CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19473, 7 May 1925, Page 2

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.

TO THE EDITOIt. <j lK> —l have read tho letter of your correspondent, Mr Herbert E. Childs, on tho subject of capital punishment, and also your editorial in your issue of April 24, to which he refers. Mr Childs thinks your editorial quite in keeping with public opinion. To my mind you were non-mommittal. >' Your correspondent makes statements, but adduces no strong arguments to support them. He says that "the conscience of every honest and earnest man demands that blood be atoned by blood." May I ask in what waydocs blorxl v'-to'io for blood? If anyono kills my child, will the blood of such a peitson ever make atonement for his deed? Your correspondent speaks of justice, but the whole tone of his letter shows that fle confounds justice with vengeance.' He talks of solving problems in the domain of tne practical and not of the theoretical. Allow mo to ask if this idea that blood can be atoned by blood comes within the domain of the practical? The blood-for-blood idea is a very old one. It has been seen in comparatively modern times in the vendetta of Sicily and in the blood fued of the mountains of Kentucky, where, when anyone was mur-next-of-kin was supposed to avenge him by killing the murderer, and then the murderer's next-of-kin avenged him, and so on. Anyone can see where this sort of thing leads to and this is really the blood for blood idea carried to its logical conclusion. The function of the State is to take the place of these interested individuals filled with a desire for personal vengeance and to act .with impartiality for the good of the whole community. Mr Childs has not used the "deterrent" argument which is perhaps the strongest in favour of capital punishment, and lie has yet to prove that the taking of life, even when it is done by the State adds anything to the well-being of the community.—l am, etc., A. B.