The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-11
THE CHAIR.
should the Present system of Execu-
ton BE Changed?


To III EDITOR OF THE suN-Sir: The
dlsgraceful scenes connected with the
carrying out Of the laws decree In the
case Of a prominent criminal. the hys-
terla which has prevailed in a certain
portion of the press and Of the public.
and which has even got the better OF
certain public officials, have convinced
every thinking member of the commu-
nifty that there Is something radically
wrong In our practice in the case OF
the imposition of the death penalty for
crime.
The chief trouble is that this Is not
a law loving community. \ large part
OF its population comes from countries
where at least to them the law Is felt
with severity. and the first impulse on
reaching this free country Is a tendency
to resent and resist all law. Indeed
there Is an element of hostility to law
full control In the making Of every
American. whether recently arrived or
the descendant Of n long line of resi-
dent forebears, and In order that the
community should appreciate the value
of order 1t must see the danger and
improperly OF disorder.
Any of the mob who attended the
o~bsequles OF the criminal referred to
must have felt later on the unseemli-
ness OF the whole performance and the
danger which II threatened TO the
community. Only the lowest and least
loNt'N instincts OF mankind were APP
pealed T. and only the lowest and least
lovely responded to the appeal. II was
shocking, degrading and demoral!z!ng,
and those who took part must have felt
afterward much as though they had
been on n prolonged debauch, unless
fhny tunrn too IarEalaI to haze fnlt
any reaction from their unseemly
exaltatlon.
The conclusion therefore is rational
and logical that the display OF n crimi-
nails body after execution In so fraught
with possibilities OF danger to the
community. both physical and moral,
that 1t should not be permitted. The
body OF "A criminal who has been exc
cuted under the law of the state should
not be delivered to relatives or to any
private person for interment. The law
should provide that the body should be
forfeited to the State and disposed OF
by the State.
When the method OF executing the
death penalty in tbs State was first
changed from hanging TO eloctricity
the law provided for n post-mortem ex-
animation of the body and then unless
the body was claimed by some relative
OF the person executed II should be in
TERED in the graveyard or cemetery at
tached TO the prison. with n sufficient
quantity Of quicklime to onsum II with
out delay.
4 mistaken sympathy for the relatives
OF the criminal thus made Il possible
that his body should be delivered TO his
relatives where there were relatives 20
claim II, with the demoralizing results
which have too frequently followed.
Despite the public clamor on the
question whether the death penalty IT.
self should be abolished. 1t is reason
ably certain that the American public
Is not representative on the subject Of
sudden death. Hundreds are destroyed
annually In the streets by our public
and private c~onveyances and barely a
protes. is heard. Why this indlrer-
ence In the case OF the victim sem
fenced through negligence and hysteria
over the criminal sentenced through
law?
The reason Is that We do not shudder
al the death penalty. but at the horrors
which surround its execution under our
present barbarous system. Most peo-
pie would agree that the criminal who
has committed a capital crime Is OF no
further use to society. but In a menace
TO IL and should be disposed Of so that
''N -" FA''HAu w u .Nl'NN
people are also agreed that the GER
tainty Of adequate punishment Is some
determent to the capital crime.
There are therefore two sufficient
reasons why the man or woman who
has committed a murder should be re-
moved from society. The crime is
such a serious one and the consequences
so FAR reaching that Il Is generally
agreed that the criminal should be
dealt with differently from those who
have committed crimes OF lower degree.
The mind which IL willing to commit
murder is so abnormal that il Is not
unreasonable for society to determine
to eliminate its possessor. The act Is
so at variance with the orderly prog
ress OF civilized society that society
Is justified in determining not to sup
port for n lifetime one who IL willing
to do II so great a wrong. and for that
reason alone. though there are many
others, is justified in terminating the
life of the malefactor. But that should
not be done under the %instigation OF a
spirit OF vengeance or with a view Of
torturing or even Furnishing the Of
fender.
The fundamental idea IL simply the
protection OF society, and for that rca-
son the death penalty should he in
hicted with the minimum OF pain and
apprehension. Under our present sys-
TEN the very opposite OF this course
is pursued. The victim s sent TO
State prison. II there incarcerated in
the death house. where he is kept for
months, sometimes years, under the
distressing and depressing surroundings
which there exist. and finally a day IS
fixed for his execution. of which he Is
duly informed. and he must exist for a
greater or less period with the date
constantly in mind, and at last on the
fatal day he Is led forth 10 execution
under surroundings hidcous In the ex-
IRENE and put To death by a medium Of
which man has stood In terror from
his infancy. No wonder when the
gruesomc details are spread at length
before the public nv the daily press
that a large percentage protests We
hemently against the p~erpetuation of
such "A cruel system.
The remedy Is to abolish the horrors
attendant upon the in1ictlon OF the
death penalty. Very few 81 us fcar the
abstract idea OF death, What W. fear
Is the act Of dying. The elimination Of
the horror surrounding the execution
of the death sentence can he accom-
plished very easily. and while the vie
tim will probably not hear with any
pleasurable emotions the pronounce
mem of his death sentence. HE worst
moment viii be only then. ana the zen
eral public will be as ind ffcrent TO his
fate as II Is to unhappy victims of the
trolley cars or the subway express.
The doing away with the horrors
surrounding the execution OF the death
penalty is not n difficult matter. All