The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923, April 11, 1913, Page 3, Image 3
t ! I!-, The Commoner. 3( APRIL 11, 1913 ' to bo charged is determined every three years so that the bank will not receive at any time more than, an average of 3 per cent on the capital in vested. All loans are made for a period not to exceed six months, at the end of which time unredeemed pledges are sold at public auction, all articles for redemption being publicly exhibited two days before the proposed sale. If" the bid for an article to bo sold is not deemed sufficient to cover the loan on it, it is withdrawn and put up at a later auction, or sold privately, unless it proves to be hopelessly worthless. All purchasers have to pay in addition to their bid 5 per cent to cover the costs of the sale. If an article be sold for a higher price than the amount advanced on it, including interest and administration expenses, the surplus is returned to the original owner, if claimed; otherwise it escheats to the bank. From one of the latest reports of the mu nicipal pawn-shop of Amsterdam, it appears that 1,140,838 articles were pawned in one year, or more than 2 pieces for each inhabitant, repre senting a' total value of $1,947,616.55. Among those pledges. were found a large amount of old clothing and bedding; 3,427 sewing machines, 1,325 bicycles, and 106 pianos and organs. The institution is very useful for people of very limited means, who often need money at a moment's notice and can only get it in this way. The loans are usually made to people who have no credit. Bankers would not make them at any rate of interest, and ordinary loan sharks would require from 25 to 50 per cent. It also protects the public against considerable small thievery, as pawnshops are the common dumping-ground for stolen wares. Government officials would also be more likely to report a suspected thief than a cut-throat pawn-broker, who sees profit in taking stolen goods at 25 per cent of their real value. Death Penalty and Holy Writ "BROTHER JOIIN!" We've seen it stated so often that it has grown stale that "one touch" of nature makes the whole world kin." The "touch of nature" descended upon Omaha on the evening of Easter Sunday. And recently there came into the World-Herald office a Chinaman, who modestly failed to leave his name. He did leave, how ever, $120, and with it a little note "In token of sympathy with the tornado sufferers. From the Omaha Chinese." God bless you, John Chinaman, with your yellow skin, your slant eyes, and your inscrut able face with its thousands of years of sad and patient racial history behind it! Our white man's money has gone out to your own people in times when the great turbulent floods went pouring over China's teeming plains. Our mis sionaries have penetrated the vastnesses of your ancient civilization preaching that you are our brothers, too. Nevertheless the idea never quite got under our skins, we must confess. But it's there now. We've mocked your pigeon English and your mincing steps and your pig tails and dreaded you a bit, too, even as we mocked. We've speculated on "thG yellow peril" and read, in the lurid magazines, of how your deft, long fingers were itching to plunge into our very vitals and tear out our hated hearts. We've idly wondered if you really did despise us as you washed our linen and served us your chop suey and performed your menial tasks with that enigmatic smile forever on your lips. It's different now. The whole world is kin, after all. That $120, earned nickel by nickel; that little note, "In token of sympathy for the tornado sufferers, from the Omaha Chinese," has taught us more tnan wo could learn from many ponderous volumes. You're Brother John, .after all. Omaha World-Herald. TO MY DOQ They call thee cur, and wrong thee with th name! An epithet thou never didst deserve! A mean, low conjured word men use to serve Expression of contempt and guilty shame. What they call cowardice in thee I blame To careless ignorance and false reserve Of thy real character; the bent and curve. Of "thy true nature men can 'not defame. Thou art but beast; but God hath made thee so; And no strange motive did he thus Intend; For thou wert made a beast that men might know Their higher tempers, and still hold a friend! If men could see their souls debased, they'd choose Thy safe condition with no soul to lose! C. Wiles Hallock in Our Dumb Animals. Following is an address by Dr. II. A. Hughes on tho subject of "Capital Punishment," beforo the county medical society at Phoenix, Ariz. It was of special interest on tho evo of a cam paign for tho abolition of tho death penalty in Arizona. Mr. Toastmaster and Gentlemen of the Pro fession: Just why your program committeo should ask mo to doliver an address on tho subject of capital punishment at a meeting like this and a festal occasion whore the speeches are usually convivial in nature, I hardly under stand. However, as it is his to command and mine to obey, I will give you a few thoughts on tho subject of "Thou Shalt Not Kill." Tho frequency with which this one sentenco is used lately would lead ono to beliovo that some of our learned men had been reading tho Bible, were it not that thoy get so badly mixed 'in the application of this commandment. What is meant by it? Does it mean that "Thou Shalt Not Kill for Food?" Does it mean "Thou Shalt Not Kill Wild and Forocious Ani mals?" No; for tho same great Law-giver directs that these shall bo killed. Then does it mean that men shall not bo executed for crime? It certainly does not mean anything of the kind, for the sarao Law-giver tells us that this shall be done, and prescribes tho various ways of taking tho life of tho murderer. For tho benefit of those gentlemen who quote this one commandment so glibly, I will give a few quotations found within a few pages of this ono, in tho same book and given by tho same Law-giver through which this command ment Is given. It says: "Whoso killeth any person, tho murderer shall bo put to death." (Numbers 35, 30.) Moreover, "Yo shall take no satisfaction for tho life of a murderer which is guilty of death, but ho shall surely bo put to death. The land can not be cleansed of the blood that is Bhed therein but by the blood of him that shed it." (Numbers 35, 31.) In an other place the same Law-giver says, "Thou shalt not consent unto him nor hearken unto him, nor conceal him, but thou shalt surely kill him. Thou shalt stono him till ho die." (Deut. 13, 8.) (Deut. 19, 11.) Again ho says, "But if any man hate his neighbor and lie In wait for him and rise up against him and smite him mortally till he die, then the elders of the city shall send and fetch him thence and deliver him unto tho hand of tho avenger of blood that he may die." (Deut. 21, 22,) Again, "If a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he bo put to death, and thou hang him on a tree," etc., etc. (Deut. 21 22.) "And if ho smite him with an instrument of iron, so that ho die, he is a murderer. Tho murderer shall surely be put to death. Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood where with he may die, ho is a murderer. Tho mur derer shall surely put to death. Or if in enmity he smite him with his hand, that he die, he that smote him shall be surely put to death, for he is a murderer." (Numbers 36, 16-21.) Many more quotations might be given from tho book that says "Thou shalt not kill," which proves be yond a doubt that murder, and not execution .of a murderer is meant. Now, would it not be fair for the gentlemen who attempt to quote scripture in order to bolster up a pre-concelved notion that they have nurtured until it has be come a good sized fad, to not take every ono else to bo as ignorant of the book as they them selves seem to be. They attempt to quote Christ, and show the same ignorance of his teachings as of the teaching of Moses. An ex-governor says that Moses went over into tho land of Canaan and killed nearly all the people there, while tho book teaches that Moses was only permitted to view the land from Pisgah's heights. Christ taught that the wages of Lin is death; he taught the docrine of eternal punishment, which is more severe than hanging by the neck until dead. He taught in almost every sen tence the law of rewards and punishments. He gave us tho parable of unworthy servant. The law of reward and punishments is a part of every nature, the babe at mother's breast is taught that if it does right it will be rewarded by kisses' and caresses, if It does wrong it will get a' spanking. The trainers, of lower animals accomplish results In the same way. Man should do right because it is right, ho should refrain from doing wrong because it is wrong, and some people make that the rule of life. We hope the day will come when all will do like wise, but when they do it will be that glorious day when tho Hon and lamb shall lie down tor i gother without tlio larao uemg insiuo mo Jiua t Some say that because crlmo la increasing (especially murdors) it Is proof positive tit fl capital punishment doos not deter the criminal! 1 believe that every ono who has given tho mat' tor worthy thought will doformlno at once tha it is tho manner in which our laws aro oxecuttf that Is responsible for tho increaso in crlmtj or rather tho lack of execution. It is my humbly judgment that If ovory ono was hung who com ( mltted the crimo of murder tho hangman couh soon take a rest. Tho criminal in court has 11-12 tho advantage to bogin with. Suppose t man commits a cold-blooded murdor: ho is ar rested and tried beforo an examining court i if it says ho Is guilty, and ho is bound over tf tno granu jury. j noro, unui laioiy in in state, three men out of olghteon could relea tf him from custody. There he has thrco again ilfteon. Tho case goes beforo tho district o L superior court, and tho challenges ho has o m jurors often makos tho case a farco. Thai when the twelvo men hear tho evidenco ono mai can hang the jury in his favor and the case wil probably never bo retried ho is scott free oi one man's vote, although cloven men vote hlu guilty. But Biippose ho Is found guilty. Thi case is taken beforo tho supremo court and oj some technicality ho is given a now trial. Bi time for tho new trial somo of tho importaa 4 witnesses aTo gono and ho Is freed. But sup pose he is found guilty and sentenced to hang some governor with moro sentiment than ra gard for law, by ono dash of his pen sets him a ; liberty. And tins is tlio History or many; uu miii1nrnT 1ifnMtf anoonnAnA n thwnrMnflT til' law once, Is moro bold in crimo, because twl feels that he has just learned tho combination' In England, where few murderers escapv nvnnuHnn Mm oHtrtn nf mnnlnr in mm Irw1rf1 The courts did not civilize California; it iraf1 tho vigilantees. When nine bad men were hum from tho pier at ono time, San Francisco wai, made so a man could walk down the stroot with out much fear of being slugged an'1 robbed. Ii Fresno county life and property wore unsafe A few vigilantees found a partly completod frame house, a good gallows, and flvo men wort hung ono moonlight night; then people did no; have to stand guard over their horses at night Evoryono who knows anything about tho earl) settlement of tho Texas frontier, knows thai it was not tho courts that put a stop to horupu stealing and cattle rustling. Even our own cltj 1 was made much safer to live in after two mur derors were strung up to tho old cottonwool tree that stood where tho big cannon now ur Tho hope of reward will stir tho souls oi many people to good deeds, but shall wo bo s narrow-minded as to lose. sight of the other p." of the same law, tho fear of punishment? Dur ing tho first year of the reign of Queen Vip toria there were four attempts on her Jife, an some of tho assailants were tried for insanity Parliament met and passed an act providing foi the speedy execution of any who attempted t take the life of tho queen, r.nd from that time to tho day of her death no one made an attacl nn hnr. , The immortal Leo told his son that tbv greatest word in tho English language wat "duty;" somo smaller men seem to think tha44) sympathy for tho criminal sfandp away aboW. n V nnnln tt xtfrfia Portnlnlv ftVOrV Trial! I 1L IIX LUU niUID VJL MUiUUi vv. faU.U.J IJ "'"l would dislike to take another's life, even ill commanded to do so by tho law, yet any maij should bo willing to discharge his duty, if thai came in his lino. The first effect of capital punishment Is to deter others from committlni mnpflor" ihn HPP.nrwl Afffnt 1h to nrotfict ROfiifitl from such inhuman persons; the third Is to prel vent men from taking such things into theii own hands without process of law. For In .nnst, nimnAnn vmlt Viorl n 1ivaItt 1 O II Cll t ap ATtJI BU1UI,U, dujiuou juu uuu. u, ijimj viuububw "13 joying your own nresiue, wnere sue is uy4 posed to bo safe from all attacks, and a villalaj creeps up to tho window and blows out nei brains with a shot-gun, spattering her blood and brains over the mother who gave her birtbjl then suppose thw instead of hanging him the court should give him a life sentence, where h could bask In Arizona sunshine, play games, b well fed, i-nd nurse the idea that some man Ii authority would decide that It was too bad U keep him as a pensioner on tho state and tel him to go free; how many fathers with re blood in their veins would not take his gun ant go man-hunting. I contend that if one-hall the maudlin blubbering over the poor crimlnz 'M'i y i fumfvmimf- tmirtmtsW' tUevprtf , "I iliiffgfowlMdMBBiairtni