Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1913-04-11
THE SAME OLD CRY.

In criticising a recent Observer et
itorial regarding the death penalt
for murderers, the Oregonian use
these words in referring to the tern
"mawkish sentimentalism: "Wha
else is it that impels one to look uF
on murderers as prosecuted inno
cents and upon law enforcers a
murderers9" Here the Oregonial
makes the identical error that nearli
all exponents Of the death penaIt,
commit in referring to those who d,
not agree with them. 1t is not trut
that those who oppose capital pun
ishment s'look upon murderers al
persecuted innocents. " They demand
punishment for the murderer, but
their method Of punishment radically
differs from that advanced by those
who oppose them. They have as
complete adherence for the despica-
BILE wretch who stains his hand with
the blood of his fellow man, as have
the legal murder defenders, but they
believe that there are other forms of
punishment which in the end, will be
more severe than the mere legal XIII
ing of the condemned, and at the
same time, not present the brutal as
poets of the moose. They believe,
primarily, that the law has no right
to take away that which it cannot
give, and in this contention they have
undisputed authority. They contend
that the condemned murderer should
cease to exist as an atom Of social
life. They insist that he should be
confined to a narrow cell for the bal
ance of his days, beyond all power
Of pardon, unless subsequent events
shall conclusively prove his inno-
cence. What punishment could be
more severe, as we have said many
times before, than to make the con-
demned man know that, when the
doors of the penitentiary close be-
hind them, they close forever. Such
things are possible.
It is "mawkish sentimentalism "
to insist that the man who has taken
the life of his fellow be compelled
to spend the span Of his years in
close confinement, alone with his
conscience and the spectre of his mur-
dered victimq II it "mawlxish sem
timentalism' to believe that the
criminal so confined will suffer untold
agonies during every moment of his
wakin hoursY And who shall say
what horrible phantoms trail their
chastity garments through his troubled
dreams as, night after night, he
tosses on his prison cot crying in vain
for the peace that will not be his,-
will never be his while his vital spark
shall last. Alone in cell, behind /
walls of stone and bars Of steel, for /;
ever separated from the free life out =
'ide, cut off from all communication
With friends and relatives, doomed 2
o exist with no hope of pardon or
II escape, until the last final act. a
When death shall step in and send
ms accursed soul to meet its Maker
s such punishment as this looking
'pon murderers as "persecuted inno- :
ents3" We hardly think so, and that e
5 why The Observer objects to the Q Q
se of the term, "mawkish sentimen- u u
alism." q
But the pardon power must be re- p
lncted before the capital punish "
tent law is abolished. The Observer &C
I'd not support the bill proposed by Q.
lihative in the November election. 81
Or the reason that it left the par u
oning power with the widest latitude W
the discretion of The authorities. ne
his should not be. Murder should al
ot be a pardonable crime under any re
rcumstances except the establish IN
ent Of the complete innocence Of the ln
'eused and. although unfavorable 'e
capital punishment, The Observer no
II oppose, with all the arguments OF
IFS command, any law aimed at m'
e present practice, that does not. Gu
the same time, very radically re- en-
net the power Of pardon. ur
SO FAR as the Humphreys are con- 70
rned, our position is already sufIic- oeI
ltly understood. We believe that eh
ere IS grave doubt Of their guilt
len also believe it. At the best
ar mentality was Of 50 low an or sto
that It is doubtful whether they The
uld have the cunning 10 commit 50 al
Inous a crime and 90 cover their nn'
Al 50 completely. Possibly the IN
~ viii Be known some time. IN
hnal analysis It may Be discov-
a that they we've guililcss, bat tha
araiion vii BE- impossible. The he
has doae o. work well II can his
call their back 20 hfe
ne proporents of capital punish 7
q ean a. least adoni b be fair in in .
r rrliiEizus for