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If ; ' ' .r':\ - \: DEA1H PENALTY?! OR HOW ELSE PUNISH MURDER By O. F. LEWIS, General Secretary of the Prison Asso- i ciatlon of New York NEW YORK.?Suppose you were , governor. You are not a believer In capital punishment, but the people of your state have voted that they want capital punishment Four murderers are awaiting death at the state penitentiary. Would you commute their sentences to life imprisonment? Four men had been reprieved by Governor West of Oregon until the state could vote on the specific question of the ubolition of capital punishment. When the "No" ballot outnumbered the "Y^s" ballots by 20.000. the governor refused to commute the BentencoB. On the night before the execution, far on the Pacific coast, all night meetings were held to protest against the "murder" of the four Oregon murderers. All over the country people waited with deep concern for the governor's decision. Now, Governor West is only Ctte of many chief executives of our states who believe that the ancient doctrine of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth is barbarous. 1 have before me "& personal letter from Governor Dix, dated December 10, 1912. He writes: "I am opposed to capital punishment. It is one of the remnants of the Biblical injunction, 'A life for a life, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and a hand for a hand." We have done away with all of these except the 'life for a life,' and believe that society through the process of law should take a life for a life. To my mind the real punishment will come if the capital cases are segregated in a prison by themselves, cut off from the rest of the world, and upon conviction no interference with that sentence shall prevail." Trying Time for Governor. It Is generally known that the days immediately preceding an execution are harrowing days for the conscientious governor. The last futile visits of the relatives to the only person in the world that can save the life of the condemned, the persistent question is to even the bare possibility of lnnocence, the grave doubt as to whether the state should take life, the dread that the execution may fail to kill speedily; in short, all the horrible details of the deliberate killing of a being that the religions of civilized nations maintain is inhabited by an inmortal soul?all these things press npon him. "Why should I be forced to evercise the prerogative of almighty God?" asks-the chief executive. I recently made an exhaustive canvass by letter of the chief executives of the states, the leading wardens and superintendents of correctional Institutions and distinguished criminologists as to their attitude upon the death sentence and its execution. T ""Wish to present some of the striking answers to that canvass today to the readers of the Sun. for to the citizens of this state will be surely brought, either during the legislative session of 101.1 or soon after, the definite question "Shall capital punishment be abolished in the state of New York?" First, then, how do some of our governors feel? 'Gov Marshall of Indiana writes; "I am in favor of the abolition of capital punishment." Gov . Cruce of Oklahoma is opposed to capital punishment for all crimes except criminal assaults on women "I,egal executions." he says, "are absolutely Indefensible from the standpoint of Christianity and modern higher civilization. The tiino will come when legal murders will be as unpopular as midnight assassinations." Gov. Pothler of Rhode Island writes that capital punishment was abolished in that stato forty years ago, and he i is not in favor of its re-esLabllshment. Gov. Rurke of North Dakota is opposed to capital punishment, but Is not sure that we have arrived at the j stage of civilization when we can dis pense with it altogether. Hadley for Capital Punishment. On the other hand. Gov. Hadley of Missouri says that he does not advocate the abolition of capital punishment "I believe," says the governor, "our Missouri system is the best, which gives to the Jury passing upon the question of guilt the right to fly the punishment at death or imprisonment in the penitentiary for life." And Gov. Baldwin of Connecticut, who personifies the judicial humane severity of attitude toward the crim- I inal class, is firmly of the opinion that capital punishment should not be ',\ hnl iahf?H Mo writhe ? ? ..v "ovBn t?n ionowa: | "As you aro doubtless aware, It hat* been abolished In some states in for- j iner years where it was found necessary quite soon to reinstate it in order to check the spread of crime. | Life imprisonment under modern con-j ditions in respect of the pardoning | power and credit for proper behavior I is not life Imprisonment and is not ! dreaded as such. Such crimes as I murder and rape should be made dreadful, then they will be dreaded ! and avoided." Gov. Mann of Virginia finds the death penalty in accordance with Scripture, and finds no movement for its abolition in that state. Gov. Gilchrist of Florida, Gov. Gary of Wyoming, Gov. Hay of Washington and Gov, Osborne Governor Dix, Who Favors the Ab< of Michigan are o!her executives o|?- I posed to the abolition of capital pun lshment. Now where shall wo stand ou this i question? Let us go llrst for the an 1 swer to thoae men who have dealt j with prison populations, men in the , service 01 the state and recognized j by the American Prison association j are just and progressive. First, as to those who believe in i capital punishment. Warden Sale of I the state prison of North Carolina j writes as follows: "Persons of crim i inal tendency, and who would not j nesitate to commit high crime, would be less deterred from doing so if they knew that they would only receive a life sentence. I believe that to abolish capital punishment would tend to increase crime. Sees Need of Severity. "The Individual who would steal into the home at midnight or entice the innocent into dens of vice and destroy that which he can't give is unfit to live in any community and should therefore pay the penalty by forfeiting his life. The murderous, danger ous criminal who after his commitment to the prison becomes sullen and morose, refuses to obey rules and regulations and upon whom punishment has to be meted out in order to secure from him a partial obedienco to the rules grows under these circumstances worse, becomes desperate and would take any chance to effect his escape, even if it were necessary secretly to take the life of his keeper, for he ! knows that there ie no greater punish inont than the life sentence and hence would not mind conuniting any crime that would secure to him liberty or re venge for an imaginary worng. Not 1 only would the lives of keepers he endangered but those of inmates as well." Some of the many prison officials who fear the evil effects of the abolition of capital punlsmment write thus: Fesars Increase of Lynchings. M. I- Brown, warden of the Wea*' I Virginia penitentiary: "Human life would be rendered less secure, and lynehlngs would increase." Otis Fuller, superintendent of the Michigan reformatory: "I favor capital punishment in extreme oases, especially where murder was committed In attempting highway robbery, burglary, safeblowing, rapo ami such crimes as that, but I would leave to the majority vote of the Jury the infliction of the extreme penalty. Thero have been many brutal murders in Michigan in the last ten years where it appeared to me that capital punish tnent was the only legitimate penalty. , These murderers may escape and may j subsequently he pardoned pr paroled, | and again become menaces to the same society they have outraged " Governor l>ix has recommended the , same punishment in lieu of death, j Zebulon R. Rrockway, for a score of years the head of the Elmira Reform atory, is quoted as having recently said: "I believe that there should he a large, centrally located Federal prison, or a prison under Federal control. In which all life prisoners of the United States should be incarcerated. I believe that the laws should be so I framed that the civic life of a murderer could be terrminated This should be accomplished by obliterating their identity. They should be known only by numbers. They should be kept in ignorance of the outside world. They should be allowed to see im visitors nnil none save Federal in spectors should be allow<'d to see them. It should not be known when they die." What then. In summing up the ar guments so far. have been the main points raised in favor of capital punishment? Seemingly the following: 1. Death is a greater deterrent than the fear of imprisonment. 2. Our civilization has not progressed to the point where wo can give up the restraining power of the most severe penalty. I ? >lition cf Capital Punishment. Too many chances exist of the murderer's freedom through physical escape, favoritism, parole or pardon. I. Capital punishment should be reserved at least for the most brutal murders. 5. There Is no other adequate pen alty. Against the Death Penalty. I-et us now turn to the arguments against the death penalty. Two prominent men in the Held of penology and criminology have presented their arguments systematically. First. Warden Wolfer, for many years head of the Minnesota State penitentiary, writes: "I am and always have been op posed to capital punishment for the following reasons: "1. llecause I do not believe that capital punishment is in harmony with and abreast ol the best thought of modern civilization. "2 Because it see ins wrong tor the state in every sense to take what it cannot give. "3. Because human life is the prerogative ot Divine Providence. Oo<l alone can give it and he alone in hit divine wisdom lias the right to taU?' it away. "4. Because statistics do not show that capital punishment prevent* homicides. Because the whole scheme ol punishment should carry with it a chance for repentance and reform whether the offender is ever releasor from prison or not." The leading criminologist in this country is probably Prof. Charles ft Henderson of the University of Chi cago. He is the American representa tive on the International Prison Com mission, composed of representative* of all civilized nations. Dr. Hender son puts his reasons thus: "1 am op posed to capital punishment, because: 1 It too often serves revenge 2. Not needed for the protection ol society. ". Oeeaslnnallv I* infllof rwl ah tin guiltless I Ih Irreparable. 5. Tends to increase brutality ant murder. G. Diverts attention from proven tivo policies." Which brings us to the question is the murderer the chief factor tt consider'* In the protection of so ciety from crime, is the example ol the punished murderer of greafei value as a deterrent than the possibh reformation of the individual. Hanging Not a Deterrent. I have a letter from Warden Iloyb of San Quentin prison. California written recently, in which he says '! think It is generally believed thai the death penalty has not materially lessened the number of murders com mittcd in this state." In conclusion 1 would list the state* which on my recent canvass I foupt were without the death penalty: Kan sas, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Wis consin. Prom the following states were re j reived reports of agitation toward tlu abolition of capital punishment: Call | fornia, Colorado, Connecticut, Indiana Massachusetts. Ohio, Oregon. Wash ington. Where capital punishment has heei i abolished the general dispositlot ! seems to bo not to restore it. Wherr I it still exists many states scorn we] ! satisfied, many others restless. The great public of the state m I New York is the jury. What shall the verdict he? Kxcru I tion? Perpetual imprisonment? Irn | prisonment with some hope of pardor I or parole? Wife's Quandary. Mrs. Kxe?My husband Rot In : I temper last, night and destroyed mj j best hat. Mrs Wye He did! What are yo; going to do? Mrs. Kxe?I haven't decided yet ; Tell me, would you get n new hat o j- a divorce?- liostop Evening Tran | script. wis?!?-*. . \wx: / EURYTHMY IS THE ~ ! POETRY OF MOTION Musical Gymnastics Followed by Evanston Society Women. HUSBAND iS SHOCKED I i 'Exercises Which at F'rct Called Bath ing 3u.ts Into Use Now Have Garb Specially Made?Brown Stocfcings j arid Mauve Underwear. Uiuengo t An Kvanston man who ' , las wauled the wife's rapid progress through club life was startled the othit day in rummaging about the house to discover a strange costume he never had seen his wife wear. The eostuuie was scanty It consisted of four yards i t ehiflon. brown stockings, and a trim little suit of light brown underwear t lutehiug the evidence in one hand and his spectacles in another lie I dashed nto the library. "Wh what is all this?" lie demanded The e laid down her eopy of lleurik lb en U 111 I... .I....". . ...J . . rtiiw v lUIIIIJ , 111*11 r UI> eurythmy suit " After her husband had revived she explained sin- had become a member of Kvunstou society's latest cult. It is a school of ' rhythmic dancing and interpretative art." Three times a week Kvntislou women seek "eurythmy They hasten to the studio with small bundles and line up tie- their study class. The brown suit represents the tanned skm of the ancient t J reek, the scarf of chiffon their costume, i Vt first the classes performed in bathing suits, but "eurythmy" could not be attained in such cumbersome costumes and the inexpensive Greek scarfs draped over union suits were substituted It isn't dancing." said one of the wnnp'u. when questioned. "It is a serious educational theory. Rhythm is at the bottom of it and rhythm will discipline the minds as well as the body. "Kvery movement means a definite b?*at in the metrical structure of the music Tin actions may be read from music shcts, only we dance the notes instead of playing them." "Why I in just crazy about it." said another It's just the best idea It C \ ' ' Vv'd ' / .y '.f h i. V I v'r. " ,, >'/"!. .'<; >.W A/lj) a m m $ : ?. II m I \ ' 0Mp>~wj > " 5> V;. V ' . i! -i) Dar.cc t!-e Notes Instead of Playing Them. curries out the theory of old Greek harmony, costumes, and everything. , and let's you express yourself all over I rather like the costume because it's [ comfortable and there's nothing in the way and it helps the harmony ' You se(. one's feet are keeping time different from what the hands are following, and it keeps both sides . of one's brain at work. There's really nothing tike it. Isadora Duncan made a start toward it. but this is [ much more thoughtful than anything she ever triml to do After we learn i lot about 11 we'll i>c able to dance a symphony, with a chorus for the i heavy chords and a little solo work. I It expn . . d just what the composers wanted to express, and much better than a pdino can do it " The pursuit of a dunce In which every li.tle movement has a musical > meaning all its own has accomplish ed wombrs for still another, who . said: Why. on!> la t week we were playing 'ha* little child's game at the i club what i it? o. yes, "Simon says > thumbs up' And, d'you know. I won '' t-vi ry game. They just couldn't I catch nie. That shows how the dance aches the brain and the muscles f to coordinate." ? . . ^ . .. i-ui xo uooa trc. > Chicago Tlu? Chicago Waiters' as social ion at tlx? celebration of its ninth birthday, dedicated ;i library of iMitn volutins. bought with money obtained b> rolling champagne corks at ' | * ) ."it) per t housand. v1 ' . Too Much Gum Chewing. "j \ v York. -After ten days in this !t> Uattbsnake Itiil Wallace said: , i ia ; homo to Albuquerque be! ; n i- I'm tired seeing New Yorker* i . ag theii jaws on a piece of chewiug | mim." m MSHING7jl Collapse of Washington' - > -E_ .1 i . | WNSIUNCTON. The collapse or the "Bachelors" Washington's famous cotillon club, which for the last twenty years has established the standing of the successive crop of smart society, has been followed by the establishment of the "Benedicts" and at last ? tu<? smart set has undergone the long threatened pruning. The Bachelors, according to some reports, "fell of its own weight." In other words, too many who could not. muster all the requirements were admitted to membership and one by one the "swagger" element withdrew. The defection began several seasons ago when Major Charles Mct'awley, IT. S. M. ('.. who throughout the Roosevelt regime was the Beau Brutnmel of Washington, gate up his membership, tleorge Howard. son of Lady Howard of Hngland and kin to the ultra-aristocratic Hlggs connection, resigned about the same time, (list Blair, one of the most eligible bachelors in the country, came a close third, but these lapses were made up by the younger army and navy set. Y. M. C. A. Puts Ban 01 THIS notice was posted the other day at the Y. M. C. A. rooms and dormitory here: '"Members of the Y. M. C. A. and visitors to tin* Association building w ill please refrain from playing or singing music of the following kind in or about tho buildngs: "Hltchy Koo." "Row, Row, Row.' 'Kverybody's ItQing It." 'When 1 (Jot You Alone ToaigUt.' "Such songs arc suggestive and not at all In keeping with the ideals of i lie Association." The notice appeared on the bulletin hoards throughout the Y. M. C. A. dormitory as .veil as on the announcement boards In the Association's gymnasium. pool room, bowling alleys, turkisli baths, reading rooms and barber shops. "The ruling was made," said Secretary Cooper, "not because any one has made himself objectionable by per forming these questionable songs, but merely to insure that the policy and moral conditions of the young man shall be carried out in this detail as in others. Cor many years I have noticed a steady lowering in the moral tone of the average popular song. FormerPlans to Further Embel PLANS aro made. and their cxecution will be proceeded with as soon as finances warrant, for further erahellishing flic capitol grounds by the planting of additional shrubbery. It should be emphasized that no attack is contemplated on the design of the grounds which represents the admlr! able work of the landscape architect, Frederick l.aw Olmsted. The layout of the capitol grounds is satisfactory to everybody, and the design is venerated by all the men having In charge the care and preservation of the i grounds. When the capitol grounds, as we know them, were young, a great deal >t the plantation was for quick results. !'h<- results were achieved. Some hrubhery has developed so that as a / Baby McLean's Birthday B\Mv Vincent Walsh McLean's $10,000 birthday party, given the other day at 'lie Walsh home in Washingc?!l eoonrtlu fi\c wnrtrnAtia "Ml. IM wn' <111 i t"i hwl fcvvuu itkI ingenious entertainments. 'rifts en me in hundred lots, and in hundred lots they continued to come for several days. The greater number ire yet to he opened for the inspection of the youthful recipient and a pair of secretaries will b<* required to get the notes of thanks off in proper time. The one best gift of the whole coli lection, however, is the snow burro which came as a gift from Mrs. Mc' Lean to her only son. A giant white bull moose, white as -now and terrifyingly natural, shares 'he place of honor with the burro in 1 'he afTections of the young heir This also was a gift from Mrs McLean and J is appearance for the first time creat< d a great sensation. i i hi? mriiMiiiy ciiKi', wmcn II<t(I Itio place of honor on the tabic specially j constructed lor the comfort of the I 'in; guests, was a real wonder cake, ?? ??? ?+mm . t-^H A ^ "f F ^ I J 1 i rj H?^ mit ~x j. 's Famous Cotillon Club Last year things got worse and even tbo lances of criticism assailed the bachelors, whose dances careful moth- i era considered a bit too blase for tho debutantes whose coming-out heretofore bad not been considered nronerlv accomplished unless "they appeared" at least at the Bachelors' three yearly "Germans." The turkey trot was one of the first wedges, the Introduction of bridge whist tables where some pretty high play was possible was another dislntegratory feature, while the habit some of the young matrons had of going out to the smoking rooms and puffing a cigarette or two between dances was yet another phase of the bachelors' later dances which more careful mothers refused to view with favor. Anyway this season the Bachelors fell through, the Inst president, Lawrence Townsend, former American minister to Belgium, resigning and the general committee going out with him and leaving the old organization with its new membership floundering. The Bachelors, under Major McCawloy's regime, first attained the distinction of having the mistress of the White House stand as hostess at one of the first dances each year. Mrs. Roosevelt and Mrs. Taft both "received" for the Bachelors at least once each season. For "resident hostess" one of the smartest of the resident set stood as sponsor while always the second or third dance had Tor its hostess the wife of one of the ambassadors. i All Suggestive Songs I f Znnrc 1 i f. """? , L?1 fincrew oonoTa'ic VP J ^ A _ _ j Q|D 6AM "i "!"' TOR THAT TE55SS& J? SW *""> ?r %0; j ly sheet music was derived from the operas of Gilbert and Sullivan; nowadays they seem to come mostly from the burlesque stage. Twenty-five years ago many popular songs possessed considerable merit; today many of them are unspeakable. "It is not tho actual, literal meaning of the words sung that Is objectionable, but it is the connotation, the Idea obviously implied, or that one is led to anticipate, which constitutes tho peculiarly vicious effect of these songs. Popular music today is at its loweHt ebb. But even if it cannot show brains, it at least can show decency, and 1 would .welcome any movement designed to this end." The Washington Y. M. C. A. has a membership of 3,000. lish the Capitol Grounds | permanent feature it cannot be inI dorsed by progressive landscape ar| cliitectB, but even this will not bo I trifled with. Plant mortality in the | capital grounds was high last winter. A large amount of shrubbery was killed by the long and excessive cold. A number of troes have been slain by summer storms, and several were destroyed or irreparably injured last summer. Whenever the replacement of a tree is determined on a memorial tree will he set out, with the final result that memorial groves will surround the capitol. Last spring a beginning in this line of work was mado, and in the east park on the senate side Senator Bacon planted a willow oak. Vice President Sherman a purple beech. Senator Lodge a red oak. Senator f'ullom an oak, and Senator Wetmore an Kngllsh beech. At the east front on the house side Speaker Clark plant' ed a sugar maple. Representative Can1 non an oak and Representative Browni ing of New Jersey an oak. There are 1 several tree vacancies In the west i grounds, and these will be filled by the planting of remembrance trees i next spring. Party Breaks All Records 1' ^ - ?l with it.B tier after tier of frosted "terraces," the pinnacle crowned with a trio of birthday caudles. Boxes of cake, with the monogram of the celebrant, together with quantities of wonderful toys and marvelous ?v>3| ' mechanical trophies, were given to ; each of the guests as they set off | home at the close of the afternoon. Kf>r entertainment there was a circus with a real clown. Punch and Judy I . how and a vaudeville entertainment completed the show. ^ lhifoy McLean is three yeara old and :< hei* to between ninety and a hu? jUivd millions. iS