Evening star., 1924-01-21

Tho Senate passed last week the
| bill presented by Senator Dial for the
| substitution OF electrocution In place
| Of hanging as the method OF fnhict-
ing capital punishment In the Dis
| trict Of Columbia. Edison says that
| electrocution is moro painful than
| hanging,
| There Is no indication yet as to
| what the House will do with the pro-
posed change. but bill has been IN
troduced by Representative Kvale of
Minnesota, which will abolish capital
punishment in the District, and for
| murder in the first degree will sub
1 stitute life-imprisonment and for sec
ond degree murder life-imprisonment
or not less than twenty years.
v y v
This raises anew the whole ques-
ton Of capital punishment--the right
of society to infiict 1t; the crimes for
| which II has been or should he in
ficted; the object or theory of pun
ishment; the eff'r""v of capital pun
| ishment In pr, .....g crime. II not
capital punishment. what other de-
Tense has society against crimes of
l MURDER ana Otncf CdplIdI ONenSeS.
What is the experience in America as
! compared with that of other coun-
| tries in combating crimes? How
does America compare with other civ
| ilized countries in the control of
| crime?
| In ancient times revenge and ter.
| rorism were the avowed purpose OF
severe laws. and. though in later de-
| velopment of society, private ven
geance was taken from the relatives
OF the victims. the states own ven
geance remained no less bloody--and
| II covered scores of offenses. aside
| from murder. A murderer could buy
his redemption from any penalty
with certain payment OF damages
\ which gave license to the wealthy
| not to be claimed by the poor, to
| commit all sorts of violence or theft.
| Revenge-even OF society-is no
| longer admitted 20 be the basis of the
law, and, instead. the claim Is that
the penalty of crime is founded on
| the two-fold purpose OF reforming
| the culprit and preventing others
| from repeating his ofrense, by show
Ing them In advance that tho way OF
the transgressor is hard"
How can capital punishment reform
the culprit? There is 4 wide diverg.
ence of opinion as to the virtue OF
repentance under the shadow OF the
| gallows. There are those who claim
intimately to know the convict mind
who are firmly convinced that there
Is no such thing as genuine repent.
ance and reform Of tho convicted
murderer while awaiting the death
penalty. Furthermore, they are con-
vinced that the fear of the death
penalty has no influence In restrain
tng the human passions or In lessen
ing murder.
| On the other hand. leading lawyers
| who are in daily contact with ana
lying cases." are equally positive
In their conclusions that II the death
| penalty were taken away from the
restraining influences life would be
| far less secure.
| II often has been said that three
fourths Of criminals. after they have
served time for one crime, repeat thei,
crimes. But there are official statistics
which indicate that IN 1922 throughou,
the United States SO per cent of crimes
were done by first offenders, and In 1872;
IS per cent were first ofYenses. II these
statistics are accurate II is an arraign-
ment, not Of the criminals, nor q proc,
OF the deterrent influences of laws
penalties, so much as IL is a charge
against the influences Of society, which
put environment and temptation in the
| way OF those who heretofore were inno-
cent OF offense. II that logic be sound
shall the offender, and not the society
and environment, be held jointly re-
sponsible?
! The Salvation Army has a motto. "a
man may be down. but ne is never
/ out" The work OF such relief or
ganlzations as the Salvation Army gives
dramatic proof OF the truth of that
motto and apart from any sentimental
ism. gives ample appeal that the police
and general society, in bounding re.
leased convicts and assuming that "once
a criminal always a suspect" are