The Brinkley argus., 1915-04-09

Q HUI CFiAs Duke c. Bowers. (Matt. 5:3S.)
 lie further said, They that are whole need not physician, but they that are sick. l come not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" !"
 Right here let me cite case, told to me by MT. George Porter of Union City, Tennessee.
 A man by the name of Cunningham killed a man in Kentucky to rob him oi thirty dollars. He was caught, tried and convicted through the testimony of two gentlemen; was sentenced to hang, but by the use of influence and money succeeded in getting his sen- tence commuted to life imprisonment. When the authorities were departing with him to take him to prison he said "You had better keep me there for life, for if 1 ever get out, am go ing to kill Kruz Watson and Henry Winters"-the two men who were re- sponsible for his conviction,
 After serving a number of years in the Eddyyille penitentiary, Cunning
 
 tian religion and began to talk and preach Christ to his fellow prisoners. In short while after Cunningham 8 profession of religion, there was plot made among the prisoners to kill the guards and break for liberty. Cur ningham reported this to the prison au- thorities. The break was made and one guard was killed, but the officials, by being forewarned, were prepared for the break and failure to secure their liberty was the result to the pris- oners who made the break. The Gov ernor, as a mark of appreciation to Cunningham, pardoned him.
 Cunningham returned to his home town One of the men whom he said he would kill if he ever got out was dead He went to the other man, MT. Kruz Watson. and begged his pardon his heart toward him.
 Now, according to Christ's teachings Cunningham needed physician-he was a sinner no doubt, but if he had been hanged, then he would have been deprived of his chance to repent ana would have been sent into eternity 8 murderer instead of a righteous man. As 1t was he lived to repent and to be of great benefit to his state.
 Apostle Paul said, And when the blood of thy Martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by and consenting unto his death," thereby making him. self murderer, yet thinking he was doing a righteous cause. Suppose he had been hanged, then the world would have lost it's greatest missionary and apostle.
 If we were still living under the old Jewish doctrine, we would even be de- prived of eating and enjoying back bone, spareribs, hog sausage and good old country ham, for the Old Testa- ment's teachings are against eating hog meat of any kind. Leviticus T: and 9,)
 If Christ had not shed his blood on the Cross for the remission of our sins and if the law of revenge had remained in the hands of the human beings,
 
 Aen we would have to be hanged if fense. for it is written, "For whosoever shall keep the whole law. and yet of fend in one point, he is guilty of all.' i think the Christ-like law of love, of mercy and of forgiveness takes away from man the right of the law of vengeance, retribution and punish ment.
 Therefore from Scriptural stand point I consider it wrong for the state to take life.
 The question at all times, in regard to crime, should be-what and how is the best way to handle it, in order that society shall be protected and the criminal made better?
 Is the death penalty deterrent of crime? Judge w c. Cherry of Nash vile writes: At one time England tried to discourage piracy by hanging ard allowing to remain strung up, the bodies of the pirates at the mouth of the Thames. In six months piracy had increased ten-fold."
 Brand Whitlock states that, "In the debate in the House of Lords on the bill to abolish the death penalty fos stealing from dwelling house to the amount of fifty shillings, Lord Chief Jnssice of Peterborough declared that of economic features affecting construction and maintenance of highways financed by bend issues. etc.
 l mention this so that parties desiring these publications will know not to write me for them as 1t IS not custom for the department to send them to its correspondents in the bulk.
 l think it good idea for all to have a fair knowledge as to