Evening star., 1925-03-15
AUDIENCE DIVIDED
/. ON DEATH PENALTY
DarroW and Stanley Debate
Capital Punishment Issue
atANeW Auditorium.

For more than two hours last
night, In the presence of an audi
enCe that packed the new Audito-
rum, former Senator A. o. Stanley
of Kentucky and Clarence Darrow of
Chicago chief defense counsel in the
famous LeopoldLoeb murder trial,
debated the subject, Capital Punish
ment."
The kentuckian argued III favor of
capital punishment as the proper
means of dealing with certain crimi-
mails, while the Chicago lawyer
voiced opposition. Each had his full
share OF applause but the debate re-
mained unsettled except in the minds
of several thousand men and women
who heard II, as there were no
judges and no decision.
Senator Stanley built his case
around what he described as the
inner mt right Of man 70 self-defense
and that organized society and civili-
"a tion demand that the State shall
punish the guilty, and that in the case
of murder 1t shall be death. He de-
clarcd that extreme punishment has
tended TO reduce crime and that in
those countries where capital punish
ment is prohibited murders prevail
to far greater extent than in those
where the murderer must pay with
his life when convicted of his crime.
Mr.. Darrow contended that capital
punishment has not lesscned crime
and never will. In his opinion the
fear of the moose does not stop
killer from carrying out his inten-
ton. According to him the only way
to lessen crime is to find its cause
and to cure it.
He would start first among the
children 1t is in the young-the
n aytN sat fnd
that criminals start their careers.
Bring about better social conditions
and invoke more kindlinesS and hu-
manity and there will be better cit
izenS and the law will be more strict
ly observed and respected, he con-
tended,
Mr.. Darrow recalled the brutal and
murderous punishments inflicted for
even minor crimes in the past ages.
all of which accomplished nothing.
he said And he cited butchering
Christians, executing those convicted
of witchcraft and burning petty
thieves.
Numbering Christians by the Rom
ans did not prevent the Christian
faith from growing" Mr.. Darrow de-
clared. Man hasn't changed any.
and capital punishment, made pain
full by bigots, is not going TO keep
criminals from increasing.
There Is a cause for every crime"
he continued. There is a cause for
every murder. Each of US humans
has the same qualities. The only diff
ference is d difference of balance. All
of US are potentially thieves. All of
us are potentially murderers. l have
never killed any one yet. but l must
confess that many a time l have
rather enjoyed reading certain obitu-
aries"
In defining criminals Mr.. Darrow
said: The criminal, first of all, and
in most cases, is poor. He is ignorant
The majority of them are subnormal.
They know less than the average.
Rarely does a man commit his first
criminal offense after he has become
mature. Crime starts with the chill
dren OF the slums. but society does
nothing to them"
He said that heredity contributes
much toward the increase in crime
and that since the civilized world got
its taste of killing in the recent World
War there has been a wholesale and
rampant increase in numbering This
condition always follows wars
Senator Stanley declared this
reference as an insult to the Ameri-
can who fought for his country.
Turning to Mr.. Darrow, he described
him as a faddist. He said 1t was
folly to suppose that murderers will
be checked by giving them sugar and
kindly words and freedom. instead OF
the moose or the electric chair.
Col. Edward Clifford. local attorney
presided, and Dean William c. Van
Week, Of George Washington Uni
versity Law School was moderator.
Among those upon the platform were
Senator Reed of Missouri, former
Senator Gore of Oklahoma, and
Joseph P. Tumulty, secretary to the
late President Wilson.
BARROW GUEST OF LAWYERS.