Rensselaer Union, Volume 1, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 January 1869 — Capital Punishment. [ARTICLE]

Capital Punishment.

"Within IheMast quarter of a century much has been said and written in ftvor of the abolition of cap--1 ital punishment. Such punishment is virtually qbolished, for in those States which have not actually prohibited hanging a murderer, the Legislatures have provided that juries may determine whether the penalty for murder shall bo hanging or imprisonment for life. For number of years past we have had experjpnce in the workings of this law, and its results, and are confident that in every State, murder has increased after the abolition of the death sentence. To-day, murder is much more frequent than twenty-five years ago, when, to prove the crime beyond a reasonable doubt, resulted in hanging by the neck until dead. The fear of imprisonment for life does not deter men from murder—there are a thousand ways of escape, and the red-handed murder of to-day fancies that he can manage to escape punishment, somehow or other.— These facts suggest the propriety of Legislative A ssem blies considering this subject, by a comparison of the frequency of murder under the death penalty, with itsfrequency under its abolition. llow stands tile case? Let the records of our courts of justice tell, Let judges' and attorneys and juries answer. — Let outraged, communities throughout the country speak upon this subject. And if this high and diabolical crime rages more unmasked now than when the law was more stringent, then let .our Legislature . repeal the present law giving to juries the prerogative of substituting imprisonment for hanging, ! Bvit before they do this let them inyestlgate the matter "thoroughly. Let themselves be satisfied that such repeal would be a stay put upon crime, and a means lasting to the better protection of society.— HTfliamsport Republican.