CAPITAL PUNISHMENT OR LIFE IMPRISONMENT?

Tfce subject of the abolition of capital piuua&ment has been seriously coBtiasrsd and each side of the subject widely discussed by various writers and debaters, la tnis paper 1 will endeavor to give a few reasons that have appeared very weighty to me, for the abolition of capital punishment and the substitution in its place of life imprisonment. Me one will deny that human judgment is extremely fallible. Even when it rests upon the most convincing reasons it may go wrong, lac Is that were not known and circumstances that were hidden come to light and destroy the foundation upon which it was based. What then will prevent that fallible human judgment from r***''"g the death sentence upon the Innocent as well as the guilty? It has been proven again and again, that innocent men ana women have been condemned by judges ana juries misled by the testimony of false witnesses, by false circumstantial evidence and frequently by the erroneous opinions of competent experts. W hen we consider the irreparability of capital punishment in such cases wc must be convinced that some other punkhment, such as life imprisonment auouid take the olace of tne irrevocable pfrniahme.it of death. As a means of reparation to the persons injured by tne criminal the . death sentence destro’-s its efficiency by the very fact that it removes the very one wno should make reparation. For instance, in the case of a murder. Many times a family is deprived of its sole means of support by tne hands of a criminal. Would it not appear better to nmki* that criminal work at hard labor in order to support the family he h**** injured, than to sentence him to death ? The efficacy of thih form of punishment as a means xor the prevention of murder is probably the most powerful argument advanced in lavor of Us preservation. 10 prove this the appalling late that befalls me criminal u pictured, and statistics proving capital punishment etiecuvely lessening the crime of murder are cited. However, it appears to me, me same end would be attained if, for example, it should become a thoroughly wellknown law, unswerving in its working, that anyone wno takes me life of another snail absolutely give up the remainder of his life without iu ordinary pleasures to work for those whom hs injured; and if this law were assuredly carried out, the fear of its erf eels would far exceed mo fear 01 immediate death to those whose hearts have been sufficiently hardened to commit murder. A study of me subject will disclose the fact that -he fear of immediate death affects those who have committed the deed Uu-ough uncontrolled passion and without designing malice; and those who are cold blooded in their crime are more willing when brought to justice, to meet death than a life-time of deprivation and want. Would it not appear that capital punishment does not really punish so effectively and thoroughly as life imprisonment? liy imprisonment the government of a country 1 * * can effectively punish crime, for it makes the criminal through the years of hard work pay in some vay for the awful crime he has committed. As a deterrent of crime, capital punishment is a failure. Will a criminal, ready to strike his victim, stay his iiand by the thought that he may lose his life? The average criminal is willing U take his chance of getting off. Experience shows that judges and 4 uries, as a rule, dislike to con- * "jr i a man to death and do all in tiw.r power to avoid passing the sentence of death. Criminals realixe this and profit by it If life imprisonment were »ub*muu-d f»r capital punishment juries would not be vo timid about pronouncing a criminal guilty, and murder would for the most pari meet its punishment. Would not life imprisonment lx- a better deterrent of Betting In Buenos Aires. The ArgcnUiitsns are born s*tuMera. and they wager almost lucndible sums on horseflesh. The munlcij-ul statistics oi Bvjwe Aire: how tli«t $iV 800.000 In American goM -v . ..gored upon Lbs races at the Iltpixidrouie in one year. This la an average of fifty Argentine dolls .-a for each man, w orn an and child In that great city. Naturally the reimrtc-d figures do not In cluoe ail the money wagered ou horse racing, so that the true sum 1* no doubt several millions In cxceas of the reported figures There are none so old and few so young that they will not wager a few pesos on a favorite.—Ex-

change.

An Evil Suggeetie.-i. “While you arc asking paps for my band In marriage, Philip, Ml be playing something lively on the piano,*' said the sweet young thing. “No, I wouldn't do that. Jessica." re-1 plied the young man. "You know) some people can't keep their feet sill.! when they hear lively musl,-."—Chics |

go News Hit Herd.

“1 flatter myself I've made a hit with this soug. Mr-by the way, who was the gvutlrluan that Waa motrd '

to tears and went out?"

“The 1 was the conyoeer." 1 -London I

Taller

"POOR DOQeiE." It was a raw, blustering night in December. The sleet-laden wind blew in htful gusts against the en house windows. Withm, the a was quite different Some of the man sat eating their supper, soma played checkers, and outers sat in little groups, telling of hairbreadth escapes and thrilling rescues. In the rear, the well-groomed horses munched their

supper.

The captain and three men sat around the big stove, listening to the howling of the wind. At the captain's feet lay a big brown and white collie who answered to the name “Tots.'' Tots growled whenever the captain petted him. The captain called them “love growls." “Just like the night of the big firs in ’an, eh?" aaid one of the men. “Yes, 1 ’ replied the captain. “It surely was as bad a night as this, when we fought the Iroouois Fire. Those theatres are nothing more than firetraps anyhow." Tne captain was

Then, as if mocking him, the fire bell rang. "The Lyceum Theatre” came over the wire. The horses trotted out; the harness fell; and the captain sprang to his seat beside the driver—his face white and his lips ashen. Fear and agony were on his face. Only Tots knew why. The captain's wife and child were in that theatre! The crowds cheered when they saw the n remen dash fearlessly into the nui aing structure. The captain was oblivious to all this. Other things more important occupied his mind— nu wife—his child, lie plunged time and again into that cloud of smoke, each time dragging forth an unconscious victim, but never the ones whom he sought above alL Once he was entering, he heard a noise behind him. He turned: “Back, Tots, back!" But suddenly an inspiration came to him. He turned again to the dog: "Go, Tots, and find your mistress!" The dog seemed to understand, for he immediately start-a down the anoke filled centre aisle. Several minutes elapsed. The cold sweat stood in beads on the captain's forehead. Would Tots find them? The dog was his only hope in that in-

ferno.

Suddenly a faint barking was heard above the crackling of burning wood. A barking that sent the captain's blood coursing through his veins. Had it ary significance? Did it mean the dog nad succeeded in finding his mistress? He could only hope. Guided by the faint barking of the dog, he made his way blindly down the left centre aisle. He must nave staggered on for several minutes before he fell over a limp form lying prone in the aisle. His heart bounded with joy when he saw by the vivid and scorching glare, that it was his wife with little Harold clasped in her arms. He gathered them both in his arms and staggered up the aisle towards safety. As the captain reached the door, willing arms took his precious burden from him. He swayed unsteadily for a few seconds and then sank unconscious to the walk. He revived almost immediately in the cold air. When he had staggered to his feet, hs stood aghast at the sight that met hi* eyes. The walls were falling infalling on those imprisoned beings whose shrieks hut a few minutes before had rent the night air like the cry of tortured souls. The captain had been just in time. Two minutes later and he would have been in the next world. As the weary fire-fighters were preparing to leave, tho captain thought of Tots. He searched for aim among the piles of dead bodies, but without success. He inquired of his friends. They had not seen him and it was with a heavy heart the captain took his seat beside the driver on the return to the engine house. He concluded that the poor dog must have been ourned to death. What was his joy when on arriving at the engine house he saw Tots stretched in his custom«»y pUee oy M»e nr*. Xflfi dog was .tone the worsj for his expensaaa, save a slight singeing of the hair. Little Harold's eyes had been so injured by the smoke that a bandage had to be placed over them. It was whil” groping about in this condition that he chanced to itumble over Tots. Tne dog growled—a “love growl".

Line He Most Needed. “When 1 bought this car the salesman harped on Its beautiful lines." "Year "But he failed to mention that what 1 would need most would be s towing line."—BlrfUnthsm Age-Herald.

“You ask 'mv l you haven't dor tho day yon w Mr. Codger*. “Oh. air." ar, "yon do me a i a cruel parent, after he bad wal

» It.

wired the mendicant. ;reat Injustice. 1 had air. and many a time, loped me, 1 went forth i cows.*’—Birmingham

l Uutt-The poet la burled In ■ "ghf. Mias Nlpp— 1'or goudnaes sake, 4al OEVriiT Fuel

Professional Pride. Jniige—Last time you were here you piumlMd solemnly never to steal sgslm Burglar—And 1 fully Intended to keep my word, your honor, but this waa a tough Job and they needed an expert. —Boetou Transcript More than 4.000 languages are spok en throughout the world. It la eetl mated that. Including dialects, there are more than 2UO,mo varieties ol

aiwech.

Coleridge—The Last Phase.

1'iofueeor B'tckle In Ule outoblo- , graphical sketch entitled, "Notes of a life" telle of a visit be paid to Cole ridge, then living al lllghgate, ol whom be remembers only two things "<1| that be waa an old, infirm, down tint man. (Vj that be told me he bad thrown overboard all speculative phi losophy . finding pel feet eatlafai tlou In the first chapter of tbs gospel of Juba."

Courage ef the Ee jle-

« to an eagle's coin age and aggies slteueas, It la Well known that In cell trml Asia the golden eagle will wen attack the wolf, and H Is tamed and flown at that savage beast as the goe

hawk U flown at bares

The beat government Is that which leaches us to govern ourselves.

OFFICERS Director HENRY S. RUTHERFOI Vice-Director AUGUSTUS Clerk F. W. FOWKES County Collector JOS. L SCULL Solicit or JOSEPH DOUG) Cape May Court County Engineer LEAKING M. RICE Wikhrood Road Supervisor DANIEL SCHELLENGER. SnpL of Weights and M< DAVID W. RODAN.. .Cape May City Steward of Almshouse LEWIS T. DOUGLASS Cape May Court House Superintendent of Soldiers' Burials JOHN W. REEVES.. .Cape May Oily Custodian of Court Fouae LEWIS S. SMITH Cape May Court House Farm Demonstrator GEORGE B. THRASHER Cape May Court House

List ol Members

I

Name, Address, Distriot Represented Term Expires on January 1st of the Year Opposite Name. OCEAN CITY Address, Ocean City John P. Fox 1819 John E. Townsend 1919 SEA ISLE CITY Address, Sea Isle City Theo. E. De&ow 1920 James F. Eustace 1920 WILDWOOD Address, Wildwood Augustus Hilton 1918 Charles W. Saul 1918 CAPE MAY CITY Address, Cape May City John T. Bennett 1919 Henry S. Rutherford 1918 UPPER TOWNSHIP Address, Tuckahoe I Hope W. Gandy 1919 DENNIS TOWNSHIP Address, (Peennont) Avalon ' Levi Wentzell 1919 MIDDLE TOWNSHIP Address, Cape May Court House Stillwell H. Townsend .1920 LOWER TOWNSHIP Address, Rio Grande P. MacKissic 1918

ASSESSORS OF CITIES,BOROUGHS AND TOWNSHIPS OF THE COUNTY OF CAPE MAY atiea Cape May City J. Allen Wales Ocean City Dr. H. T. Foulds Sen Iris City Wm. J. Fox Wildwood Lynn H. Boyer Borough. Avalon R. W. Rosen bawm Cape May Point Norman Rigor North Wildwood Robert Bright South Cape May... * Ibert J Rudolph Stooe Harbor Hugh McMurtne Weet Cape May Harry S. Fiaher Wildwood Crest William E. Zeller Woodbine Israel Eisenberg Townships Dennis Rolls Hewitt, Ocean View Middle ... V. N. Erricson, Dias Creek Lower... .Chas. C. Bohm, Cold Spring Upper George Hoff, Tuckahoe

The regular meetings of the Board are held on the First and Hard Tbusday of each month at the Court Hs—s, Cape May Court House, at 10J0 A. M.

Standing Committees COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS FOR 1917. ALMSHOUSE—Fox. Bennett. GCfidy, S. H. Townsend, Wentzell. BRIDGES—Wentsell, Bennett, Fox, Eustace, Gandy, MacEiasic, Saul. PUBLIC BUILDINGS — I Wentzell, J. E. Townsend. BILLS—Eustace, Hilton, DeBow. AUDITING—S. H. Townsend, Gandy, DeBow. FINANCE—Saul, Eustace, S. H. Townsend. LUNACY—Gandy, Fox, Bennett. UGHTING—Hilton, MacKissic, J. E. Townsend. ROADS—Rutherford, Bennett, DeBow, Eustace, Fox, Gandy, Hilton, MacKissic. J. E. Townsend. S. H. Townsend, Wentzell. DISCHARGE OF PRISONERS—S. H. Townsend. BURYING SOLDIERS AND SAILORS—John W. Reeve*. BOARD OK SCHOOL ESTIMATEVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS—Said, Bennett.

Court and County Officers Addmui: Cape May Court House Supreme Court Justice HON. CHARLES C. BLACK Circuit Court Judge HON. HOWARD CARROW Common Pleas Judge HON. HENRY H. ELDKEDGE Clerk of Courts and County Clerk A. CARLTON HILDRETH

STERLING W. COLE. Sheriff ROBERT S. MILLER Deputy Sheriff MEAD TOMLIN Surrogate EDWARD L. RICE l*roeecutor of the Pleas El'UKNE C, COLE County Superintendent of Schools ard Secretary of Vocational School* 1 J JUmOS W. HAND

Ottas Cape May City—James J. Doak Roeben Ludlam Ocean City—Jerome S. Rush Frank H. Ware Arthur D. Barrows, Police Justice Sea Isle City—Alfred S. Steelman Edward C. Stevens Wildwood—Girard Liveaey H. C. Schlkhnng B. C. Ingersoll J. Charles Fach M. L. Bran In George L. Shaw Boroughs North Wildwood—A. M. Ely Stone Harbor—S. E. Herbert George J. Rummel West Cape May—David Hughes Woodbine—J. S. Levin Morris Levin

Dennis—A. E. Holmes, Dennisville Thomss J. Durrell. Belleplain Middle—L. T. Garretson, Cape May Court House Luther M. Swain, Swainton Lower—Frank Eldredge, Cold Spring Upper—James Shoemaker. Tuckahoe

TAX COLLECTORS FOR CITIES, BOROUGHS AND TOWNSHIPS OF THE COUNTY OF CAPE MAY.

Cape May City...W. J. Fenderson, Jr. Ocean City E. W. Burleigh Sea Isle City Lewis Steiuneyer Wildwood Robert J. Kay Boroughs Avalon Walter A. -#09th Cape May Point .ITT. Huff North Wildwood .-.P. L. Peterson South Cape May.C. Marshall Rudolph Stone Harbor Clarence O. Letxkus West Cape May Harry T. Ludlam Wildwood Crest H. W. Lars Woodbine Dr. Joseph Jaffe Townships Dennis U. M. Carroll, Dennisville Middle. Willete Corson. Cape May C.H. Lower... .Scott Seymore, Cold Spring Upper Alfred H. Sapp, Petersburg

OVERSEERS OF THE POOR OF CITIES, BOROUGHS AND TOWNSHIPS OF THE COUNTY OF CAPE MAY. atke. Cepe May City A. G. Bennett Ocean Qty T. Lee Adams Sea Isle City Arndt Gordon ! Wildwood N. A. Cohen

Dec. 3 let, 1915 ■ad UodMded Profit. #1.4«,9flT.** 7.—L99M8 mid to DepoeHacs fat 1915 311.M3.2J Unds and £tame la Settlement 9.M2,JC7.12

Our Banking, Trust, and Safe Deposit Box Departments offer complete facilities. Your business is.invited and inqu” v", welcomed. ALEXANDER C. WOOD, PmtU^O

g3t**XXX*****x> D. EVERETT TODD Painter and Decorator MtaHrMtB4B• B-B-B ■ &?&.-B 2301 Federal Street, CAMDEN, N. J. I am prepared to do your painti»g at any time or place at short notice. A irial will convince you that you have made no mistake in employing a man with -ThirtyFive Years experience in City, Town, Country ami Sea Shore Painting. Best white lead, linseed oil and pure color. Let me serve you. Branch—WILDWOOD, N. J. KKXaCK**ftXXKX*.

FRANK W. FOWKES Real Estate and Insurance Broker

CONTRACTOR Notary Public, Corrmlaaioaer of Deeds Estimates Furnished for Cement, Concrete or Stone Curbing and Footwalka. LOTS FILLED IN AND GRADED Sea Isle City New Jersey

MORNHINWEQ’S BAKERY B«ker» ol Sea laic City'* F

U-NEED-ME-BREAD ice Cream and Fancy Cake Makera All Lines of Confectionery LANDIS AVENUE Ol CORAL STREET Telephone 24-3 Beil Sea isle CltV. N. J.

Avalon K. Needham Capa May Point Peter Krupp North Wildwood Thomas Corson South Cap* MarStone Harbor. .Marie L. VanThuyne ; Waat Cape May Wm. H. Smith. Wikhrood Crest— Woodbine R. H. Reiner TownaUpa. Dennis . .Gao. S. Robinson, Dennisville Middle V .D. D. Burch Lower Jerry H. Woolson Upper . Wm. S. Eldredge, Petersburg

Notary Public Commissioner ol Deeds J. P. DELANEY SONS Sea Isle City Cement Works All kinds of Cement Work Done. Walks, Porches, Pier* Chimneys, Blocks, Lawn Vases, Hitching Posts. * Building Blocks — Plain and Ornamental Also Plastering, etc. Agents for Cape May Sand Company. Tel. Bell 5 Landis and Ocean Aves^ Sea Isle City N J agpcagpangcKmrairK'tricciPt^ ' *

CITY. BOROUGH AND TOWNSHIP CLERKS OF THE COUNTY OF CAPE MAY Otiea Capa May City William Porter Ocaon City Harry A. Morris Saa lala City Irrmg Pitch Wildwood Jamts E. WnitMell Borough* Avalon R. W. Kosenhawm i Cape May Point H. H. Buaac North Wildwood.. .George A. Redding South Cap* May Elvin b. Martii. Stone Harbor Leo F. McCraven Wast Cape May Theo. W. Reeves Wildwood Crest..Harry 1. Nickerson Woodbine L. C. Abramson Towuehipe Dennis .Orman M. Geary, Dennisville Middle.. .A. T. D. Howell, Dia# Creek Lower.Charles <\ Reeves.W.Capv May Upper.JaaM T. Young^eesiay'a Paint,

CB8XK»POO<HX>OCHX>CsXtCK^^ ^ Real Estate Insurance | BUILDING LOTS In a Growing Section Ripe for I mprovements COOPER B. HATCH & CO.,= ^ 211 MARKET ST. - Camden, j t