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Show DEMAND FOR THE RESTOR-F ATION OF THE DEATH t PENALTY IN FRANCE. K The law abolishing the death penal- ' ty in France is now on itstrial. Theyj principal newspapers of Paris are cal-j ling for its repeal, and influcncial 1 statesmen and authors arc clamoring for the restoration of " the Widow," and of " M. dc Paris," her attendant, both of whom were so summarily brnished. The decree shelving at one htiokc guillotine and executioner was ;. mistake of sentimental humanitar-i..uism, humanitar-i..uism, wc are told, and has increased the frequency and the enormity of violent crimes. Wc must premise sod thrOirr- Ahm csthaori thaobfw that the new statute has not yet passed through the chambers, but its 1 estimation is taken for granted by the whole French press. In accordance with it the ancient law that "whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed " is finally repealed in France. But between the formulation formula-tion and the passing of the bill a shocking incident has occurred. France has been stirred to the hca.ri by the murder of a child under the most atrocious clicumstanccs in Faris. The murderer has confessed rnd the cry is raised " a la guillotine guillo-tine I" but there is 110 guillotine. Mr. Chavoix, a member of the Lower House, writes to the authorties asking ask-ing that a provision be inserted in the ntw statute decreeing death to those guilty of " exceptional crimes," but 'the Gaulois (Paris) asks who is to define de-fine " exceptional crimes," for radical journal recently stated that " an at-,tack at-,tack upon republican institutions is 'tl'C greatest crime a citizen can commit." com-mit." The Gaulois thinks " the abolition aboli-tion of the death penalty has done nothing but cut the sinews of justice and encourage crime." The opinion i? echoed by another paper which never agrees with other views of the Gaulois. " It is incontestable," declares de-clares the Intrausigcaut (Paris), ''that the conviction that those sentenced sent-enced to death will never be executed has brought the bludgeon, the re-1 volver, and the dagger into such pro- minence in the police reports as to menace public security." La Libertc (Paris), one of the most piogressive of newspapers from a journalistic point of view, has been printing interviews with prominent men on this topic. Mr. Paul Bour-pet, Bour-pet, a writer of transatlantic fame W reported as adopting, to express Ibis views, the following statement H Bof Joseph lc Maisirc: "All great- M Incss, all power, all. subordination is H (dependent on the executioner. He H lib nt once the destination and the H (Abend of union in every society. Re- H J'niovc from the world this mystcri- H lous agent of authority, and imnicd- H j iatcly order gives place to chaos, H thrones arc engulfed, and society (lis- H tippcars." To these words Hourgct H i-dds, " I consider tint the death pen- H alty is horrible, but i is also ucccs- B sary." M In an interview with the Libertc H representative, Mr. Gorou, cx-chict B ri police, remarks: "During the HJ twelve years for which the death pen- BJ alty has been practically suspended, HJ the results of this reform have been HJ made apparent. I think' the experi- HJ r.icnt has been continued long HJ most disastrous. "Speaking to the HJ fume reporter, of the death penalty HJ for criminals who plead unaccouut- HJ ability through mental disease, Mr. HJ Marcel Prcvost, the eminent public- HJ ist and writer, declares: HJ "What is the main argument put HJ forward in defense of unnatural crim- HJ iuals? It is that they arc irrcspon- HJ wblc, because they arc less than hu- HJ man. Well, it is wcfl understood HJ 'that man claims the right to free HJ himself from tilings noxious and from HJ vermin. If wc push the argument to HJ its natural consequences, man has M also the right to dcstioy, as he would M destroy dangerous animals, such hu- H man creatures as arc a perpetual men- M ace to this life." Translations made M for The Literary digest. M |
