Pocahontas star herald., 1915-03-12
DO w e r. S -

thAte Ah AhhiAhof
The death penalty has been abol.
ished In Rhode Island since 1853;
Michigan since iS47: Maine since
1887: Wisconsin for quite a number OF
years; Kansas since 1907; Holland
since 1860; Saxony since is6S; Bel.
gium since 1881. Il has been abolished
in Italy. Switzerland. Sweden. Norway.
Denmark, Portugal and elsewhere.
The average number OF homfcides
committed In the states where the
death penalty has been abolished IA far
below those committed in the states
that still retain capital punishment.
The Governor OF Maine during 1914
states: THE sentiment OF our people
is now SO strong against capital pun
ishment. that II may be safely assumed
that II will never again be enacted In
Maine"
The Governor OF Michigan stated:
$50 far as this office knows. no con-
certed effort has been made at any
time within twenty or twenty-five
years 90 roinstate capital punishment.
the general opinion prevailing that the
laws OF this state. furnishing by Inn
prisonment for high crimes. are satts-
factory"
The Governor OF Kansas-''There Is
general satisfaction with the present
law. There is absolutely no question
In this state OF a return to Capital
Punishment"
The Governor OF wisconsin-"Ths
effects OF the abolition of capital pun
ishfnent In this state have been so SAL
isfaetory that no effort has been made
to return to the old method OF punish
ment."
II the experiences Of the states that
have not now the death penalty is
such. then how can one keep from feel.
Ing that capital punishment is not nee
essary as a deterrent TO crime?
The experience Is that lie imprison-
ment is as great deterrent as Is need.
ed for the protection OF society. This
being the case, the death penalty Is
unnecessary. and is. therefore. legal
ized murder II practiced.
Some hold up England as an exam.
Pile. without really knowing a good
many OF the facts in the case. People
there are forced to respect the law.
Not only the law against murder. but
all laws. Frederick l.. Hoffman, the
insurance statistical expert on homi-
cides, committed In the U. S. A.. says:
'The problem OF murder In its final
analysis is TO a considerable extent a
question OF the effective regulation Of
the sale and possession OF dangerous
weapons and dangerous drugs"
That answers the question OF the
cause OF why so few homicides are
committed In England. There they do
not permit nearly every Tom. Dick and
Harry to go stalking around with six
shooter in his pocket. An officer of
the law hasn't even that privilege. I
asked policeman in London why they
didn't carry "billies" there like they
do in the United States; he said, I'VE
are not permitted to carry them"
sais. you carry pistol do you not?''
And the man looked at me in aston
ishment. He said. mo; we carry no
weapons OF any kind"
When we practice capital punish
ment believe We are retaining a relic
OF barbarism that has no place in this
day OF charity. enlightenment and
hrotherly love
Montaigne says: ut IS more bar
harous to kill a live man than to roast
and eat a dead one"
AT the Hague In Holland while being
shown through an old prison and
shown the instruments OF torture they
used way back yonder. when they tried
TO be four or five days in torturing
one to death. wondered which they
do now. hang or electrocute. and/l In
quired, What mode Of capital pun
lshment do you now use?" The guide
said, "Why, we do not put people to
death now-we did that back in our
barbarous times"
The innocent are sometimes put to
death for a crime committed by an
other-only three weeks ago (this
Jan. 81, 1870 a man on his death bed
In California confessed to a crime for
which another was hanged in Chicago
seven years ago. The innocent man
being hanged, the state now has no
way Of taking back its awful mistake.
Two weeks ago a negro was par.
doned from life sentence In this state
after having served ten years, five
months and three days for a crime
committed by another. ! never saw a
happier face in my life than l saw
when this poor negro, without a cent
In his pocket, came to my back door
to tell Of his gratitude and his thank
fulness in being restored to his lib
erty.
Suppose they had hanged him. Tie
was sentenced 10 hang. The Supreme
Court OF this state approved Of the
sentence and it was only through the
mercy Of Gov Frazier that his SEN
tence was commuted TO life imprison.
ment.) This state would then occupy
the same position that Illinois now
holds-that OF having hanged an inno-
cent man, with no way on eaftn TO un-
hang him.