- |
si'blc TO the people for vioIators of |
the law and the state should inflict |
the necessary punishment.
BISHOP F. S. sPALDING of the Epis-
copal diocese do not believe in |
suicide under any circumstances.
WARD WINTER REESE of
ST. Paul S Episcopal church, do not |
believe IN capital punishment
B. F. GRANT. chief Of pojice-It would |
be peculiar law to let amy person
be self destroyer. 1t does not ap-
peal TO me little bit.
THE REV. FRANCIS BURGETTE
SHORT, pastor Of the First Methodist
Episcopal churchill we must have !
capital punishment, would it have the
same effect to permit condemned |
person 10 kill himsclfs J believe moi.
That lie belongs TO the state, does il /
not' If that is so, and it must be !
disposed of. the state should DISPOSE |
or It. No one ought 10 commit sui.
eide. Perhaps preacher ought not
disagree with n lawyer. but ii seems !
20 me that to give anyone that right |
would be .acquiescing in the general
thought OF Suicide.