The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-04-20
MONDAY. APRIL 20. 1914.
The Abolition of
CAPITAL Punishment.

~dDlI6l GIl1SIl1IlC11Is
A vast number OF people look on the
man who advocates the adjustment
of capital punishment as one given
30 weakness, and mot quite right In
his head"
But the opposition to capital pun
| ishment is growing
1t is very possible that some Day
in the not very distant future the le-
gal killing OF a human being win be
regarded with the same degree Of alb
horrence that the burning OF so-caned
4 witches in the early days OF the New
England states Is now regarded.
The death penalty, inflicted by the
law, Is nothing more nor less than
1egalized murder. The state torbids
the Individual to commit murder. and
yet does that which It makes unlaw-
full for the individual to do. Logical
ly speaking, q community. or a num-
her Of individuals. acting in an or
ganissd capacity. has no more right
to take the life of human being than
one Individual OF that community has
TO do SO. an
The sentiment against capital pun
ishment Is growing all over the world.
1t has been abolished inv France,
Switzerland, Holland, Norway. Fin
band. Russia Except FOR political
crimes) Argentine Republic. Belgium.
Venezuela, Guatemala, Costa Rico and
italy.
Five states in this country have
Mbholutely abolished the death pen
atty. namely: Michigan. Wisconsin,
Rhods Island Maine and Kansas.
IN only a few states is the death
glad to say that Florida is not one
OF them. Here the Jury has always
the alternative OF hfe imprisonment,
and II is now very seldom that the
death penalty is given.
IA gentleman speaking Of the cleo
brocu ton in New York of the four
gunnen said: IT like the way they do
business in New York. Their laws
can't be violated"
But they are violated-violated far
ignore than the laws in Florida are
where the jury is given the privilege
Eof deciding whether the death penalty
IS warranted or not.
Some justify the legal killing OF hui
Arran beings by the Mosaic law. Very
few people follow the Mosaic law
there has come a greater teacher,
Jesus of Nazareth. and nowhere does
NE command the taking of human life.
when the woman was brought to him,
land when he wrote in the sand, he
showed both wisdom and compassion,
Ego and sin no more. The decree
of the Mosaic law would have been
to stone her to death. The greatest
law giver on earth, never at any time
lsaid kill. He did say thou shalt not
ikilr'. and there is no reason to be-
i1eve that this applied only to indi
iyiduals and not to collection of in
slividuals.
A good Methodist exhorter was
once called TO serve In a murder case
The judge said:
MIR. Harris. do you believe in CAPT
tai punishment"
The good man replied, II am not
sure. judge. that / do"
DO you not believe that are some
crimes for which men ought to be
hung and that murder is one Of
'them?"
Mr.. Harris" pursued the judge,
suppose while you are on this jury
some one We're to enter your home
and brutally murder your wife and
children. would you not think that the
murderer ought to be hung
Judge" replied Mr.. Harris, this
is supposing a case. 1 do not know
how I would feel under such circum-
stances, but I do know" placing his
hand over his heart, that there is
something in here that would make
me hesitate to impose the death PEN
atty do not know what the some
thing is I did not put IT there. but
81 is there and l had rather be ex-
cused."
The Judge knew that the man was
conscientious and excused him.
There are only two reasons that
are ever advanced for capital punish
ment that are worth much considera-
Etion. One is to get rid OF the criminal
An order to keep him from killing
cthewe, and the other is to make an
Example OF him to keep others from
Killing.
since the penitentiaries are reason
holy SaISs d4lQ SAA4Co Ai1hSAIiSS oAC sen
nral acknowledged to have a pernic-
lous effect neither of these reasons
" Mil bear close analysis.
Gov. George ". p. Hunt. OF Arizona,
" Hoes not hesitate to say that he is
opposed to capital punishment. He is
Auoted as saying:
"rhe blowing out Of that God-light-