Arizona republican., 1918-10-22
Capital Punishment

In two weeks the voters of Arizona will have opportunity whether they the of capital punishment Two years ago majority of them consented to it's abolition by declining to vote against proposition abolish it, them not voting at all and of them voting, with misgiv- ings, for abolition They did with the understand ing that they engaging in experiment and that if should prove unsuccessful they could rectfy any mistake that might result. Capital punishment was abolished by jorty of all who voted on that proposition. Since then have had such an orgy of homicide Arizona had known, even as a territory in the widest wooiest period.
 It should be stated that in that campaign there was no organization against abolition Nobody spoke against it; no newspaper opposed it by word. The Republican, though doubtful, reflected the general opinion that it should be given a trial for two years On the other hand vigorous ganda carried on by active organization in behalf of abolition In addition to the usual arguments against le- gazed murder the proponents of abolition here as everywhere contended that deterrent effect of life Imprisonment would be greater than the fear of the galows They still offer that contention explain the startling increase in homicide the last two years by the statement that it largely the effect of the mems minds.
 But may go back of the war to another experi- ment which some voters have perhaps forgotten and of which later corners have not heard. When the first state government was organized Governor Hunt an- nounced that there would be the state during his occupancy of the governors chair Though he pardoned no murderers and though believe, he commuted death sentences he reprieved all of them expecting that the people the succeeding election would abolish capital punishment. It was therefore generally believed that murderer could not be hanged in Arizona and, in consequence, there a marked and steady increase in homcides.
 Believing that the governor ahusino tho nou,ar Of repreve the legislature enacted law taking this power from the and vesng it in a board of pardons and paroles The referendum was invoked against this act. At the same time initiated for the abolition of capital punishment and both submitted to the people at the election of 1914 The board of pardons and paroles was rati- fled and the abolition defeated both by decisive majortes.
 It is remarkable fact that within the next four five months there but two homicides in the state, both in Cochse county which by the way had been the locus of sixteen murders previous year. The murderers in both cases negro soldiers toned near Douglas
 There that time fifteen persons in the penitentiary under sentence of death. of all of them had been reprieved, them suc- cessvey. The period of 'repreve of six of them would expire in the following February and March, and it understood to be the intention of the board of pardons and paroles to let them go to the scaffold
 Shortly before the earliest date for the execution of any of them, representations were made to the state department by General Villa then in control in northern Mexico that the condemned men were Mex- can citizens, though, perhaps only of them were Mir. Bryan then secretary state applied pressure to the board of pardons and paroles the result that further repreves of about weeks were recom mended by the board.
 A consequence and, doubtIesly result of this was that within the ensuing month there were six hom- cides in the state Again the people those of murder ous propenses, well other citizens were brought to believe again, that murderer could not be hanged in Arizona.
 But a little later two actually hanged and then the curve of homcides was turned down ward until after the election 1916 at which capital punishment was abolished, when shot sharply up- ward and has since steadily and rapidly risen
 We all of course, wish that the execution of hu man beings might be avoided. We agree with advo- cates of abolition that the worst use to which we can put man is to hang him. But we have somethine more than the man to consider Society is far more important than any individual member of it. Society must be protected against by strongest possible deterrent, and experience has taught us of SArzona twice that the gallows is such deterrent
 ATTAINING DISTINCTION
 Wife of Profteer-"Are you quite certain I've had tho Ia4a