The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1920-11-13

! EDWARD RANDOLPH PERRYGO.
Edward Randolph Perrygo, eighteen years old, was
convicted yesterday in District of first degree
murder The penalty for this crime in the District Of
Columbia is death by hanging
This youngster, of the alensts at the trial tes
fed is of unsound mind Others said that he is normal
youth
With all due respect learned scientists eighteen
lyear-old boy who kills aged woman for her money is
not normal
But now the law proposes to kill this young man by
hanging him at the end of rope in the Jail yard of the
Capital Of nation which, proudly boast, is highly
civilized.
Here is what Benjamin Franklin one of the really wise
of our history said:
claws which inflict death for murder are, in my
opinion, as un-Christian those which justify
tolerate revenge
John Quincy Adams another who the evil Of
the practice and wished it abolished. He said
'Gladly would cooperate with any society whose
object should be to promote the abolition of any form
by which the life of man can be voluntarily taken by
his fellow creature man. l do heartily pray for the
abolition of capital punishment
During the last few years have heard much of
Lafayette the great French patriot whose service to this
country invoked inspiration to soldiers in the
World War Lafayette against the death penalty and
expressed his opposition partly in these words:
II shall ask for the abolition of capital punishment
until have the infalibity of human judgment demon
Wendell Phillips, great orator. patriot and leader inl
many good repeatedly sought to have the
penalty abolished in Massachusetts, where time there
than of crimes punishable by death mi
one Of his addresses against 1t he said:
ave came down step when gave up burn
ing at the stake; down another when gave
up the tearing of the body with red-hot pncers;
down another when gave up the torture of
the Wheel You cannot tolerate those things
Now ask you to abolish capital punishment to take
one step in the direction"
The real object of any punishment u.s. or should be-,
twofod: To deter from crime and to protect the public
To beyond this double purpose revenge
by national example.
The record of capital punishment proved by its n
States and its adjustment in Others shows increase
in crime rather than decrease and thus establishes the
fact that accomphes neither of the real purposes for
which intended It does not capital crimes and
does not protect the public.
Under the rule of Henry VIII seventy-two thousand
executed in England for robbery but 1t did little or
nothing to stop stealing.
Under prosecutions conducted by the Bank of England
thirty hanged each year for forgery but under
that law forgery the fastest growing crime in the
country
Revenge by retaliation" said st. Augustine lis the
Justice of the unrighteous"
The people Of Washington do not want law based on
revenge They do not want to continue practice that
growing number of countries and States have declared to
be inhuman and brutal
The death penalty is in way better, but in all ways
less effective than the life sentence which it Is desired to
substitute for it. The next Congress can do itself honor
and the people service by passing bill to stop capital
punishment sponsored by representatives Of both political
PARTIES and ndorsed by every right thinking citissn
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