The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1922-06-29
THE BEES LETTER BOX

primitive people infiict the dealt
penalty without any exception, II
intlietihg this punishment they usu
any accompany II with the creates
amount OF torture that they can de
Wise Why this tortures Let the ad
yoeates OF severity pause and reflect
ms torture Is intended as a warn
Ing and a threat to all evii.doers {.
beware lest a like fate or wors,
one oSertake them. The adyocat,
OF severity really has a savage mind
His soul Il that OF the primitive man
Although he lives in modern times
he II OF the bush and the prima
jungle.
As mans intelligence awakened
he came To regard the economic los,
In the killing OF prisoners. SLAYER,
was substituted for death, except IL
exceptional cases. These exceptiona
ones were reserved more AZ hoiida,
carnival. more potent threat. a soI
10 those that judged that the judici'
airy had grown soft
The rise OF labor and craftsmen
overthrow slavery as q general prop.
osltion, except In Nebraska and else.
where where slavery In retained M
punishment 80 that men may be
Imprisoned and may produce cheap
er goods than free labor. honora bic
labor outside, can produce. IL Ii q
fine thing to contemplate. an honest
workingman compelled to compete
with prison made goods and the fat
profits rcapcd from prison contract.
ors. Mr.. Bee Man. Just register this
for me: will not buy thing that
IL made In a prison. Register this
again: ! haven't any use for the
farmer that wants binder Irvine that
In made cheap because II IL made
In the North Dakota or Minnesota
prisons, or In any other prison.
don't want any Nebraska made
brooms. either. You can get mine
from a free workman outside OF
prison and let the contractor 60 to
well, wherever such contractors
should 60.
The trouble with all these IL this:
Punishment IL wrong. Reformation
and not punishment Is what Is need
ed. The criminal has a wrong ideal.
a warped notion. He judges and
measures by a warped moral yard
stick. He Is right according to his
notion. but his notion is wrong.
Punishment Of whatever severity or
mildness will not give him this cor
rect view. You can't beat right no.
lions into him nor scare wrong ones
out. Force won't make a bad man
good nor will fear keep evil disposed
men from plying their nefarious acts.
Punishment Is wrong. 1t is the
wrong way to go about correcting
evil morals. evil conceptions.
l once CHANGED to be standing near
and observed we'll known person
about town across the street. This
person was not Of good repute. A
curious thought came to me: II l
were the Almighty. and were to re-
cast that one of evil. what would /
put in this ones character. or what
would l leave out? What would /
do to that one to make thoroughly
moral, lovely person? / couldn't
think Of anything that was needed
except a correct moral measure of
values. Now. then. how can this
thing be done? II you can tell me,
you have solved the criminal propo-
sition. That is all there is to it, and
that is all that is needed. Do you
judge that fear can do it? If you
do, l don't think much of your
mental ability. I wouldn't give
rap to have it solve any Of my prob
lens. Do you think torture can do
1t? Just imagine shutting the GRIM