Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-10-20

appears. IL is also SAID tnat IneTe
are those who believe prisons OF them.
selves are wrong, and that all prison
ers are either victims of unfortunate
environment or are mental or moral
detectives that should be sent to a
hospital for medical treatment"
certainly do not agree with this view,
and it seems at our present stage OF
civilization that prisons are as inev-
liable as bad weather and as neces-
sary as bridges across rivers" Some
thing must be done to restrain crimi-
mails and to insure the safety of the
community. But legaliZed murder
should never be practised in a civil
lied country. There are better ways.
Does the infliction of the death pen.
atty prevent murder?a 1t certainly
does not even lessen murder. 1t is
well-known fact based on human ma
ture and established by observation
that it is not the severity but the Ger.
tainty of punishment which tends to
restrain. 1t is acknowledged by those
who oppose the death penalty that
statistics show that where, penalties
are severest crime is the most preva-
lent and that the percentage Of muir.
ders never increases where the death
penalty is abolished. 1t is hardly
necessary at this time to call the at
tention of your readers to the fact
that there is an epidemic of murder
raging in Hawaii just now. AS an.
example let US turn to the state OF
Michigan, which stands as the banner
state in the union in this. line, having
abolished the death penalty In the
year 1S47, just 20 years ago. Dare
any one say that Michigan has more
criminals or is in any way suffering
more from the criminal class than
where the death penalty still holds?
1t must be taken at face value that
the good people of Michigan are well
satisfied with their humane law and
do not want to change back to the
horrible practise of numbering their
criminals as they did prior to the
year 1S47.
Rhode Island abolished the death
penalty in the year 1852, making IS
years of sane treatment for criminals
in that state. II
Delaware has voted down the propo-
sition. it still clings to it's whipping
post and execution for five crimes
the only state which does so. Geo.
graphically considered it is interest.
ing to note "that the area still stand
ing out for legal murder for more than
one Offense is almost identical with
that which held out for negro slavery
and which affords the greatest har.
vest of lynchings."
| realize that at time like this, on
account of the war. ALI hearts are
full and all hands are busy helping in
the life and death struggle for the lib.
erty of the world, and this is as it
should be, but we should not neglect
the duties of our own household. ].
appeal to the good people of Honolulu
and these islands through the columns
of your valuable paper on behalf of
our criminals.
God knows better than We how
much to punish His little ones, and
shall we take the responsibility upon
ourselves to rob them of their earth
life before the time, or shall we re-
strain and teach them until they
learn to control themselves? Why
not give them every opportunity to-
learn? Earth is their school. &C.,. 49,
AS individuals we are responsible
for every criminal executed in these
islands unless we raise a voice
against the practise of this terrible
wrong. Yours for humanity,
MARTHA E. TOWNSEND.
Wahiawa, Oahu, Oct. II. 1917.