Show publishing ACCOUNTS OF executions THE law ot of new york state which provides that crimi criminals DaIS convicted ol of capital offenses shall be executed by electricity goes into effect on new years day the statute contains cont aias the following provision no account of the details of any such execution by electricity beyond the statement ot of the fact that such convict was on the day in question duly executed according to law at the prison shall be published la in any newspaper any person who shall violate or omit to comply with any provi provision sidy 0 of f this section shall be guilty of a mis demeanor the object abject of this clause is ia to prevent the publication of detailed and sensational accounts of executions the moral effects ol of which have been so often and earnestly questioned As the time approaches when this curtailment tail ment ent of the privileges of the pres pre s a to go into effect the editors throughout the state are he becoming coming exercised over it the world has obtained the opinions of a large number of editors and man managers figers to together zether with a statement of their intentions in ret regard gard to obeying the law all save a f few ew take the posidio po sitio that the law is unconstitutional tut ional in that it abridges the freedom of the press and openly and emphatically declare that they will not obey it but will publish the details of executions as heretofore the is denounced in eme emphatic hatic terms by many editors woo pronounce it idiotic and nonsensical as well as ind lid their condemnation alte emanation em nation ot of it to Is m lea ea and the defiant language ie of them use in expressing tr r detestation of it and t e ir r intention to disregard it i to say the least in he the editor of a paper in ithaca the seat of 0 10 ornell university who is one of f a emall 11 minority thus expresses hill bis be sediments 1 1 eats W 1 I in a my I 1 op opinion I 1 nion the law prescribing electricity for murderers and denying a harrowing ageo account giat of death gurgles and expiring orations rations to the press and general public is constitutionally correct whether constitutionally valid or not got acquiescing in its eminent pro pr arety ety obedience to it on my part wm 1111 be e cheerful luty and not painful self denial authorized witnesses can bear all testimony bec necessary essary to the ext irpa tion of felons and a great stimulus to crime will be stayed notoriety added to confectionery and flow flowers ersts ls lot not a deterrent to crime there is ie logic as well as sentiment behind the maturing law and we are tar far indeed from an in cli nation to dely defy the will ot of the state made known by its legislature one thing Is tolerably certain the law will be utterly disregarded die regarded by the I 1 great majority or of newspapers Is in the state until it has been constitutionally tested and should the courts affirm its validity there to is doubt about its ever being enforced so strona is the determination e or the new york press to procure and pub lish all the sensational news newis possible |