Middletown transcript., 1917-03-03
LOCALIZED KILLING.
A Very Important Question Is
Facing Delaware
OPPOSE CAPITAL PUNISHMENT


Belgium, Brazil, Holland, Italy, Bavaria,
Baden, Portugal, Venzuela, Costa Rica
and Guatemala. In fact, in most coun-
tries. the death penalty has fallen into
dlsuse, if it has not been abolished by
law. In some of our states it has been
done away with. In Michigan in lo47,
Rhode Island in 1852, Wisconsin in 1853
and Maine in 1876. Maine restored it
in 1883 and abolished it again 1887, and
statistics show that in all these states
homicide has decreased" There are
eight states now in the United States
in which capital punishment is replaced
by a life sentence. While the testimony
of those which abolished it years ago,
shows a marked decrease in homicide,
in no case has there been an increase.
Any passion that will lead to murder IS
sure to be stronger than the fear Of the
penalty. Quoting from the same author
as above:
.'But some may still Say that the
effects of capital punishment are to de-
ter others from committing crimes.
"The evidence is all the other way.
when mans mind is made up to
commit murder, he is usually not much
troubled about statistics, but if ne were,
he could readily satisfy himself that the
chances of escape were very large, since
out of the homicides mentioned as ac-
cruing annually in America only few
hundred murderers are executed and
many of the murderers are never appre-
hended or if they are, escape punish
ment on many different grounds. AS
matter of fact, men excited by passion
are not afraid of death. They will take
their chances of life, in war, for mere
pittance, and in one year in America
more than 1900 committed suicide,
while the average number per annum
runs up into the thousands.
Bacon says: There is no passion in
the mind of man, but it notes and mas
ters the fear of death. Revenge
triumphs over death; love sights it,
honor aspireth to it, and grief feeth to
it There is no deterrent influences
exercised by capital punishment, but on
the contrary it teaches men the law of
blood, and they appeal to the rules OF
the State and its Government as the
teachers OF the crimes of violence and
vengeance which they commit"
The effect upon the community of
legal killing is factor not to be ignored.
Statistics show an increase in murder
after each legal execution as we'll as
after each lynching or act OF mob vio-
lence. The forces Of imitation and ex-
ample are strong, and not until the Ma
ton and the State recognize the sacred
ness of human life will it be impressed
upon its members. Francis Fisher
Kane, United States District Attorney,
and strong opponent to legalized kill
ing says: Il am Mortified when l think
of the effect upon the eXecutioners anC
those who are parties to the execution
and the effect upon the public which
reads of it is certainly not what may be
wished. We know too little of life
anyway, to presume it the right of So
ciety to take it away, even when per-
son has committed the most terrible
crime he can commit" The only logica
es1clusion that can be drawn is that {
brasil and criminal act done by indiVid
ual. State or Nation, must surely retarC
the progress of humanity. That this i:
recognized as true is shown by the fac
that in Delaware strong sentimen
sgainst public execution and agains
hanging has sprung up. There is de
sire to DO away with the gruesome de
tails by having private eectrocution
Bat not all the refining Of the outwar
features can change the atrocitv OF tn
act itself, and it were better for tn
state to have the CHASTITY custom burne
in upon its consciousness unti!ltawaken D
from its ;pathy and revolts against tn
deed itself.
As individuals, we hold, 'lhou shal
not kill" as sacred law. but as Stat
we put aside the laws Of our religio
with the sophistry that they do nc
anDIy to States and Nations only to ir
.diriduals, and we as a State go on dom
tha ,ghich we condemn most strong
in tbs individual. We believe in tn
Continuance of life after this existence
,but we are utterly ignorant of the cor
ditions into which we permaturely pus
sur offending brothers. There are man
who believe that those out of the bod
can exert strong influence over thos
on earth with whom they are in syn
ssathy; that as truly as there is gual
dan influence from the pure and spiri
.uaasy minded dead over their loved one
.on earth, just so surely can the degrade
soul east out of the body with hatre
and horror, have strong influence owe
the weak and criminally inclined Q
earth. Through these they satisfy the
hatred of their eXecutioners who, cles
eyed have deliberately done the sam
thing to them that they did when blinde
by drink or drugs, anger, greed, lesll
for revenge, or by deficient mentalit.
If this be possible, there is viciol
circle that the State keeps closed by i
own deliberate act. That it may
possibie is borne out by the fact that
have mentioned before the increase
crime after each execution, lynehin
- aoaa ,uharo life il taken. b