Kline On Capital Punishment

Representative Kline's capital punishinent bill was discussed in the Michigan House of Representatives Wednesday eveninjr, before a crowded audience including many distinguished men . Strong speeches were made f or the bill by Representatives Newkirk, Sullivan, Covell, Davock and Linderman, and against itby Representatives Barkworth, Hicks and Chamberlaini but the speech of the evening was made by Mr. Kline, and lasted nearly an hour. He was frequently interrupted by applavise. Among other things Mr. Kline said: Our present law does not impresb the woukl-be nuirderer with the enor mity and magnitude of his crime. I does not teacu enough: it does not pu in fear those contemplating tnurder; i does not mark the law of life with sol euinity. More stringent measures should be adopted to teach that class wbo do not now respect the law that they must respect it or forfeit that which they tak- life. I fear, sir, that we regard life too lightly. that we have come so accustonied to the reports of horrible deeds oí bloodslied thát our sense of justice has becoiae bemmibed. We have become accustomed to the cry of murder. The law is intended to strike at those wlio cahuly premedítate crime, those who coimt the cost. those who caJmly say, the most the law will do with me is to shut me up for a short time, in a place where I willberegaled with the latest opera once a week, a miustrel show once a fortnight, a place where I can study the sciences and arts, where 1 can become an expert chemist, where my lot will be an easy one, iny work will be light, my hours short and in due time my friends on the outside will prevail upon some tender-hearted governor to pardon me, if before that time arrivés I do not have the good fortune to kill my keeper and escape. At any rate in less than ten years I will again be free, tor statistics teil us that the average time the murderer serves in our state prison is ten years. With the death penalty all this will be changed; when the would-be murderer comes to plan his crime, thinks out the resulte, faces the f act that if he is convicted he will lose his life: that he will not be made a hero of; that he will not be the object of the sentimentalist's pity and his bouquet, but will be the subject of the noose; then, 'sirs, I believe that from that man's mind the thought of murder will forever banish, and he will stop before he sheds his fellowblood. It will deter many, it will not stop capital crime, for so long as men are endowed with passions, just so long those passions will at times the m aster. "Michigan has an alarmiüg number of attrocious murders, and the reason 'or it is obvious, when it was knowu ;hat only 25 per cent of those chaiged ire convicted, and of those eouvicted ouly 3 per cent are given the maximum sentenee. This alarming statenent is dedueed trom the attorney ïeneral's report. Is it any wonder íhat capital crime is prevalent? What ïas the average murderer to fear ? ie is certain oL a short sentence and lopes for an acquittal. The argument nat the death penalty will serve to essen the number of convictions, cer;ainly must fall, í'or with capital punshment the convictions certainiy could not be less than they are now, inless they acquit in all cases. "I come now, gentemen, to Michigairs criminal record. I lind, beginning with the year 1887 taking the years 1SS7 and 18, there were 117 nmrders. The years 1889 and 1890, ielded 124 murders; the years lt?91 and 192, 29 murders and 145 murderous assaults. Capital crime, you will see, s steadily on the increase and its proXH'tions are greater thau the increase n population." After reeounting at length the many old-blooded and delibérate recent murders in Michigan, he said: "What is the effect of our present mode of punishment for mmderers 'Í )o they ever become repentent men ! uding from past events I should say ■bat they do not. Taking Holzah, ilackman, wlio murdered Cuddy, and last but not least the prince of riminals, living Latimer. Have ;hose men become repentent mea ? Do heir acts show reformation ? Is there anything that murderers can flnd to do rader íife sentence that they will not do? Taking the history oí those men nd the way they are punished, I think ñatead of making repentent men of hem we giye theni a chance to show what base crimináis they are.'1 The bill passed the house yesterday by a vote of 56 to 25, and will undoubtedly pass the senate.