OCR Text |
Show A LITXLK HANGING A (iOOl) THING. During the past year murder has been rampant in Utah. It seems to be on the increase and for this there can he but one reason, the punishment has not been made to lit the crime. The taking of a human life is a grave offense and although there have been a dozen, niorc or less, murder trials in the past year, we can recall but one first degree erdict. That was returned against Alma Mit.duck at Provo only a day or two since. With it was coupled a recommendation of mercy which Secured a life sentence. This we hope is the beginning of a more rigid enforcement en-forcement of the laws in that direction. The light sentences with which so many have escaped have tended to make desperate men and women almost al-most contemptuous of the sanctity of human life. In one famous case the slayer was made a heroine. The natural result was that a similar case soon followed in which it was no fault, of the young woman's that her aim proved less aceurete than (hat of her modfl. Her punishment was merely nominal. This encourges others to take the law in their own hands. It shakes the faith of the people in the power of the law to protect them. It offers an apology for a resort to mob law. a nota-blo nota-blo example of which we have recently had in the lynching at Omaha. The infliction in-fliction of the death penalty has always liad a good effect upon the morals of smy community. A sentence of one, two or three years for the taking of human life seems inadequate even when there are extenuating circumstances. A man who steals a horse is likely to pet a longer term of imprisonment. Where the death penalty has been inflicted, in-flicted, it has invariably been followed by a very marked lessening of crime. There are two very notable examples. A few years ago Pennsylvania in one year hanged thirty-four "Mollie Magus Ma-gus res." Who has heard of a "Mollie Mnguire" since? A few years later Chicago hanged some of her anarchists. Where in this broad land has an an-"hrchiwl an-"hrchiwl opened his mouth since? |