Arizona republican., 1913-04-03
Let This Thing Be Settled

So may it be. Let the question the abO- Htion of the death penalty Arizona be sub mited the people. Let be determined whether majority of regard nendish murder as a misfortune rather than d crime: whether the fiendsh murderer is deserving sympathy rather than whether d majority us would encourage rather than discourage murder.
 This matter will have to be settled in Arizona sometime, that the earlier it is settled better. Beside. for the present, capital punish ment is effectually abolished. We have noW and for a long time have had, five murderers in the state prison awaiting the inhction death penalty. A sixth, whose crime was peculiarly atrocious has recently been placed Murder Row.
 This is good advertisement for Arizona If proportionateIy many murderers held in the jail of either Chicago or New York (say 90 in Chicago 12O in New York) awaiting trial, We have in Arizona already tried and condemned to die it would be regarded throughout the country as a scandal, reflection upon the conditions in those cities.
 The people of this have already indicated plainly they could with opportunity af- forded them. that they do not want the death penalty abolished The legislature in both branches has rejected almost contemptuously. proposition abolish An attempt in the constitutional convention provide it's abolition failed mis- erably. The examination the venre in every murder trial discloses that an overwhelming ma jorty of the members opposed abolition of the death penalty
 The proponents of abolition affect to believe that the lately enfranchised women of the state are opposed to capital punishment but think Women hold the brutal murderer in even greater horror than do At the con- venton of the federation Arizona womens clubs at Douglas last fall, that body of representative md intel of the abolition of capital punishment we believe that that the sentiment of d very large majority of the women of the state was expressed.
 Now let consider the composition of the force behind this and every movement to abolish the death penalty. There are first, always many worthy and who honestly believe that society would be better served; that murder be less frequent; that capital punishment is archaic, relic O barbarous age.
 Then there the socialists, to whom ca ptaI punishment is form of violence and violence is in opposition the socialistic creed There are also anarchists, all of whom oppose capital pun ishment, because of it's violence but because it is ordered by organized society. Lastly every murderer, every thug every whose hand is raised against society, is opponent of capital punishment.
 There is question of morals involved in this matter any than question of morals enters into discussion any form of legal punishment that requires the exercise of force familiar and favorte phrase of those who would abolish the death penalty is 'legalized murder" Suppose that have abolished capital punishment something be done with the murderer He be rested and imprisoned against his will That then becomes '1egalized Kidnapping
 The only thing to be considered is the effect of the punishment upon the crime of murder and the experience of has shown where punish is swift and certain murder infrequent. mere provision the books. for capital punishment is a deterrent. There must be an enforcement of the provision That with jures officers of the law. The prosecutors, the and juries of this state in years have shown d disposition to enforce the but their efforts have been nullified of late by sup posed and largely imaginary sentiment against capital punishment Now, let the volume of this sentiment be determined by al appeal the people and then proceed to dispose of