The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1915-01-07
cTPITAL PUNISHMENT OUR
DEBT TO CIVILIZATION.


tilions In the payment Of their debts.
which they look upon, one and all, as
debts Of honor. They also pay with
little less prOmptitude, the debts
which they owe TO society. They will
take time 10 go to the polls and vote.
they vii lserve on jurIes. they will Gil
public Offices or perform any other
duty that citizenship imposes upon
them. Probably because Of its larger
aspect, they do not pay the debts
which they owe TO their own asthetic
development, or what we may call civ
llization. COnspiciousIy are they do
Ilnquent and mendlcant in those finer
graces and sentiments which are in
constant protest against cruelty, and
which are ignored and trampIed under
foot in the taking OF life under our
barbaTous practice OF capital punish
ment. This savage custom is unwise,
un- n-ChrlstianIike and unnecessary, and
is at war with whit we have done in
other ways. With pride and gratif-
cation we can look about US and see
that our unselfish Iabors IN other di-
rections are wholly away from and
opposed TO the idea OF malevolence.
We have cheerfully taxed ourselves TO
build and maintain splendid and COM
modious institutions, wher the hun
cry are fed, wheT the naked are
clothed where the suffering are as
suaged. where the ailing are medi-
cined back to health and we try by the
skill OF our scientists to make the
blind see, the lame walk. the deaf
hear, and even the mentally oblique
sane and sound. Here we find all
sympathy and conservation. with no
suggestions OF vengeance, of punish
ment or extirpation. We but follow
in His steps. A man-God gave His
life for men, and there are many God
like men who are willing to do. to
suffer and even to die for others
There are Gethsemanes, Calvaries and
crucifxions In our day, where men
give up their lives for their fellow
men, and yet they tolerate the, taking
of human life which Is the most vald-
able and precious asset of civilization,
merely because King custom hath
wnled II so and lowered us with II
as a common heritage. We are con-
stantly agitating and instituting pris-
on form, and have done so far In
some places as to do away with the
cruelty OF separate celsl and solitary
confinement. Except in extreme and
unavoidable cases, we have gravitated
far away the darkness, the dungeon
and the gives, chains and manacles
Of former times. The tendency is to
give to prisoners during their incar'
ceratiop cheerful surroundings and
the benefits and pleasures of communi.
ty of life. We are getting away from
the idea of punishment and are sub
stituting education and reform and
character building. The unfortunate
wastrel who was left incomplete and
inefficient and without inherent force
to resist temptation Or triumph over
adversiy, we strive TO strengthen
and make ft, while we are ruthlessly
waste, destroy and extirpate those
upon whom the law pronounces capi.
tai sentence, instances of which un.
der our advancing civilization are
mercifully few. And in these few
instances, the enlightened and subli.
mated consciences Of courts and
juries are In protest and refuse to
carry out the law. They cannot re-
sist the wall that comes to them from
the prisoner of Reading Gaol.
But this know. that every law
That men have made for man.
Since first man took his brothers
life,
And this sad world began.
But straws the wheat and saves the
chan
With most evil fam"
Note-This is the second OF series
of FIVE articles on the question OF
capital punishment. prepared by NJ. w
Connellly. Managing Editor of the
Memphis News Scimitar.