The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-05-23
WAITING FOR THE PROOF.

Our good friend E. w. Winfrey. of Culpeper,
a. as difacult to hold to the point at issue the
Petersburg Inder-Appeol The Virginian has re-
peatedly stated that IL any one could find
better method of punishment-one serving as
greater deterrent TO crime than capital punish
ment-The Vtrginian would gladly accept 1t. but
our friend will not meet the issue He will not
attempt to prove that life Imprisonment would
decrease crime, but contents himself with as
sorting that the death penalty is not the best
method, even admitting that it would be unrea.
sonabe to expect him to prove 1t. II he cannot
prove 1t, why should anyone accept the dictum?
And here We wish to take positive exception TO
one statement made in his communication of
yesterday;
And. manlfestiy, without controversy. what
ever is not humane, whatever is not just, what
Is condemned by the essential truths OF
revealed religion-cannot be the best thing Of
its class-it cannot be the most effective
the most expedient.
Certainly not, but Mr.. Winfrey has already ad-
naitted that capital penalty is just If II is the
best method that 1t is humane II it is the best
method and he must yet prove that it is con-
demned by the accepted truths of revealed
religion.
for that that The virgtnian has limited
the debate to the question OF the relative efficacy
81 the death penalty and any other penalty as
deterrents. If the death penalty Is the best
method it is just and humane and according to
revealed religion, which teaches, II 1t teaches
anything, that men must do right Or suffer the
consequences. If some other method is the best
The death penalty is inhuman, unjust and against
the teachings OF revealed religion. Whatever
will come nearest to wiping out crime without
1njurying the innocent is just and humane
not to criminals but to the vast majority who
are not criminals. The State should attempt
IL reform and regenerate. as Mr.. Winfrey would
have 1t do but the first duty of the State is to
protect it's members That is the motive which
caused the formation Of the State and when no
protection against violence, robbery and injus-
ttce is needed the State will dsintegrate. 1t
will have served its purpose. II it cannot protect
II will disintegrate, because it cannot serve
the purpose which gives it the right to life.
Mr. Winfrey has said that where the death pen
Atty has been abolished crime has decreased.
VIII he tell us of those places. give figures and
demonstrate that there were no reasons for that
decrease? VIII he also tell us why it Is that
IN the Southern States, where capital punish
nent exists, but is not enforced there are more
murders every year than in all Great Britain,
where capital punishment is the law and where
II is rigidly enforced. viii he give figures for
the States not having capital punishment
figures for five years preceding and five years
following the abolition Of the death penalty?
In other words will he prove that life impris-
cnment is greater deterrent than the death
penalty? He says that 1t is unreasonable to
aspect anything like physical or mathemati-
cal demonstration. Why? Common tells
~ that man prefers life Imprisonment to death
!. M. * N did not, the fact that all who are
ecudemned TO the gallows spend money ana
snsrU and resort 70 every means Of working