The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-01-26

worked oNcrburdeBed mother, whose
strength. no longer equal 70 tho
struggle, departs and leaves bcyy
81 unguidcd little souls % the tender
msrcies u tho system which caused
her death2
~ hanging ever advocated for tho
employers of Seattle na well az else
whore. who arbitrarily say. You
girls shall get so much and no more"
when thnt $50 much" ~ hardly suffi-
Client FOR the bare necessities OF life.
leaving nothing but hope, which.
finally worn and weary and despair.
ing. cbbg 10 low that natural ionRings
fed by Fpecious promises lead them
20 take the last fatal step which
closes 10 them all doors. but one
II they are found out--and lays upon
their souls "A scar which time Itself
cannot hcal2
il hanging or life imprisonment al.
vocated for the members Of tho
Shipping Board who In collision with
the financial combine Of this coast
have closed the Seattle yards when
ships are needed. In order 10, BY
starvation. break the will and spirit
Of the strikers ~ San Francisoo. thus
bringing upon Thousands Of families
condition OF poverty and despair
which breeds Bolaheviks. Anarchists,
Crime and Criminals and makes more
Ruth Garrisons. Isom Whites and
Joe Mortons2
The crime OF each OF these was a
base and cowardiy one and. verdict or
no verdict. was Matched IN a mind
unbalanced. II only temporarily. But
IL u 70 remarkable that such minds
should turn TO such gruesOme deeds
after feeding for five years upon a
ycritable carnival Of slaughter when
he who killed most was most hon
ored?
The same God who said. wen.
geance " mine. ] viii repay" also
said. Thou shalt not kili''--oniy
that. lie didn't add excepting by
( industry. by war or by hanging
He made no exceptions.
Don't quote the Scriptures about
the sword. etc. ! am only quoting
Gods commands and Christ's state
ments. I arm not concerned with the
4 furnishings given them by n power
loving people who. IN the Bible. pic
tured 20 the world n glorificd tribal
I God--fhey. the writer's. were vain
glorious. avaricious and selfish even
as you and 7. But in the direct com
mands OF God or Christ I fail to find
one command 10 kin or one qualifi-
cation 20 the command not 10.
My sympathy goes out 20 the
Mothers Of them all. nurderers and
, murdered. but most 10 the murderers:
also 20 the woman who In Thursdays
paper said. III you were Lee Linton's
mother. would you want White
hanged7 III say you would" No.
don't believe you would, Miss Grey
at least not in spirit Of ven
gcancc.
The Mosaic law. IAN eye for an
eye. n tooth for a tooth" was super
seeded centuries ago by the com
mand. Love thy neighbor as Thy
self" which Christ gave as second
only to the first and greatest COM
naDdrnenf People who stu govern
their conduct by the old Mosaic code
arc twenty centuries behind-if they
accept Christ as being the great
teacher.
II we have a real corrective instf-
| tuition in this state, managed by a
man who lives by that command. I
say BY all means give those poor UNI
| fortunate boys. who 80 insaneiy COM
mitted a wrong so grievous. into his
/ hands that he may help them TO a
realization OF the God-given privilege
which they so baseiy forfeited. But
IL we haven't and you can disregard
that command. Thou shalt not kill. /"
then by all means hang them both.
For myself. having learned that
thousands OF years practice in hatred.
vengeance and similar expressions Of
destructive force have left man but
little advanced from his starting
In
that the case against force as n cor
receive is amply proven and so cam
not advocate IL IN any form.
In this connection remember that.
AS you mete so shall IL be measured
10 you again" This Is n metaphysics
al law as well as a divine Injunction
given by the same divine authority
before quoted and whose divine au-
thority WAS amply proven by His
works and at Gethscrnane.
By either method OF punishment
without due attention being paid to
the removal OF the cause IL seems to
me that we are at the wrong end Of
the question.
In other words. it's like trying TO
put out conflagration with a
sprinkling pot while the whole COM
munity is pouring on kerosene.
NO punishment per Sc ~ OF any
value unless II is corrective and 1t
cannot be corrective unless II is con-
structive. 1t must be judged by its
motive and it's result In this in
stance Il seems TO me the motive
most often expressed Is vengeance
and the result can be ascertained by
meditating upon the history of re-
suits thus far obtained by similar
means. DO you like them as they
appear TO you upon meditation;
don't. A. NJ. BEZANSON.