The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1915-02-11

Kruz Watson, and begged his pardon
or ever having had such feeling in
his heart toward him.
Now according to Christs 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 and
would have been sent into eternity
a murderer instead OF righteous
nan. As it was he lived to repent
md 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 consent
ing unto lbs DEATH" thereby making
himself a murderer, vet thinking he
was doing a righteous cause. Sup
pose he had been hanged, then the
world would have lost its greatest
missionary and apostle.
If we were still living under the old
Jewish doctrine, We would even be de
orived of eating and enjoying back
bones, Ispaf'ellbs, hog sausage and
good old country ham, for the old
testament's teachings are against eat
| ing hog meat of any kind ueviticus
7 ami 81
If Christ had not shed his blood
on the Cross for the remission of on!
| sins and if the law of revenge had re-
manned in the hands of human beings
then We would have to be hanged
| if we committed even the smallest CT
| Tense, for it is written For whatsc.
ever shall keep the whole law, ano
yet offend in one point, he is guilty
of ALL"
I think the Christ like law of love
of mercy and of forgiveness, takes
away rom man the right of the law
| Of vengeance, retributlon and punish
ment.
Therefore from a Scriptual stand
point l consider it wrong for the state
to take life.
The question at all times, in regard
to crime, should be--what and no"
is the best way to handle it, in order
that Cociety shall be protected anc
the criminal made better.
Is the death penalty deterrmen'
of crime? Judge w. C. Cherry of Nasf
Vile writes, cat one time England
tried to discourage piracy by hanging
and allowing to remain strung up
the bodies of the pirates at the mouth
of the Thames. In six months piracy
had increased tie MOLD"
Brand Whitlock states that "In thu
debate in the house of Lords on thu
bill to abolish the death penalty fol
stealing from a dwelling house t.
the amount of forty shillings, Lore
lChief Justice of Peterborough declar
ed that il the bill passed, the proper
sty of every stakeholder in the king
dom would be left wholly without
protection" but his lordship's fear!
have not been justified in England.
The deaht penalty has been abolish
ed in Rhode Island since 1852; Michi
gan since 1S47; Maine since 1887
wisconsin since 1860; SaxoDy since
1868; Belgium since 1881; it has beer
abolished IN Italy, Switzerland
Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Portuga
and elsewhere.
The avetrage numebr of homicide'
committed in the states where tn
death penalty has been abolished, Ii
far below those committed in thu
states that still retain capital punish
lment.
The Governor of Maine during 1871
STATED, 1.-THE sentiment of our peopl
is now SO strong against capital pun
2ishment, that it may be safely assum
ed, that it will never again be enacte'
in Maine"
The Governor of Michigan stated
$50 far as this Office knows. no con
lcerted effort has been at any tim
within twenty or twenty-five year
to re-instate capital punishment, tn
general opinion prevailing that tn
laws of this state, furnishing by i'm
prisonment for high crimes. are sat
isfactory."
The Governor of Kansas-"There !
general satisfaction with the presen
law. There is absolutely no questio
in this state of a return to Capita
, Punishment"
: The Governor of Wisconsin-"Th