The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-05-12
MONDAY. MAY IL, 1913.
SETTING A FRIEND RIGHT.

Is too prone to excitement in the discussion of
this question OF capital punishment, which some
people Just deceiving themselves into
believing Is issue In Virginia. Mr.. winfrey
should not allow himself. in discussing the ques-
ton, to exhibit the ferociousness shown by one
of his opponents. who should be expected to show
such traits. Those who so kind and tender
hearted and loyable as to weep bitter tears over
the death of scoundrel, while forgetting that
of his noble victim, expected to manifest
those same qualities in discussion.
Moreover, Friend Winfrey, the question Ia pure
If an academic In Virginia There Is no
great sentiment in this State In favor of the
abolition of capital punishment and until the
menace of murder and of crime becomes
less there will be no Increase In the sentiment
In its favor. a few people. whose souls shrink
from the thought of death In a cell legally ad-
ministered with as little suffering as possible.
few others who are always attracted by bizarre
theories--of which the contention that death does
not deter much prospects of number of
years In prison is one-and some sincere but.
in judgment superficial, students of the
Bible, compose the greater part of those who
oppose capital punishment In Virginia and these
are no considerable part of the whole people. In
time the abolition o. the death penalty will come
and The Tir0fnidn hopes the day will be FASTENED
not to save the lives of few whose absence
from the world will improve 1t, but because when
that time comes that kind OF people wall be all
but extinct.
To get back to Mr.. Winfrey and referring to
his communication published in these columns
this morning we WOULD direct attention to this
quotation:
Look again into the face Of the considerations
adduced in advocacy of the death penalty. They
follows:
The murderer deserves to die therefore the
State should Kill him
He def1es and endangers society: therefore we
should kill him.
The Holy God condemns and kills him. there
fore should kill him.
This has been the practice of the ages;
therefore we must keep II up
Mr.. winfrey says that the arguments "for
this hoary practice are no better than these"
and that "the merest beginner in the art of rea-
goning perceves at once their fallacious hollow
rotten character"
Our friend is not altogether fair in thus card
indexing the arguments in favor of capital pun
ishment. although, of course he means to state
Is,
however. correct him:
The murderer deserves to die; therefore we
should kill him.
What better reason for rewarding or punish
ing Is there than that he deserves re.
ward punishment Because a man deserves
to die does not, of course give any and everyone
the right to kill him, but 1t mitigates the guilt
OF the slayer If 1t be he that has been wronged
However. that is matter with little bearing on
the question. The argument la good only II it
be shown that the State has the right to take
life II 1t has not that right under any con-
dition. then. of course 1t has not the right even
when the victim deserves death.
This has been the practice of the ages there I
fore, we must keep 1T up.
This Is not fair statement of the case That
thing is the practice OF the ages is no conclusive
argument in favor of continuing it. but 1t has
great weight unless good reasons for change can I
be given. That the death penalty has been the
practice of man In various stages of civilization |
since the beginning of recorded history is fact |
which throws the full burden of proof upon I
those who would change it. The greatest men !
in the history of the world from Moses down |
&c ule present tune nave approved that practice. !
II must be selfconfdent man. indeed, to as
sumo the task Of proving them In the wrong
and exceedingly weighty must be his argument
t. he would convince the rest OF us.
The Holy God condemns and kills him; |
therefore, we should kill him.
We hardly believe that any advocate OF the
: death penalty would base his argument upon
this fact He might use part of it to reinforce !
his argument, for surely If God condemns him.
man cannot be held to task for doing the same
thing, but The Tirgtnian for one. will not con- .
tend that the murderer must be killed, because
God kills him. We have no information to that
effect. Our observation has been that God does
not kill him. unless Mr.. Winfrey wishes to init
mate that in so doing man acts as the agent of
the Almighty.
He dehes and endangers society; therefore we
should kill him.
Not at all. He defes and endangers society.
therefore. we should punish him. Mr.. Winfrey
win subscribe to that statement himself or ad.